Is aluminum fencing strong enough?

For a garden boundary, a pool barrier or a decorative front yard, yes, as long as the grade matches the run. It is lighter than steel, so for high-security boundaries and wide driveway gates we recommend steel or wrought iron instead.

Should I choose aluminum or wrought iron?

Aluminum costs less, weighs less and never rusts, which makes it the low-maintenance choice for most residential runs. Wrought iron is stronger and can be forged into custom shapes. When the choice is close, we quote both on the same layout so you can compare.

Can aluminum be used as a pool fence?

Yes, and it is one of the best materials for it. We build to pool code: correct height, picket spacing, no climbable horizontals on the outside face, and a self-closing, self-latching gate with the latch at the required height.

How long does an aluminum fence last?

Decades. The metal does not rust and the factory powder coat holds its colour well in LA sun. Upkeep is an occasional wash with a hose, with no painting, staining or rust treatment.

Black horizontal slat aluminum driveway gate between white stucco pillars

Aluminum fence,
built to stay straight

The look of iron without the rust, but only if the posts, the wall thickness and the coating are specified for the run rather than pulled off a shelf.

Request an estimate 818-720-3316

Horizontal Slat · Powder-Coated Black

22 years

Same owner, same crew, since 2004

CSLB 952680

Licensed, bonded and insured

UL 325

Tested to ASTM F2200 at handover

Permits

LADBS & HOA review handled

Aluminum does not rust, which changes everything else

Steel and iron fail from the inside out once water gets past the paint. Aluminum forms its own oxide layer and simply does not rust, so a powder-coated aluminum fence near a sprinkler line, a pool or the coast keeps its finish for decades where steel would be blistering in a few years.

The trade-off is stiffness. Aluminum is lighter and more flexible than steel of the same size, so the profile has to be specified for the job: heavier rails and posts on long bays and gates, a residential profile on a garden boundary. Getting that wrong is why some aluminum fences feel thin when you lean on them.

Why we specify the profile instead of quoting the lightest one

Aluminum fence panels are sold in residential, heavy residential and commercial grades, and the difference is wall thickness and picket size. From the street they look almost identical. Up close, the light grade rings and flexes when a dog hits it or a kid climbs it, and a gate built from it sags at the latch side within a season or two.

We pick the grade per run. A garden boundary in a sheltered yard can use a residential profile. A pool barrier, a long run along a slope, or anything carrying a gate gets the heavier grade, because those are the places a light panel shows its limits first.

Posts, footings and the gate leaf

Aluminum posts are hollow, so the footing carries more of the structural load than it would for a solid steel post. Posts go in concrete at the depth the panel height calls for, and gate posts get upsized rather than matched to the line posts, since the gate is the only part of the fence that moves every day.

Wide gates are where aluminum needs the most care. Past about five feet, a single aluminum leaf gets a heavier frame, a diagonal brace or a split into a double leaf. A wide light-gauge aluminum gate on standard hinges is a sagging gate waiting to happen.

Powder coat colour and finish

Every panel we install is powder coated, not painted. The coating is baked on at the factory and holds up to LA sun without chalking for a long time. Black is the most common choice by far, followed by bronze and textured grey, and all three hide the small marks a fence picks up over the years.

Matching an existing wrought iron run is usually possible. A flat-top or spear-top aluminum picket in satin black reads as iron from normal viewing distance, which makes aluminum a sensible way to extend an old iron fence without bringing in the rust problem along with the look.

Aluminum against wrought iron

Wrought iron is stronger, heavier and better for security, and it can be forged into scrolls and custom shapes that aluminum cannot match. Aluminum is lighter, cheaper to install, rust-free and close to maintenance-free. On a driveway gate or a high-security boundary we still steer people toward steel or iron.

For garden boundaries, pool barriers and decorative front-yard runs, aluminum usually wins on cost and upkeep. We quote both on the same layout when the choice is genuinely close, so you can see the difference in price and in what each one will need over the next twenty years.

Styles we install

Black horizontal slat aluminum driveway gate

01

Flat-top picket

Clean vertical pickets with a flat top rail. The most common aluminum style, and the closest match to a simple wrought iron run.
02

Spear-top

Pickets that finish above the top rail in a spear or finial. A more traditional front-yard look, and harder to climb over.
03

Horizontal slat

Wide powder-coated slats with set gaps. Suits a modern house and gives more privacy than open pickets without the upkeep of wood.
04

Pool barrier

Picket spacing, height and gate hardware set to pool code, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Rust-free, which matters next to chlorinated water.

Aluminum fence we have built

Textured Grey Powder Coat
Arched Gate, Bronze
Pool Side, Horizontal Slat

What decides the detail

Rust: Aluminum does not rust, so it suits pools, sprinkler zones and coastal lots where steel would need constant touch-up.
Pool: Pool barriers need the right height, picket gap and latch height to pass inspection. We design the run to code from the start.
Slopes: Many aluminum panels rack to follow a gentle grade. On steeper ground we step the panels so the top line stays level.

Questions we get asked

Request an estimate 818-720-3316

Is aluminum fencing strong enough?: For a garden boundary, a pool barrier or a decorative front yard, yes, as long as the grade matches the run. It is lighter than steel, so for high-security boundaries and wide driveway gates we recommend steel or wrought iron instead.
Should I choose aluminum or wrought iron?: Aluminum costs less, weighs less and never rusts, which makes it the low-maintenance choice for most residential runs. Wrought iron is stronger and can be forged into custom shapes. When the choice is close, we quote both on the same layout so you can compare.
Can aluminum be used as a pool fence?: Yes, and it is one of the best materials for it. We build to pool code: correct height, picket spacing, no climbable horizontals on the outside face, and a self-closing, self-latching gate with the latch at the required height.
How long does an aluminum fence last?: Decades. The metal does not rust and the factory powder coat holds its colour well in LA sun. Upkeep is an occasional wash with a hose, with no painting, staining or rust treatment.

Other things we build

Where we build them

Ten neighbourhoods, one shop in Tarzana.

Get a real number

Tell us the length and layout for your fence, or the opening width for your gate, and we’ll tell you what it takes. Site visits are free inside the service area and take about forty minutes.

Request an estimate or call 818-720-3316

Shop: 18375 Ventura Blvd, #453, Tarzana, CA 91356
Hours: Mon–Sat 7:00–18:00
Licence: CSLB 952680