Most bollard repair jobs start with a reversing bakkie, a delivery truck cutting a corner or a forklift in a hurry. The post may be bent, leaning in a cracked footing, snapped off at the base or simply faded and missing its caps and tape. Whether it can be straightened, re-set or must be replaced depends on what failed: the post, the fixing or the concrete around it. Send photos and a count of the damaged posts, and we pass your request to independent installers nearby, who quote you directly.
Bent, leaning or loose: what failed
A bent steel post with a sound base has done its job; it is usually cut off and replaced, because straightened pipe is weaker and the bend often cracks the coating. A leaning post with a lifted or cracked footing means the concrete or the ground gave way; the old footing is broken out and the post is re-set in a new, often deeper one. A loose surface mounted post usually has pulled or sheared anchors, and if it keeps getting hit it may be better cast in or core drilled. See bollard installation for the methods.
Broken precast and timber posts
Precast units chip and crack after hits, and a cracked unit with exposed reinforcing will rust and spall. It is usually cheaper to replace it with a matching shape from a precast yard than to patch it, though small chips can be repaired with a mortar. Timber posts rot at ground level or split over the years and can be replaced one at a time. Ask the installer to match the existing shape, height and finish, whether that is concrete bollards or treated poles.
Caps, paint and reflective tape
Not every repair is structural. Missing caps let water into a hollow post; faded paint and peeling tape make posts hard to see at night, which is when they get hit. A refurbishment visit often covers:
- New caps on hollow steel posts
- Rust treatment and repainting, often yellow or black
- New reflective bands or tape
- Topping up or resealing the base
Doing a whole line at once usually costs less per post than calling someone out for one.
Retractable bollards and insurance claims
Automatic and semi-automatic posts need regular servicing: cleaning and draining the pit, checking the hydraulics or motor, the safety loops, the gas strut on semi-automatic posts and the backup battery for load-shedding. A post that rises slowly or not at all is often a drainage or battery problem. Read more under retractable bollards. If a post was hit by a vehicle, ask the installer for a written quote and photos before and after, because the driver's insurer or your own will usually want both.
What to put in your request
- Photos of each damaged post and its base
- How many posts and what they are made of
- Like-for-like or an upgrade
- Surface: paving, slab, tar or soil
- Whether an insurance quote is needed
Bollard Repairs and Replacement for homes, businesses and public spaces
- Homeowners: a driveway post knocked crooked by a visitor's car, re-set in a new footing
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: a body corporate refurbishing faded posts and replacing a broken precast unit
- Shops, malls and petrol stations: a petrol station replacing bent posts at the pump islands after a truck turned short
- Offices, hotels and car parks: an office park car park with posts repainted and new reflective bands fitted
- Warehouses, factories and depots: a warehouse replacing forklift-damaged posts at racking ends and dock doors
- Municipalities and public spaces: sidewalk posts knocked over by taxis replaced and re-set in deeper footings
- Schools, hospitals and campuses: a hospital servicing retractable posts at the ambulance entrance
- Contractors and event organisers: a facilities contractor quoting a list of damaged posts across several sites
Frequently asked questions
Do you repair bollards yourselves?
Can a bent steel bollard be straightened?
Why does the same bollard keep getting hit?
What should I send for a repair quote?
Bollard Repairs and Replacement by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg