Custom dual swing driveway gate with operator
- Est. investment
- $4,000 to $8,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 3 days
Galvanized steel, powder coat, ball-bearing hinges, photo eyes
Commercial Security and Perimeter Fencing in Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Metal Gates Group is San Diego County's commercial perimeter fencing contractor, working with business-park owners, property managers and general contractors on ornamental steel frontage, anti-climb yard fencing, and fence lines tied into rolling vehicle gates. We handle perimeters from 100 linear feet along an office frontage to 320 linear feet of perimeter fence around a working yard, with the gates and access points bid on the same scope.
Perimeter Fencing for Business Parks and Industrial Yards
Our crews work occupied yards, storage lots and office parks, phasing each run around deliveries and business hours so the old fence stays up until the new section is set and the site is never left open overnight. Backed by 14 years in business, we have completed over 1,326 fence and gate projects, from a single frontage run to a full yard perimeter, and owner and GC references are available on request.
From the perimeter walk and footing layout to the final gate tie-in and owner walkthrough, our team handles the parts of a fencing job that decide whether it finishes on schedule. Serving Carlsbad and neighboring Poway, Bonsall and Encinitas, we hold the GC's schedule, set posts on early mornings and weekends where a yard runs by day, and close each section before the crew leaves.
Request a bid with your site plan, linear footage and the openings you need, and we will walk the perimeter.
What you can hold us to
The Shop Behind Every Gate
14 yearsDrawing, welding and hanging gates from our Carlsbad shop
1,326Gates, fences, railings and entry systems completed
2-year2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel
40 milesFrom the Carlsbad coast to Poway, Bonsall and Elfin Forest
What the Perimeter Has to Stop
A security fence is specified by what it has to stop, climbing, cutting or vehicles, and by what it has to look like from the street. Mark's light-industrial yard in Poway had a chain link perimeter that was being climbed and looked out of place beside new office frontage, so it had to stop climbers and still read as part of the building. A storage lot in Bonsall or a yard near Lake San Marcos usually leans toward deterrence, while a Carlsbad or Encinitas office frontage leans toward appearance.
Mesh, Anti-Climb and Ornamental Steel
Three fence types cover almost every commercial perimeter we bid: welded-mesh panels where nothing must pass, anti-climb steel with tight pickets and no horizontal toe-hold, and ornamental steel for frontage that has to look good. Ornamental steel uses 16-gauge pickets, 14-gauge rails and 11-gauge to 3/16-inch posts on every steel gate and fence, with pressed spear tops that discourage a climber. Picket spacing stays under 4 inches between pickets, with 1.5 to 2 inch puppy pickets at the bottom on request, which also keeps animals and loose debris out of a yard. Cor-Ten panels, the weathering steel used on Harmony Grove facades, suit a modern office frontage that wants privacy rather than a see-through line.
| Fence type | Where it fits | Est. installed price |
|---|---|---|
| Ornamental steel fence | Office and retail frontage, mixed-use yards | Est. $50 to $85 per linear foot |
| Hand-forged wrought iron fence | Hospitality and estate-style frontage | Est. $85 to $130 per linear foot |
| Powder-coated aluminum fence | Coastal lots where steel would rust | Est. $25 to $75 per linear foot |
| Cor-Ten weathering steel panels | Modern frontage needing privacy | Est. $85 to $145 per linear foot |
Perimeter Fencing Pricing
Commercial perimeter fencing is typically budgeted per linear foot, and galvanized ornamental steel runs an estimated $50 to $85 per linear foot installed, before gates. Mark's 320 linear feet of perimeter fence in Poway came in at an estimated $18,400 to $25,600, with a matching rolling gate bid on its own line. Height, picket pattern, footing depth in rock or fill, and how many gates and pedestrian openings break the run move the number most.
Fence and Gate Job Types and Pricing
Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate
- Est. investment
- $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 4 days
For slopes, debris and commercial entrances
Ground-track slide gate
- Est. investment
- $1,500 to $5,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 3 days
For flat drives with no swing room
Opener retrofit on an existing gate
- Est. investment
- $1,800 to $3,800 per operator system
- Est. duration
- 4 to 8 hours
Motor, photo eyes, battery backup, remotes
Video intercom, keypad or app entry
- Est. investment
- $1,200 to $4,500 per system
- Est. duration
- 4 to 8 hours
Added to a new or existing automated gate
Ornamental steel fence
- Est. investment
- $50 to $85 per linear foot
- Est. duration
- 2 to 4 days
4 to 6 ft galvanized and powder coated
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
| Job type | Est. investment | Est. duration on site |
|---|---|---|
| Ornamental steel fence | Est. $50 to $85 per linear foot | Est. 2 to 4 days |
| Hand-forged wrought iron fence | Est. $85 to $130 per linear foot | Est. 3 to 6 days |
| Powder-coated aluminum fence | Est. $25 to $75 per linear foot | Est. 2 to 3 days |
| Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate in the fence line | Est. $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 4 days |
These per-foot and per-gate figures are budgetary estimates for commercial sites around Carlsbad and are subject to change. Your written quote, confirmed on bid from the site plan and the perimeter walk, sets the final price and the install schedule, and it depends on linear footage, fence height, soil and the number of gates in the line.
Commercial Project: A Yard Perimeter in Poway
Mark, light-industrial yard, Poway
Commercial Security and Perimeter Fencing
- Material
- galvanized ornamental steel, 6 ft, black powder coat
- Size
- 320 linear feet of perimeter fence
- Est. investment
- $18,400 to $25,600
- Est. duration
- 3 to 4 days
An owner whose chain link perimeter was being climbed and looked out of place beside new office frontage
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
Mark owns a light-industrial yard in Poway whose chain link perimeter was being climbed and looked out of place beside new office frontage. We recommended six-foot ornamental steel with pressed spear tops on deep footings, matched to a new rolling gate. The 320 linear feet of perimeter fence, in galvanized ornamental steel, 6 ft, black powder coat, came in at an estimated $18,400 to $25,600 over an estimated 3 to 4 days on site. The yard now has a secure perimeter that reads as part of the building, not a yard fence.
Footings, Finish and Salt Air
Post footings and finish are set for the soil and the salt air, not taken from a catalog. Every post sits in 24 to 36 inch deep bell footings, 10 to 12 inches across, in 3,000 to 4,000 PSI concrete, deeper where a Poway or Bonsall yard has decomposed granite or fill. Near the coast in Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Del Mar the steel gets hot-dip galvanized steel first, then a zinc-phosphate prime and a TGIC polyester powder coat 3 to 5 mils thick, and G90 hot-dip galvanizing inside and out, so hollow tube does not rust from the inside.
Perimeter Fence Specifications
- Steel tubing gauge
- 16-gauge pickets, 14-gauge rails and 11-gauge to 3/16-inch posts on every steel gate and fence
- Coastal finish
- Hot-dip galvanized steel first, then a zinc-phosphate prime and a TGIC polyester powder coat 3 to 5 mils thick
- Corrosion protection
- G90 hot-dip galvanizing inside and out, so hollow tube does not rust from the inside
- Post footings
- 24 to 36 inch deep bell footings, 10 to 12 inches across, in 3,000 to 4,000 PSI concrete
- Hinges
- Ball-bearing barrel or greaseable weld-on hinges rated for 500 to 1,500 lbs per pair
- Operators
- 24V DC brushless continuous-duty motors: linear or articulated arm on swing gates, rack-and-pinion on slide gates
- Entrapment protection
- UL 325 and ASTM F2200: monitored photo eyes (Type B1) plus safety edges (Type B2) on every automated gate
- Emergency access
- Knox key switch, Opticom strobe sensor or siren responder, as the fire district requires
- Pool and pet gaps
- Under 4 inches between pickets, with 1.5 to 2 inch puppy pickets at the bottom on request
- Ground clearance
- 2 to 3 inches over lawn and 1 to 2 inches over a paved driveway apron
- Smart entry
- Cellular or Wi-Fi 1080p video intercom, backlit keypad, RFID readers and smartphone app entry
- Travel stops
- Post-mounted gate catchers, positive travel stops and guide roller shields on slide and cantilever gates
Gates, Access Points and the Bid
One bid covers the fence line, every gate in it and the access control, so nothing is left open at the seams where a fence meets a gate post. A Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate, typically an estimated $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system, is the usual vehicle opening, as on Dale's 28 ft cantilever across a truck entrance in Carlsbad. Pedestrian gates for staff get a reader or keypad from the same Video intercom, keypad or app entry account the vehicle gate uses.
- Perimeter walk: footage, grade, soil, openings and sight lines from the street.
- Written bid by run and by gate, with elevations and post spacing.
- Panels welded, galvanized and powder coated in our own shop before the first post goes in.
- Run-by-run install, typically an estimated 2 to 4 days per ornamental steel run.
- Gate tie-in, access control test and owner walkthrough.
Why Choose Us
Owners and GCs choose us because the shop that welds the fence panels also builds and automates the gates, so the line closes cleanly at every post. Every fence and gate carries our 2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel.
Commercial Service Areas
We bid perimeter work across a 40-mile radius, from Carlsbad and Encinitas business frontage to Poway and Bonsall yards inland. Lake San Marcos, Harmony Grove, Solana Beach and Del Mar commercial lots, plus estate-scale perimeters in Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch, are inside that radius.
Related Commercial Services
A perimeter is one part of a site: the gates themselves are on our commercial gate and access systems hub, community walls and entries on HOA gated community entry systems, rental properties on multifamily apartment gate access, and the upkeep of every gate in the line on scheduled gate service agreements.
Perimeter Fencing Questions
What does commercial perimeter fencing cost?
Ornamental steel perimeter fencing typically runs an estimated $50 to $85 per linear foot installed, and your written quote sets the final figure.
How long does a perimeter fence take to install?
A run of about 300 linear feet typically takes an estimated 3 to 4 days on site, as Mark's Poway yard did, after fabrication.
Will the site be left open during the work?
No, the old fence stays up until each new section is set, and every run is closed before the crew leaves for the night.
Which fence stops climbing best?
Anti-climb steel with tight pickets, no horizontal toe-hold and spear tops stops climbing best, and welded mesh is the choice where nothing may pass through.
Can the fence match our building frontage?
Yes, ornamental steel is powder coated in the color you choose and the picket pattern is drawn to suit the frontage, as on the Poway office frontage.
Do you install the gates in the fence line too?
Yes, we build, automate and wire the vehicle and pedestrian gates on the same bid, so one contractor answers for the whole perimeter.
Request a Bid for Your Perimeter
Request a bid with your property type, linear footage, fence height, gate openings, timeline and any site plans, and we will schedule the perimeter walk.
Gates, Fences and Finishes
Start to finish
From Site Measure to the Final Safety Test
Site measure
We measure the opening, the grade and the swing or slide path before anything is drawn.
Drawings and approval
You approve a scaled drawing, the metal, the finish and the operator before steel is cut.
Shop fabrication
The gate is welded in our shop, then galvanized and powder coated for the salt air.
Install and safety test
We set the posts, hang the gate, wire the operator and test every photo eye and safety edge with you.
Where we work
Where We Install It
Request a bid
Ready to Talk About Commercial Security and Perimeter Fencing?
Call us or send a site plan, photos or a gate count, and we will set a site walk and return a written bid.
Calls only, we do not receive text messages.