Metal Fence
Aluminum Fence Installation
Powder-coated aluminum panels that cannot rust. The right ornamental-style fence for pools, waterfront lots and anywhere the fence stays wet.
Aluminum fence looks like ornamental steel and solves the one problem steel has around a lake: it cannot rust. The panels are the same picket-and-rail style, the colors are the same, the gates match, and the maintenance is a garden hose. On Lake Livingston waterfront lots, around pools, and on docks and seawall approaches where everything metal eventually streaks, aluminum is what we recommend first.
Where aluminum is the right call
- Pool enclosures. Splash, chlorine and wet feet all day. Aluminum panels with pool-code picket spacing and a self-closing, self-latching gate.
- Waterfront boundaries. The fence runs down to the water and stays damp; aluminum shrugs it off. See lakefront fencing.
- Front yards where the owner wants the ornamental look and zero upkeep.
- Rental and second homes that nobody checks on for weeks.
- Gates on long driveways, where the lighter panel is easier on hinges and openers.
Styles and heights
Aluminum fence comes in the same families as steel ornamental: flat-top, spear-top, two- and three-rail, with or without finials, in residential and commercial grades. Heights run from three-foot decorative to six-foot and taller. Black is the standard and the color that disappears best against trees and water; bronze and white are common alternatives. Picket spacing is selected for the job, tight for pools and small dogs, wider where the fence is purely a boundary.
How we build it
The panels are light, which is good for gates and bad for a fence set on shallow posts. We set aluminum posts in concrete below the soft topsoil exactly as we do steel, with gate and corner posts deeper, and we size the footing up in sandy soil near the water. Panels are racked to follow a slope where the style allows, so the bottom rail stays an even height above grade down a lake lot. Brackets and screws are stainless or coated aluminum so there is no dissimilar metal to corrode. Gates get adjustable hinges and, where wanted, an automatic opener.
Honest note on photos: most of the ornamental-style fence in our job photos is steel. Aluminum looks the same from the sidewalk; the difference is what it does in twenty wet years. Ask on the estimate and we will show you both.
Aluminum versus steel ornamental
Steel is stiffer and the better pick for heavy security grades, long commercial runs and very large gates. Aluminum wins wherever water is the enemy, and it costs about the same once you account for never painting it. If you are deciding between the two, the ornamental fence page has the steel side of the story, and we will price both on site.
What affects the price of an aluminum fence
Grade first: residential panels for a yard, commercial grade for long runs and security. Then height, picket spacing and finials, because tighter and taller means more metal. Gates add more than any run of fence, and an opener adds again. Slope matters too; racked panels follow a gentle grade, but a steep lake lot takes stepped sections and extra posts. We price it on site, and if you are weighing aluminum against steel or black chain link we will price those on the same visit so the comparison is real.
Common mistakes we see with aluminum fence
Panels set on shallow posts in sandy ground, which lean the first wet winter. Steel brackets or screws on aluminum, which corrode where the two metals meet. Gates hung on the same light post as the line, so the gate sags. Picket spacing chosen for looks on a pool fence that has to meet a code. None of them show on the day the fence goes in, and all of them are avoidable. Fence inspection and maintenance tips covers the little that an aluminum fence needs afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Is aluminum fence strong enough?
For a yard, a pool or a lake lot, yes. Residential aluminum panels hold a dog and stand up to weather without trouble. For security or a very long commercial run, heavier commercial-grade aluminum or steel is the better match.
Will aluminum fence ever need paint?
No. The powder coat is bonded to a metal that does not rust, so there is nothing underneath to bubble the finish. A rinse now and then is the whole maintenance plan.
Why choose aluminum over steel?
Water. Right on the lake, around a pool, or anywhere the fence stays wet, aluminum will not corrode where steel eventually might at a scratch or a cut end. It is also lighter, which makes big gates easier on their hinges.
Ready to price an aluminum fence?
Tell us about the project and we will set up a free on-site estimate. Or just call: we answer the phone.