Wrought-iron style ornamental fence in Melba and the Treasure Valley

Almost every fence sold as wrought iron today is steel or aluminum, usually finished black. Beau Keefauver and his son build this style of fence out of Melba for Treasure Valley homes. It suits front yards and patios. Here is what to know before you line up quotes.

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Idaho Reg. RCE-65327. Free estimates. Open Saturdays.

Black ornamental metal fence wrapping a green front lawn on a corner lot along a sidewalk, with a Got Fence LLC yard sign in the foreground. — Black flat-top ornamental metal fence wrapping a front lawn on a corner lot, with a Got Fence LLC yard sign in the grass by the sidewalk. October 2024.

Steel or aluminum: what you are really choosing

Real wrought iron was heated and hammered into shape by blacksmiths. Almost nobody makes it now. Today's version is usually panels of square pickets between rails, fixed to square posts and coated black.

It won't give you privacy. It marks the line, helps keep kids and pets in, and leaves the view open. Wind passes through it, so it doesn't take a beating the way a solid fence does in a gust.

Steel: heavy and stiff. It takes a knock better than aluminum. Where the coating chips, it can rust, so it needs touch-ups.
Aluminum: lighter, and it won't rust. It can bend if something big hits it. A good fit near sprinklers or a pool.
Something for acreage: Beau also builds what he calls a "Black cattle style fence," with "black powder coated cattle panels framed out with 2x4 cedar." See the wire and cattle-panel fence page.

Black flat-top ornamental metal fence around a front lawn along a sidewalk, with a Got Fence LLC yard sign in the grass and houses, a white hoop house and a flag behind. — The same corner-lot fence from another angle: black flat-top panels on square posts along the sidewalk, with the yard sign in the grass. October 2024.

Black flat-top ornamental metal fence panels along a sidewalk in front of a lawn and a single-story house, with a blue recycling bin and a man walking in the background. — A closer look at black ornamental metal panels and square posts along a sidewalk, in front of a lawn and a single-story house. April 2026.

What changes the price

Every quote is built from the same few things. When you compare quotes, check that each one counts all of them.

Length of the run, plus the number of corners, ends and gate posts.
Height. Taller panels cost more, and front yards often have a lower height limit anyway.
Steel or aluminum, and how heavy the pickets and rails are.
Picket spacing. Tighter spacing for small dogs or pool rules means more metal.
Slope. Many panels can rack to follow a gentle grade. Steep ground can mean stepped panels or extra work.
Gates: how many, how wide, and the hinges and latch. Self-closing, self-latching hardware costs more.
Hard digging, and whether an old fence has to come out first.

In Beau’s wordsBlack cattle style fenceblack powder coated cattle panels framed out with 2x4 cedar

Send Beau your rough length and a photo, and he’ll come out and give you a straight price.

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Questions to ask on every quote

Two quotes can look the same on paper and be very different fences. These questions sort that out.

Is it steel or aluminum? How thick is the metal in the pickets, rails and posts?
What is the finish? Is the steel galvanized under the paint or powder coat?
How are the posts set, and how deep?
What hinges and latch come on each gate?
Is tear-out, haul-away and cleanup in the price?
Will you place the 811 locate request before digging?
If a panel or gate needs work later, what is covered?

How long it lasts, and the upkeep

The metal lasts a long time. The coating is what wears first. Keep the coating whole and the fence keeps its looks.

Walk the fence each spring. Touch up chips and scratches with matching paint before rust spreads.
Keep string trimmers and mower decks off the bottom rail. It is an easy place to chip the coating.
Aim sprinklers away from the fence. Water hitting a bare spot every day speeds up rust.
Check that gates still swing free and latch. Snug up loose hardware.
Aluminum needs less of this. There is no rust to chase, just the odd wash.

What to have ready for the free estimate

The estimate is free. Have these answers ready and the quote will be more complete. Ask Beau on your estimate about timing and anything not on this list.

Where the fence starts and stops, and where your property line is. Find the corner pins if you can.
Where the gates go. Make a walk gate wide enough for your mower.
Where your sprinkler lines run. An 811 locate marks the utility companies' lines, not private lines like sprinkler pipe.
Your HOA rules and your city's front-yard height limit.
Whether it is for a pool, so height, gaps and gate hardware meet your city's rules.
Whether you have a small dog.

Questions people ask

Can an ornamental fence go around a pool?

It can, if it meets your city's pool barrier rules. A common model code calls for at least 4 feet of height, no gap a 4-inch ball can pass through, and gates that close and latch on their own. There are finer rules on rail spacing and latch height, and cities differ. Check with your city building department, then tell Beau on your estimate.

Will it keep my dog in?

Most bigger dogs, if the fence is tall enough that they won't jump it. A small dog can slip between standard pickets or under the bottom rail. Ask Beau on your estimate about tighter picket spacing and a low bottom rail. For privacy too, look at wood or vinyl, or see the dog fencing page.

Do I need a permit or HOA approval?

It depends on your city and your HOA. Front-yard fences often have a lower height limit than backyards, so check both before you pick a height. Idaho law also requires an 811 locate request at least two business days before anyone digs post holes.

Can I get a walk gate to match?

Matching walk gates are common for this kind of fence. Width, hinges and the latch are the parts to settle. Ask Beau on your estimate what he would hang for your yard. For wide openings, see the drive and walk gates page.

Got a fence to build or fix?

Tell Beau where and what. He'll come out, measure, and give you a straight price. The estimate is free.

Call Beau (208) 957-1761 Text a photo Free estimate