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CGI Fence Installation: The Houston Owner’s Guide
CGI fence installation in Houston typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 for a full perimeter job, depending on footage, terrain, and whether we’re pulling permits. Most owners we hear from have a section that’s leaning, a post that snapped at the base, or rails that pulled loose after a storm. We stock a range of CGI-compatible post, rail, and picket components on the truck and can usually assess your fence the same day you call (254) 272-5240.
The way this usually starts is a gate that won’t latch level, or a neighbor’s dog showing up in your yard one morning. By the time you notice, the post below grade has usually been losing its fight with Houston clay and rain for a season or two. The fence panel itself may still look fine from the curb. The failure is happening where you can’t see it, at the concrete collar or the post-to-rail connection.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI (Computers & Graphics, Inc.) makes a broad line of ornamental aluminum fence systems, and the installation requirements shift from one series to the next. The most common residential lines we work with in Houston are the Sentry and Regis series, though we also see commercial-grade CGI models around pool enclosures and HOA perimeter fencing. The difference matters because post dimensions, rail channel depth, and picket spacing are not interchangeable across all CGI lines.
The fastest way to identify what you have is to look for the CGI tag or stamp on the top rail or inside the post cap. If that’s faded, measure the post itself: residential CGI posts are commonly 2″ x 2″ or 2.5″ x 2.5″ square, while heavier-duty lines step up to 4″ or larger. The picket count per panel also tells you a lot – CGI residential panels typically run 2 to 22 pickets per section depending on the style and height. If your fence is pool code compliance in a Houston neighborhood like Meyerland or West University, the spacing and height requirements are different, and we’ll verify that before ordering components.
On OEM versus aftermarket: CGI’s factory components are what we recommend for visible parts, because the powder coat color is matched at the source and aftermarket touch-up rarely sits right. For buried structural components like post bases and mounting brackets, a quality aftermarket equivalent is often fine and can save you money. We’ll quote both ways so the decision stays in your hands. One compatibility gotcha we’ve learned: CGI’s newer Regis line uses a different rail punch pattern than older Sentry stock, so don’t assume a bracket from one will bolt onto the other.
Elmstead Remodeling Houston is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with CGI. We install and repair CGI fences and use OEM or compatible components as the job requires.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Fence Installation Is Failing
- Posts leaning at the base, still straight up top. The post is solid; the concrete footing is cracking or settling. In Houston’s expansive clay soil, we see this most often in areas that alternate wet and dry rapidly, like Kingwood or the Clear Lake area. A leaning post left alone eventually torques the rail brackets until the whole section sags.
- Rails pulling away from posts and the screws or rivets look ovaled out. The connection was never properly shimmed, or the original installer used hardware that’s too light for the panel weight. Over time the wind load in a Houston thunderstorm works those fasteners loose.
- Gate dragging on the latch side or won’t stay latched. Usually the post nearest the gate has rotated under the gate’s weight. Aluminum fence posts are strong vertically but they’ll rotate in the footing if the base wasn’t set deep enough or pinned properly. This is a fix we do often without replacing the entire fence.
- Pickets missing or cracked near the rail line. On CGI’s ornamental styles, the picket-to-rail connection is the first casualty of a mower bump or a teenager hopping the fence. Individual pickets are replaceable if the rail channel is intact.
- Powder coat bubbling or flaking at the bottom of posts near flower beds. Irrigation overspray and fertilizer kickback sit on the coating and eat through over a few seasons. We recommend directing sprinkler heads away from fence lines when we set new posts.
See the difference
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Most CGI fence installation jobs in Houston land between $3,500 and $9,000. A short run of 40 to 60 feet with a gate runs lower; a full backyard perimeter at 150 feet or more with tough access runs higher. Here’s what drives the range:
- Linear footage – the more feet, the more posts, rails, and pickets needed. Houston residential lots in older neighborhoods like Timbergrove or Oak Forest can have odd boundaries that add corners and cuts.
- Post setting conditions – if we’re excavating old concrete footers, hitting roots, or dealing with a slope, labor goes up. If it’s new build install on cleared grade, it’s cleaner.
- Gate type and count – a simple walk gate is one cost; a double drive gate with opener hardware adds real money.
- Code requirements – pool enclosures in Houston must meet specific height and spacing rules, and sometimes inspection. We pull the permit and handle the inspection when required.
You receive a written price before any work starts – always. That price includes the parts, the labor, the permit where needed, and the clean-up. Drop cloths go down inside the house if we’re setting posts near a patio door; shoe covers on every crew member; a photo of the finished job site before the crew leaves. Work is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if something isn’t done right, we make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
If your gate is just dragging, you can safely check the hinge screws and tighten them yourself. If a section of aluminum rail has pulled loose at a bracket, you can re-seat the bolts with a friend holding the panel level. Those are fair homeowner fixes. What we don’t recommend is digging out and resetting a post in Houston clay without the right equipment. The hole needs to be deeper than the original to get past the swell line, and setting the new concrete collar with a moisture barrier sleeve is the step most DIY installs skip – and the reason many fences lean again within two years. Aluminum itself is light and forgiving. The foundation below it is not.
If a gate post has rotated, if multiple sections are sagging, or if you’re not sure whether your CGI fence meets pool code, call (254) 272-5240. We’ll look at it, tell you honestly whether it’s a hand-tighten job or a proper re-set, and give you a written price either way. No charge for the visit.
FAQs
A properly installed CGI aluminum fence in Houston should last 25 to 30 years with basic care, though the powder coat may show its age earlier in areas with heavy irrigation or pool chemical exposure. The posts, properly set in concrete below the soil’s swell zone, are the primary reason a fence lasts two decades instead of five. Call (254) 272-5240 and we’ll check yours if you’re not sure.
In most cases a single failing post can be repaired without replacing the rest of the fence. We dig out the old footing, set the post deeper with a proper collar, and re-attach the rails and pickets. It’s only when the rail channels are chewed out or the powder coat is gone across whole sections that full replacement becomes the better spend.
A typical backyard CGI fence installation in Houston takes two to four working days from start to finish, including setting posts, waiting for concrete to cure, and hanging panels. Larger jobs with multiple gates or demolition of an old fence run longer. We give you a written schedule before work starts, and we stick to it or tell you why we can’t.
We stock common CGI post sizes, rail channel, pickets, brackets, and gate hardware on the truck, which means we can start many repair jobs the day you call. Specialty colors, custom panel patterns, or larger commercial components usually take a few days to order. Tell us your CGI model and measurements, and we’ll check the truck before we schedule.
If you’re dealing with a leaning post or a sagging section in Houston, call (254) 272-5240 for a free estimate. Graham will personally talk through the fix, what it costs in writing, and what the crew will protect while they work. A written price and a covered floor before any work begins – that is where the trust starts.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling Houston at Elmstead Remodeling Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.
