Short answer
Document the damage first, then check the rules before you rebuild. A replacement fence may need the same township approval as a new one, and some Perkiomen Valley codes limit fences in floodplains or drainage easements. Lower Salford, for example, bars new permanent fences in its floodplain district. When you rebuild, choose an open style, set posts deeper and keep the fence out of the main flow path so the next flood passes through instead of flattening it.
How bad Perkiomen floods get
During Ida, on September 1–2, 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey measured Perkiomen Creek at Graterford at 64,400 cubic feet per second, a record in 107 years of data and beyond the 500-year flood. The East Branch Perkiomen near Schwenksville set its own record at 18,000 cubic feet per second, and the Perkiomen at East Greenville had its second-highest flow ever, 8,850.
The watershed covers 362 square miles across Montgomery, Bucks, Berks and Lehigh counties, and about 85,000 people live in its flood zones. WHYY reported that Ida destroyed an estimated 70 homes in the watershed and that a January 2026 study found more than 130 flood sites. WFMZ reported that after Ida, FEMA owns 74 Perkiomen-area homes through buyouts, and the area has had six historic floods since. A $1 million grant is paying for a watershed flood map.
First steps after the water drops
- Stay off unstable banks. Banks along the creek, from Meadow Park in Schwenksville up to East Greenville, can be undercut after high water.
- Photograph everything before cleanup: the fence line, debris piled against it, washed-out posts and the high-water mark on the panels. Your insurer or a FEMA assessor may want them.
- Pull debris off what's still standing. A fence packed with branches acts like a dam the next time the creek rises.
- Check pool barriers right away. If a pool fence or gate is damaged, keep the pool off-limits until it's repaired.
- Don't reset posts until utilities are marked. PA One Call needs three business days' notice, and the contractor doing the digging files the request.
Rules that may apply to the rebuild
| Municipality | What we've verified |
|---|---|
| Lower Salford Township (Harleysville area) | Fences and retaining walls are prohibited as new permanent structures in the Floodplain Conservation District (§164-97.1A) |
| Upper Hanover Township (East Greenville, Pennsburg, Red Hill) | Fence permit required for new, replaced or expanded fences; 1 ft setback from lot lines unless neighbors agree in writing; no fence inside a drainage easement or placed so it affects drainage (§500-814) |
| Schwenksville Borough, Green Lane Borough, Perkiomen and Lower Frederick townships | We haven't verified their fence codes. We confirm with the borough or township before quoting. |
If your old fence went up years ago, it may predate current rules. Upper Hanover, for instance, now requires a permit to replace a fence, not just to build a new one, and last amended its fence section in July 2025, so a rebuild may go through a process the original fence didn't.
Rebuild it to take the next flood
- Go open on the creek side. Aluminum, chain link without slats and split rail let water and debris through. A solid privacy panel facing the creek is the first thing a flood flattens.
- Run with the flow, not across it. Where the layout allows, keep long runs parallel to the creek, and cross the flow path with a gate you can leave open.
- Set posts deeper. Floodwater scours soil around footings. Full-depth concrete on every post, and heavier corners, help a fence stay put.
- Plan for removable sections. A panel or two that lifts out lets you open a channel when a storm is forecast.
- Mind the steep lots. Green Lane has steep ground: a June 2026 borough zoning hearing dealt with building a house in an area of steep slopes. On a slope above the creek, racked aluminum or chain link follows the grade without big gaps.
Is it worth rebuilding in the same spot?
Sometimes the honest answer is to pull the fence back from the creek. If the old line ran through the lowest part of the yard, a new line 20 or 30 ft upslope may stay out of the next flood entirely while still enclosing most of the yard. We'll walk both options with you, and if a section isn't worth replacing, we'll say so. Our fence repair page covers partial fixes when only a few posts or panels are damaged.
Common questions
Does insurance pay to rebuild a flooded fence?
It depends on your policy and on whether you carry separate flood coverage. Ask your agent before you commit to a rebuild, and keep your photos.
Can I reuse my old vinyl or aluminum panels?
Often yes, if they aren't bent or cracked. Because water passes through aluminum pickets, those sections tend to be easier to salvage than solid panels. We can reset posts and rehang what's still sound.
My neighbor's lot was bought out after Ida. Can I fence along it?
We haven't verified the terms that apply to any bought-out property. Ask the township who owns the lot now and what's allowed along that line before you plan a fence there.