Elevation F-3: ornamental steel panel
Powder-coated steel picket fencing for front yards, pools, and any boundary you want marked without hiding the house.
Steel lasts forever. What fails is the finish, and in Del Rio, the sun is what fails it. Iron that was brush-painted or finished in cheap spray paint chalks, fades, and flakes within a few summers, and once the paint lets go, rust starts at every weld.
We use factory powder-coated panels. The coating is baked on over a zinc-rich primer, so it bonds to the steel instead of sitting on top of it, and it holds its color far longer in direct sun. The pickets above show what happens without it.
If you already have an older iron fence that is peeling, it is often worth refinishing rather than replacing. See fence repair.
Iron is the most common material around pools because it keeps the barrier see-through. Pool barriers have their own rules, separate from ordinary fences: minimum height, maximum gap between pickets, and gates that swing closed and latch on their own.
We build pool fences to the barrier code the city has adopted and confirm the specifics with the permit. If you are building a new pool, bring us in early; the fence and gate layout is much easier to get right before the decking is poured.
Steel is stronger and stiffer, the right choice for front yards, driveway runs, and anywhere a fence might take a hit. Aluminum never rusts, which makes it a good fit right at the pool edge where it gets splashed daily.
Both come powder-coated in black, bronze, and other colors, and both use rackable panels that follow a sloped yard smoothly instead of stair-stepping. Del Rio lots that fall toward the street or the creek benefit from that.
Front yards, where you want the boundary marked but the house still visible. Around pools. Along a view you don't want to block. As the fence on either side of an iron driveway gate.
Inside city limits, a new iron fence needs a city permit like any other fence, and we file it. See the Del Rio permit guide.
Sun is what ruins iron fences here. Paint chalks and peels within a few summers, and rust starts wherever it lets go. Powder coating is baked on over a zinc-rich primer, bonds to the steel, and holds its color much longer in direct sun.
Steel is stronger and better where a fence might get bumped, like driveways and front yards. Aluminum never rusts, so it is a good fit right at a pool edge. Both come powder-coated in the same colors.
Yes. We build pool barriers to the city's adopted code, including height, picket spacing, and self-closing, self-latching gates, and confirm the details with the permit. It is easiest to plan before the pool decking goes in.
Not with rackable panels. They shift to follow the slope, so the bottom rail runs parallel to the ground instead of leaving triangle gaps under each step.
Often, yes. If the steel is sound, sanding, priming, and refinishing costs far less than replacement. Rusted-through pickets or rails can be cut out and new sections welded in.