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CGI Fence Installation: The San Antonio Owner’s Guide
CGI fence installation in San Antonio typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 installed, depending on linear footage, gate count, and whether we’re pulling an old fence or starting fresh. We stock CGI-compatible posts, rails, brackets, and gate hardware on the truck, so most jobs are quoted, scheduled, and completed without a second visit. If your CGI fence is leaning, the gate won’t latch, or a post has gone soft at the base, you’re probably looking at a hardware or post failure, not a full fence replacement.
Most San Antonio homeowners discover the problem the same way: the gate starts dragging, or a windstorm exposes a wobble that wasn’t there in March. CGI (Commercial Grade Iron, sometimes sold as CGI Metals or CGI fence systems) is common across San Antonio neighborhoods like Stone Oak, Alamo Ranch, and Helotes because it stands up to the heat and occasional hailstorm better than wood. But the weak points are predictable: post bases, gate hinges, and the bolts that hold rails to posts.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI fence systems aren’t a single product line. The brand covers several residential and light-commercial series with different rail profiles, post gauges, and gate kits. The two most common we see in San Antonio are the CGI residential ornamental iron line (square posts, pressed-point pickets, 2-rail or 3-rail configurations) and the CGI heavier-gauge commercial line used for pool enclosures and side-yard runs. The gotcha: bracket sizes and picket spacing are not interchangeable between series. A homeowner can buy a replacement rail for their specific gate online based on the printed tag on the original post cap, or in many cases, the post cap stamps the series code under the cap itself.
If the original tag is gone, take a photo of the post profile, measure the outside diameter of the post, and count the pickets per 6-foot panel. That gets us to the right match without guesswork. For older CGI fence systems installed before 2015, we often recommend aftermarket galvanized rails and stainless hardware over OEM, simply because the aftermarket steel is thicker and the powder coat holds up better to San Antonio’s UV and humidity cycles. For anything under warranty or for matching an existing color exactly, OEM is the safer call. Sawyer Remodel San Antonio is an independent service provider and installer; we are not affiliated with CGI. We work with the parts that fit your fence, not the parts a vendor wants to move.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Fence Installation Is Failing
- Lean at the post base. This means water has worked its way in around the concrete and the post is rusting from the inside out. San Antonio’s clay soils expand and contract enough that a post set without proper drainage can fail in five years.
- Gate that scrapes or won’t latch. The hinge bolts have wallowed out their holes, or the post has shifted. Forcing the gate wears the hinge further and eventually bends the frame.
- Rust bleed at rail connections. CGI rails bolt to posts with steel brackets. When the bracket rusts, it stains the powder coat below it. The fence isn’t about to fall, but the joint is weakening.
- Loose pickets or rattling rails. The press-fit or screw-set pickets have backed out. On San Antonio’s limestone-heavy ground, the vibration from mowers and nearby construction accelerates this on older installs.
- Post cap missing or cracked. A missing cap lets water straight down the post interior. That’s the number one premature-failure cause we see on otherwise solid CGI fences across San Antonio.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A full CGI fence installation in San Antonio runs $3,500 to $9,000 installed. On the low end, that’s a shorter run with one gate and clean access. On the high end, you’re looking at 150+ linear feet, multiple gates, or old fence removal that has to be hauled off. We price per linear foot with the gate as a separate line item, so the quote shows exactly what you’re paying for.
| Scope | Typical San Antonio Installed Cost |
|---|---|
| CGI fence, 50-75 linear feet, 1 gate | $3,500 – $5,200 |
| CGI fence, 100-150 linear feet, 1-2 gates | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| CGI fence, 150+ linear feet, 2+ gates, removal included | $8,000 – $9,000 |
Every quote includes the written price before work starts, old fence removal if needed, concrete for posts, and a workmanship warranty on the install. The 365-Day Done Right Promise means if a post shifts or a gate sags within a year, we fix it. No invoice surprise, no change order for something we should have caught on the walkthrough.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely do the diagnosis. Walk the fence line, wiggle each post, check the gate at the hinge, and look at the post caps. That tells us a lot before we even arrive. What we wouldn’t recommend a homeowner tackle is pulling and resetting a steel post in San Antonio clay. You need a post hole digger rated for rocky ground, a concrete mix that drains, and a level of patience with limestone that most people don’t keep in the garage.
Gate springs and tension rods on self-closing gates can bite, too. A gate under spring load has enough stored energy to snap a finger if the bracket lets go. We carry the right tension tools and the right brackets on the truck. If you want a second set of eyes before you spend anything, call us at (432) 547-6806 and we’ll walk through what we’re seeing over the phone.
FAQs
A properly installed CGI fence with intact post caps and good drainage lasts 20 to 30 years in San Antonio. The posts go first when they fail, not the pickets or rails. Call (432) 547-6806 if your fence is 15+ years old and showing base rust, and we’ll give you an honest read on whether it’s worth patching.
Sometimes, yes, if the post is still structurally sound and the concrete hasn’t cracked. We can re-plumb the post, re-pour the base, and re-bolt the rails. If the post is rusted through at the soil line, replacement is the only fix that holds.
Most residential CGI fence installations in San Antonio are done in two to three days, including removal of the old fence and concrete cure time for the gates. We schedule a live arrival time and send photo updates before and after, so you’re not wondering when anyone will show up.
We stock common CGI-compatible posts, rails, brackets, hinges, and gate hardware in our San Antonio trucks. Unusual colors or older series-specific parts may need a short lead time. We’ll tell you in the quote whether anything needs to be ordered, before any work starts.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner, Sawyer Remodel San Antonio at Sawyer Remodel San Antonio, serving San Antonio and nearby areas.
Luca Romano grew up in East Los Angeles and learned the trade at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College before spending decades working jobs across the Southwest. He and his crew have been working San Antonio for years, from gut-and-rebuild kitchens in Alamo Heights to full bathroom overhauls across the metro. The craft comes first. Everything else follows.
Ready for a real number? Call Sawyer Remodel San Antonio at (432) 547-6806 to schedule your free estimate. We’ll put the price in writing before we pick up a single tool.
