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CGI Fence Installation: The San Francisco Owner’s Guide
CGI fence installation in San Francisco typically runs between $4,130 and $10,620 installed, depending on panel count, post condition, and whether the existing framework can be reused. We stock CGI-compatible panels and hardware on our trucks and can usually complete a standard residential run in one to two days once materials are confirmed. Most San Francisco homeowners discover a problem the same way: a fog-season windstorm pushes a corroded panel until it pulls loose from its post, and what started as a rattle becomes a section leaning into the neighbor’s yard.
CGI, or Corrugated Galvanized Iron, has been used as fencing material in this city for decades. It holds up reasonably well against salt air, but the fasteners and the points where panels meet posts fail long before the corrugated sheet itself does. That is the repair we handle most often. Curtis Lane and our crew have replaced and installed CGI fencing throughout San Francisco, including enough Outer Sunset properties to know exactly how fog moisture and sandy soil work against galvanized hardware over time.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI panels come in a few standard profiles, and the key is matching the corrugation pitch, not just the sheet dimensions. Most residential CGI fencing in San Francisco uses one of two profiles: a 1.25-inch corrugation pitch (common on older installations from the 1970s through 1990s) or a 3-inch pitch (more common on newer and agricultural-style runs). If you hold a tape measure across three full ridges and divide by three, you will have your pitch. Get that wrong and the replacement panel will not seat against the existing rails correctly, even if the height and width match.
Panel height matters too. San Francisco CGI fences run from 4 feet up to 8 feet, with 6 feet being the most common we install for privacy and wind resistance. Thickness is where OEM versus aftermarket gets real for CGI. Genuine CGI-branded panels and posts are well-made, but so are quality aftermarket equivalents in the 26-gauge to 29-gauge range. We can source either. The practical advice we give every San Francisco homeowner: if your posts, top rails, and hardware are still sound, aftermarket panels save money with no meaningful difference in lifespan. If the whole frame is corroding, replace the system as a unit rather than piecing it together.
We also stock parts for other lines we install, including KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone products, so if your fencing project is part of a larger exterior remodel, we can keep the material sourcing under one roof.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Fence Installation Is Failing
- Panels pulling away from posts. This usually means the fasteners have corroded or the wood or metal post has rotted or rusted at the attachment point. A loose panel in wind becomes a sail, and in San Francisco, wind is not occasional.
- Rust streaking from fastener heads. Galvanized screws and bolts eventually sacrifice their zinc coating, especially within a few blocks of the ocean. Streaking is the visual tell that the fastener is no longer protecting the steel underneath.
- Leaning sections with intact panels. The panel is fine; the post footing has failed. In San Francisco’s sandy western neighborhoods, we regularly see posts that were set in shallow concrete or no concrete at all working loose after a few wet winters.
- Corrugation splitting along the bottom edge. Soil contact and irrigation overspray hold moisture against galvanized steel. The bottom six inches of a CGI panel fail first, and once the corrugation splits, the panel loses structural continuity.
- Loud rattling in anything over 15 mph of wind. A properly fastened CGI fence does not rattle. If it does, the fasteners have backed out or the rails are no longer holding. On a typical afternoon in the Sunset or Richmond, that is a daily occurrence.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In San Francisco, a full CGI fence installation runs $4,130 to $10,620 for a typical residential lot. That range includes demolition and haul-away of the old fence, new posts set in concrete, new top and bottom rails, the CGI panels themselves, all hardware, and a thorough site cleanup. A partial repair, like replacing three or four panels and resecuring hardware, lands at the lower end. A full perimeter with 6-foot panels, new posts, and a gate will push toward the top.
What changes the price: linear footage, panel height, post condition, soil type (sand sets differently than clay), and whether the old posts can be reused. We give you a written price before any work starts. That price includes labor, materials, and disposal. If the scope changes because we uncover something structural once the old panels come off, we document it and get your sign-off before a single additional dollar is spent. No numbers that move at the door.
Every CGI fence installation we complete is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If anything in that fence fails within one year of completion, we come back and correct it at no charge. That guarantee is in writing and it is signed before we start. This is The Garrison Standard, the operating framework every Garrison Partners location, including ours, has followed since 2004.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely do the diagnosis yourself. Walk the fence line. Check whether posts are plumb. Look at fastener heads for rust. Note which panels are bowed or split. That information helps you understand what you are dealing with before anyone gives you a price.
Replacing panels is where DIY goes sideways. Cutting corrugated galvanized steel produces sharp edges that will open a hand without effort. Setting posts in San Francisco soil correctly means understanding depth, concrete mix, and drainage. And if a panel comes loose mid-install in a gust, it becomes a sheet of metal with a knife edge. This is not a job where you save enough money to justify the risk. If you want the fence done right, with a written price and a one-year guarantee, call us at (831) 610-5598. Straight number, real scope, no surprises at close-out.
FAQs
A properly installed CGI fence in San Francisco lasts 20 to 30 years on average, though lifespan drops to 15 to 20 years within a few blocks of the ocean, where salt air accelerates fastener corrosion. The panels themselves often outlast the hardware, which is why we replace fasteners and rails before condemning the whole fence. Call (831) 610-5598 for an assessment and an exact quote for your fence’s condition.
Yes, in most cases. If the posts are still solid and the corrosion is confined to fasteners and bottom-edge splitting, we can replace individual panels and resecure the frame. Full replacement is only necessary when posts have rotted or shifted at the footing. Call (831) 610-5598 and we will tell you honestly which one yours is.
Most residential CGI fence installations in San Francisco are completed in one to two working days once materials arrive. Demo of the old fence, post setting, panel mounting, and cleanup all happen on site. We give you the calendar dates in writing before we begin. Call (831) 610-5598 and we will schedule your free estimate.
We stock standard-profile CGI panels, posts, rails, and hardware on our trucks, and we can source OEM CGI parts or quality aftermarket equivalents within a few days for non-standard sizes. You never need to self-supply materials. Call (831) 610-5598 and we will confirm what we have on hand for your specific fence.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co – San Francisco, CA at Bradford Remodeling Co San Francisco, serving San Francisco and nearby areas.
