Ornamental Iron Fencing in San Antonio, TX

Alamo Decks & Fence installs ornamental iron fencing for homes and businesses across San Antonio and Bexar County. People pick iron when they want a strong barrier that still lets light and views through. It holds up to South Texas sun. It resists impact. A powder-coated finish keeps its color for years.

Iron fencing comes in several forms. Galvanized steel is the workhorse. Ornamental aluminum never rusts. Cast iron and true wrought iron show up mostly on custom and historic work. Each one carries a different price and a different lifespan.

Below you will find our per-foot pricing, the city height rules, and what a pool-code iron fence must include. Contact our fencing team when you are ready for an exact number on your property.

Ornamental Iron Fence Prices in San Antonio, TX

Our ornamental iron fencing runs $50 to $59 per linear foot installed, depending on height and rail count. Walk gates are priced each. These are our published rates for standard flat-top panels in the San Antonio area.

Product Overview

• Prefabricated in the factory to guarantee consistency
• Powder-coated finish for maximum protection against fading and smoother finish
• 1 ready-mix concrete bag per post
• Galvanized steel pickets and rails under the powder coat
• Standard flat-top profile, with spear tops and finials available on request
• Matching walk gates, double gates and drive gates
• Panel heights of 4 feet and 6 feet, plus custom heights on request

What Moves Your Final Price

Six things shift the number up or down from the rates above:

• Total footage. Longer runs spread setup and mobilization across more feet.
• Height. A 6-foot panel uses more steel than a 4-foot panel.
• Rail count. Three rails cost more than two and stiffen the panel.
• Gate count. Every gate adds a frame, posts, hinges and a latch.
• Ground conditions. North of Loop 1604 you hit shallow limestone. Rock drilling adds time per post.
• Slope. A stepped or raked run takes more layout work than a flat line.

Custom scrollwork, spear tops and decorative finials price above our standard flat-top rates. So do driveway gates, which we quote per project. We will measure on site and put the number in writing before any work starts. Request a free quote to get started, and ask about financing options if you want to spread the cost.

Iron, Steel and Aluminum Fencing Compared

Most fencing sold as “iron” in San Antonio today is galvanized steel, not true wrought iron. The trade uses the terms loosely. Here is what each material actually is and where it fits.

Galvanized Steel

Steel is the standard for ornamental fencing. Tubular pickets are hot-dip galvanized, then powder coated. The industry benchmark is ASTM F2408. It sets minimum wall thickness, coating type and load performance for these systems. Steel is the strongest option per dollar. It handles large dogs, wind and impact well.

Ornamental Aluminum

Aluminum looks like iron from the curb but will not rust. It is the better pick for pool areas and for anyone who never wants to touch up a finish. ASTM F2957 covers ornamental aluminum fence systems. Aluminum racks to follow a sloped yard. Steel panels resist that. It dents more easily than steel. That suits decorative and safety use over hard security.

Wrought Iron

True wrought iron is hand-worked solid bar, not tube. ASTM F2408 specifically excludes solid bar and wrought iron systems from its scope. Real wrought iron work today is custom fabrication: forged scrolls, one-off gates, historic repairs. It costs more and takes longer than a prefabricated panel.

Cast Iron

Cast iron is poured into molds, which is how ornate period pickets and finials get made. It is heavy and brittle compared with steel. You will see it on older San Antonio properties and on restoration work rather than on new residential runs.

Not sure which fits your property? Our custom fence installation team will walk the site and match the material to the job.

Iron Gates and Driveway Gates

Every iron fence needs at least one gate. We build walk gates, double gates and driveway gates to match the fence line.

Walk gates are the pedestrian openings on your side yard or front path. Our 4-foot walk gate is $695 and our 6-foot walk gate is $850, listed above. Both come with matching pickets, a steel frame and a latch.

Double gates open wide enough for a mower, a trailer or a wheelbarrow. They use a drop rod on one leaf so the second leaf can stay closed.

Driveway gates are quoted per project. Width, whether the gate swings or slides, and whether you add an opener all change the build. Automated gates need an electrical permit and a licensed electrician. See our custom metal vehicular gate page for that work.

A note on gate posts. Gate posts carry weight that line posts never see. We size them up and set them deeper. That is why a gate costs more than the same width of panel.

San Antonio Fence Height Rules for Iron Fencing

This is where iron beats wood, and most homeowners do not know it.

The City of San Antonio limits a solid front-yard fence to 3 feet. A predominantly open front-yard fence gets 5 feet. Ornamental iron counts as predominantly open. So iron gives you two extra feet of front-yard height that a wood privacy fence cannot legally reach. Side and rear yards top out at 6 feet for both.

A few more rules worth knowing before you build:

• You need a permit. San Antonio requires a building permit for new fence work inside city limits. Repairs need one too once the work passes 25% of the existing fence length.
• Build first and you pay double. Fences installed before permitting are subject to double permit penalty fees and still have to meet code.
• Corner lots have sight rules. Fences near street and alley intersections must keep driver sightlines clear. The city’s Traffic Section checks this before issuing the permit.
• Eight feet is possible in specific cases. A side or rear yard can reach 8 feet on a sloped lot. The same applies next to an alley or a non-local street, or on a property with a swimming pool.
• Historic districts add a step. Properties in Historic, Corridor Overlay or Neighborhood Conservation districts need that review cleared first.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services Department, Information Bulletin 223, Residential and Commercial Fences, revised April 7, 2025.

We pull permits as part of the job. If your lot sits in an HOA, bring us the architectural guidelines and we will build to them.

Iron Pool Fencing Built to San Antonio Pool Barrier Code

San Antonio enforces the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, as amended by the city. A pool barrier here has to hit specific numbers. Iron meets them well, because vertical pickets give a child no foothold.

The core requirements:

• Barrier height of at least 48 inches, measured from grade on the outside face.
• No opening large enough to pass a 4-inch sphere.
• Where horizontal rails sit 45 inches apart or more, picket spacing stays at 4 inches or less.
• Gaps under the fence stay at 2 inches or less over grass or gravel, 4 inches or less over concrete.
• Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, and must swing outward, away from the water.
• On a residential pool, an outside latch release sits at least 54 inches above grade.

Chain link needs slats to qualify. Wood blocks your view of the water. Iron and aluminum pass the spacing rule with no modification. That is why they are the default pool enclosure across Bexar County.

Planning a pool project? Read what comes first, the pool or the fence and our guide to keeping your family safe with a pool fence.

Commercial Iron Fencing for San Antonio Businesses

We install ornamental iron perimeters for apartment complexes, retail centers, medical offices, schools and industrial sites across San Antonio.

Commercial iron work carries requirements that residential work does not:

• Engineered certification above 8 feet. Any fence over 8 feet needs a Texas licensed engineer. They certify the foundation and supports for wind load under the International Building Code.
• Gate setbacks. A gate across a commercial driveway sets back at least 20 feet from a two-lane road. Make it 40 feet on a four-lane road. That keeps cars from stacking into traffic.
• Fire lane access. A gate blocking a fire lane needs a Knox Box and a minimum 20-foot clear opening on a single-lane drive.
• Tree affidavit. Every commercial fence application requires one, whether trees are present or not.

We handle the submittal through the city’s commercial project application. For chain link, security fencing and mixed-material perimeters, see our commercial fencing services.

Iron Fence Maintenance in the South Texas Climate

A powder-coated iron fence in San Antonio needs very little from you. The finish, not the metal, is what you maintain.

Wash the fence once a year with a hose and mild soap. That clears the sprinkler deposits and dust that dull the coating. Check the bottom of each picket after heavy spring storms. Water sits there longest. Touch up any chip with a rust-inhibiting primer and matching enamel before it spreads.

Watch three spots in particular. Sprinkler heads aimed at the fence wear the finish faster than weather does. Aim them away. Gate hinges take the most cycles, so a drop of lubricant each year keeps them square. Mulch or soil piled against a picket traps moisture. Keep the base clear.

Aluminum skips the rust question entirely. If low upkeep is your priority, say so when we quote.

Already have iron that is sagging, rusting or leaning? We handle fence repair in San Antonio as well as new installs.

Where We Install Iron Fencing

Alamo Decks & Fence installs ornamental iron fencing throughout Bexar County and the surrounding communities. We work regularly in Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, Helotes, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Shavano Park, Castle Hills, Converse, Cibolo, Schertz and Universal City.

Ground conditions change across the metro and they change the install. North-side lots near Stone Oak and Timberwood Park sit on shallow limestone. Posts there get rock drilled. South-side clay swells and shrinks with the seasons. Footings get sized for that movement. We price the ground we find, not a generic average.

See the full list on our areas served page.

Ornamental Iron Fencing FAQs

How much does an ornamental iron fence cost in San Antonio?

Our ornamental iron fencing runs $50 to $59 per linear foot installed for standard 4-foot and 6-foot flat-top panels. Walk gates are $695 for a 4-foot gate and $850 for a 6-foot gate. Custom scrollwork, spear tops and driveway gates price above those rates.

How much is 100 feet of iron fence?

Using our published rates, 100 linear feet of 4-foot, 2-rail iron fence runs about $5,000 installed. The same 100 feet in 6-foot, 3-rail runs about $5,900. Add a walk gate and the total moves up by $695 or $850. Rock drilling, slope and custom detail can move it further.

Is aluminum or ornamental iron more expensive?

It depends on the grade. Light residential aluminum usually costs less than steel of the same height. Heavy commercial-grade aluminum can cost more than standard steel. Aluminum must be thicker to reach the same strength. Steel gives you more strength per dollar. Aluminum gives you no rust, ever.

What are the drawbacks of an iron fence?

Three, honestly. It gives you no privacy. You can see straight through it. It costs more per foot than wood or chain link. And steel rusts if the powder coating chips and stays untreated. If privacy is your goal, a wood fence is the better tool for the job.

Is “rod iron” the same as wrought iron?

Yes. “Rod iron” is a common phonetic spelling of wrought iron. Both point to the same product in the trade. That product today is usually a powder-coated steel picket fence, not hand-forged solid bar.

How long does an iron fence last in San Antonio?

A powder-coated steel fence on sound footings lasts decades here. The sun and heat that destroy wood do little to coated steel. Lifespan depends on the finish and the footing, not the weather. Keep the coating intact and keep water off the post base.

Do I need a permit for an iron fence in San Antonio?

Yes, for new fence work inside city limits. A permit is also required for repair or replacement once the work exceeds 25% of the existing fence length. We handle the application.

Can an iron fence work as a pool barrier?

Yes, and it is one of the better options. Vertical iron pickets meet the 4-inch spacing rule with no modification and give a child nothing to climb. Gate hardware is what usually fails inspection. We build self-closing, self-latching gates that swing away from the water.

BUILD YOUR IRON FENCE THIS SEASON

If you want to secure your property without losing the view, iron is the fence to build. We measure on site, quote in writing and pull the permit.

Call (210) 320-2138 or request your free estimate.

Read what San Antonio homeowners say about our work on our reviews page.

Ornamental/Iron Fence Gallery