Fence gate sagging or dragging — Leiden, Zuid-Holland

A fence gate that sags, drags on the ground, or won't latch is one of the most common fence complaints. The root cause is almost always structural: the gate post has shifted, the gate frame has racked out of square, or the hinges have loosened from repeated stress. Wood gates are heavy (50–100 lbs for a 6-foot privacy gate) and gravity constantly pulls the latch side downward. Adding a diagonal anti-sag cable or turnbuckle brace ($15–$40 DIY, $75–$200 professional) is the standard fix for a gate that's still structurally sound. If the hinge post has rotted at ground level or shifted from frost heave, the post itself needs replacement — $200–$500 for a single post reset in concrete. Neglecting a sagging gate accelerates wear on hinges and latches and eventually damages the adjacent fence sections.