Aluminum Fence Installation in Galveston, TX

What an aluminum fence is made of

An ornamental aluminum fence is a kit of extrusions: square pickets, U-shaped rails the pickets pass through, square posts, and die-cast caps and finials, all powder-coated at the factory. ASTM F2957 covers these systems, and even lists "aluminum wrought iron fence" among the names they are sold under. One published specification (Ultra Aluminum) calls for 6063-T5 alloy with a minimum yield strength of 35,000 psi, 1″ pickets with a .062″ wall, 1⅝″ rails, and 2½″ posts with a .075″ wall set 71½″ apart. Gate posts step up to 4″ or 6″ square.

Screwed, not welded. In that specification, pickets are fixed to the rails with stainless steel screws on one side only, and "welding the pickets to the rails is not permitted", while gate frames are fully welded. Each assembled section must carry a 1,000 lb load at the middle of a rail. Ornamental steel panels are usually welded at every picket and are heavier. If you need a harder security line, compare steel fences. For the historic look in real bar stock, see iron fences. The metal fence comparison sets all of them side by side.

Styles. The same parts make most of the styles people ask for: flat-top, spear-top, puppy-picket, extended-picket and pool-code panels, in heights from 36″ up.

Read the warranty before you pick the brand

Aluminum warranties are generous on paper, but near the Gulf the conditions matter more than the headline:

• Ultra Aluminum excludes "extreme environmental conditions such as coastal installations", and requires cleaning every 3 months within 1,500 ft of a body of salt water (every 6 months farther away).
• Ameristar Echelon Plus (commercial aluminum): "normal and proper usage" does not include "exposure to salty environments".
• Jerith: limited lifetime coverage on panels and posts for homeowners and 30 years for commercial property, but swing gates' powder coat and workmanship are covered for 1 year.
• Alumi-Guard: 30 years, not lifetime, for businesses, HOAs, condominiums and apartment buildings.

None of that makes aluminum a poor choice on the coast. It means you should ask for the written warranty on the exact product in your quote, ask whether your address counts as coastal, and keep a record of cleaning. Also see does aluminum fence rust? and aluminum in hurricane and salt-air areas.

Aluminum near salt water: fasteners, contact and care

No rust, but not maintenance-free. Rust is iron oxide, and aluminum has no iron, so it won't rust red. Salt left on the powder coat still attacks any chip or scratch, and steel parts in contact with the fence can corrode. That is why the Ultra specification calls for all-stainless fasteners and die-cast accessories in a corrosion-resistant alloy.

Mixed metals. The American Galvanizers Association says galvanized steel and aluminum have "only a slight chance of a reaction", that a reaction needs a conductive medium such as sea water or condensation, and that the best protection between dissimilar metals is an insulating barrier. Ask what the brackets, hinges and latches are made of, especially on gates.

Care. Rinse the fence with fresh water, more often on the side facing the Gulf or bay, and keep a note of when you did it if your warranty requires cleaning. Touch up chips with the maker's paint. Keep sprinkler spray off the fence.

From estimate to finished fence

1. Free on-site estimate. We measure the line, gates, slopes and corners, and note how close the fence is to salt water and whether it guards a pool.
2. Product and a written price. The exact product, style, height, finish level and gates, with that product's written warranty.
3. Property line, HOA and permits. A survey is the reliable way to find your line. Check your HOA, and the pool permit if the fence is a pool barrier.
4. Installation. Posts are set in concrete at the product's spacing, sections are fitted (racked to follow a slope where the product allows), and gates are hung and adjusted.
5. Walkthrough. We check that gates swing, close and latch (pool gates self-close and self-latch) and go over rinsing and touch-up.

What affects cost and timing

We give you a written price after the free on-site visit. The main things that move it:

• Length, height and grade. More sections, taller panels and heavier commercial grades cost more.
• Style. Spear tops, finials, rings and puppy-picket or pool spacing add cost over a plain flat-top.
• Gates. Each gate adds heavier posts, hinges and a latch. Pool gates need self-closing hinges and a self-latching latch.
• Finish and color. Higher-rated powder coats and custom colors cost more.
• Site. Slopes, corners, old fence removal, and mounting to a slab or wall instead of setting posts in the ground.

For typical numbers, see aluminum fence cost per foot. Financing is available through the providers on our financing page, subject to credit approval.

Questions we get about this