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CGI Fence Installation: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
CGI fence installation in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $3,500 – $9,000 installed, depending on linear footage, gate hardware, and whether we’re replacing failed sections or running a fresh line. Most homeowners discover a problem not by looking, but by noticing their gate dragging, a panel leaning after a storm, or fasteners that have rusted through after a few hard summers. If you’ve got a CGI product and a part that’s failed, the next step is matching the right component to your series, and that’s where this page gets specific.
We’re Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, an independent service provider. We’re not affiliated with CGI, but we install and repair CGI-compatible fence systems across Broward County every month, and we keep the common failure parts on hand.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI fence lines are not all the same beast. The two most common series we see in Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods like Victoria Park, Rio Vista, and Coral Ridge are the CGI Ameristar Montage and IronCraft lines, both of which use a punched-face panel design that looks like wrought iron but is actually galvanized steel with a powder coat. The compatibility gotcha: Ameristar Montage panels are punched on 5″ centers with a specific top rail notch, and IronCraft’s MightyRail line uses a different post profile altogether. If you buy the wrong post cap or rail bracket, it will not seat. The fastest way to identify your line is to look at the post cap for a stamped logo, or measure the post: Montage posts run 2″ square or 2.5″ square depending on height, while IronCraft MightyRail posts are 2.5″ square across the board.
For replacement pickets, posts, brackets, and gate inserts, we generally recommend OEM CGI components when your fence is under 10 years old, because the powder coat match is closer. On older lines where the original coating has faded, a quality aftermarket picket from a supplier like Fortress or SpecRail will save you 15 – 20% and hold up the same in salt air, though the black may read a shade different for the first six months.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Fence Installation Is Failing
- Gate sagging or dragging across the concrete. In most cases, the bottom hinge has pulled loose from the post or the gate frame has begun to rack. Nine times out of ten in Fort Lauderdale, water has seeped behind the hinge plate and rotted the post’s internal seal, which is a post replacement job, not a hinge adjustment.
- Rust streaks running from the bottom rail or panel seams. This is the classic South Florida signature: the powder coat gets scratched by a string trimmer, then salt air and humidity do the rest. If the rust has crept inside the panel, the steel is compromised and the rail needs replacing, not touch-up paint.
- Pickets loosening where they meet the bottom rail. CGI panels are punched and secured with a compression fit, so a loose picket usually means the panel has been hit, flexed, or installed too tight against a concrete pad. A single loose picket is a five-minute fix with a punch tool; if three or more are loose, the panel has racked and should be re-leveled.
- Post leaning after a heavy rain. In Fort Lauderdale’s sandy soil, a post that was set in a hole without a proper concrete footing will drift after one good tropical system. The post may still look fine at the top, but the base has lost its grip. We dig out the old footing and pour a new one at 18 – 24″ depth depending on post height.
- Gate latch not catching, or the lock no longer aligns. This is often the first sign of racking: the gate frame has moved a quarter-inch, and that’s enough to throw off the throw-bolt. It’s the symptom, not the disease. Re-aligning the latch without fixing the rack just means you’ll re-align the latch again in eight months.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For a typical CGI fence repair or section replacement in Fort Lauderdale, homeowners pay between $3,500 and $9,000. A single post replacement usually lands at the low end, especially if we match the existing height and finish. A 40 – 60 linear foot panel replacement with new mid-rails, pickets, and gate reset lands mid-range. The high end covers cases where the entire gate frame has failed, the posts along one side need resetting in fresh concrete, and we’re re-hanging a heavy double swing gate.
Here’s the breakdown of what drives the number:
- Linear footage of failed section – we measure the actual run, not a rough guess
- Post condition – saving a post is cheaper than digging and re-setting
- Gate work – gate frames and hinges carry the most labor on any CGI job
- Access – fences against a property line or behind dense landscaping take longer to work
Every quote is written before work starts, not a verbal range. The number we hand you on paper is the number on the invoice, and the repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it fails inside the year, we come back and fix it at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
There are a few things you can safely check without touching a tool. Confirm the post caps are seated. Check whether the gate hinges look pulled away from the post. Look for rust that has spread beyond a scratch. What you shouldn’t try to do yourself: pulling a post out of concrete, re-hanging a double gate, or any repair that involves cutting or tensioning the panel rails. Gate springs under load can release unexpectedly, and a heavy welded gate that pins your hand against a post isn’t worth saving a service call.
If you’ve found a failed part and want to know exactly what it’ll cost to make it right in Fort Lauderdale, call us at (754) 551-2922. We’ll talk through what you’re seeing, and if it makes sense, we’ll come measure and hand you a written price.
FAQs
A properly installed CGI steel fence with an intact powder coat will run 20 – 25 years in Fort Lauderdale’s salt air, with posts and gate frames failing before panels do. The weak points are the post footings and the lower rail where scratches expose bare steel. Call (754) 551-2922 and we’ll tell you whether you’re looking at a repair or a replacement.
Surface rust can be wire-brushed, primed, and touched up if it hasn’t reached the steel. If you can see pitting or scale, the panel’s structural integrity is gone and the rail needs replacement, not paint. We’ll tell you straight which one yours is.
A single post replacement or a few loose pickets is a half-day job. Replacing a 40 – 60 foot panel run with gate reset and new footings usually takes two full days. We’ll give you a real arrival window when we schedule the work.
We keep the common failure parts on hand: post caps, hinge plates, punch tools, and picket stock for Montage and IronCraft lines. Special-order rails or custom gate inserts usually arrive in 7 – 10 days from our Fort Lauderdale supplier.
Tell me what you need, I’ll tell you what it costs – then we’ll get it done. Call (754) 551-2922 for a free estimate, or to talk through what you’re seeing on your fence.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner, Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale at Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
