Metal Fence Project

Some pictures and details of our first metal fence project here in Tucson. Didn’t want to setup the video camera for this given how long we were working on this and the time constraints so it’s just pics of our project along with commentary and notes. If you'd like to see what it looks like after rusting a bit, you can see shots in my review of Santa Rita Steel (my metal supplier) here: www.google.com/maps/contrib/1...
Stuff I used on the project:
Evolution RAGE2 14 inch chop saw: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Just the multi purpose blade that came with it cut everything for this project no problem. I’ve been very impressed with it.
Lincoln Electric Handy Core 115V Flux Cored Welder - they no longer make this particular model but there are many inexpensive flux core welders that are quite good these days. I’ve been surprised at how many projects I’ve used it on since I got it. One bit of advice: don’t skimp on the welders helmet - a good auto darkening model is worth paying a few extra bucks for.
Adjust-A-Gate steel frame: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... good, not great - more heavy duty options out there if you need something wider but it did the job for this application reasonably well and was quick and easy to get up.
Since I’ve been asked - we bought the steel for the project in fall of 2017 - for the entire project (3x3 posts, 1 ½” x 1 ½” posts, caps, corrugated metal sheets, self tapping screws) for 160 feet or so of fence (there’s more to do, that’s just what we did thus far) - it ran me a little better than $2800. Metal prices vary quite a bit over time so your mileage may vary. As noted, you can get away with less metal than we used and save some $$.

[@mermalar]

Thanks for the inspiring DIY video. It gave me the confidence to use 2’x8’ galvanized panels to fence my small backyard as a “catio “ cat patio. I had tried wire fencing topped with corrugated plastic panels-but the cats kept getting out. Not so with the taller metal panels! I really appreciated that you noted that the metal fence wouldn’t be loud. Some of my plastic panels blew loose despite lots of washers and screws to hold it down-some nights it sounded like thunder! Both my neighbor and I will be happy to quietly keep the cats where they belong. Thanks again-Merm.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

always good to hear someone was inspired to do something new - glad it's working out for you.

[@christianguevara3122]

Great video, thank you from Detroit!

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

cool - glad you found it helpful.

[@BaltiWhiskeyHands]

Tucson dude here also, thanks for the video. just placed my order for the material for my back fence. this definitely helped give me a better idea on what i hope to accomplish.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Glad it was helpful - good luck on your fence...

[@marchikes]

Jeff. Was looking around for ideas for metal privacy fencing. Stumbled across your video. Not only did you have good info but you're also a fellow Tucsonan. Cheers.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks - glad you found it helpful and you weathered Tucson's snow-pocalypse-2019 ok...

[@Skipper_Jones]

Thanks, really helpful. Makes sense living in Arizona especially with how high lumber prices are right now. Great job.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks - yeah, that and having to fuss with wood fences with regular staining/painting to keep them from rotting as we go from dry heat to high humidity during monsoons is a real headache. All our rental units around town now have either block or metal fences - worth the trouble and expense in my book - plus tenants appreciate them.

[@DavidAdams-bp5iu]

Very helpful thank you

[@SilverGoth]

Thank you soooo much for this very helpful video! You did a really good job with it. Very professional videography and your voice is not annoying like some. 😝 I have an old fence around my condo garden that has been covered with ivy. I was thinking of stripping it down and repainting it, but this is a much more appealing look. I learned a lot from your video and I'm very grateful you went to the trouble of sharing your knowledge!

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

awesome - glad you found it useful. Good luck with your fence project.

[@denisewascavage209]

Thank You... I couldn't find anything out there that explained how to do this. Well done..

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks, glad you got some use out of it.

[@jameshaycraft8274]

Jeff - just wanted to say, have been interested in replacing about 40-45' of not-so-nice wooden fence here in midtown Tucson and your fence is almost exactly what I've been imagining. Just getting into welding as well. Found your video very helpful and informative. Thanks for doing it!

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Glad you found it helpful - good luck with your project!

[@jameshaycraft8274]

It's been suggested to me that pop riveting the fence to the frame might be a good idea. Are the rubber grommets on the fasteners still holding up well in the sun?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thus far they're doing fine - had a bit of problem with the gate latches rattling about in the high winds which took a bit of fussing but the metal sheeting and fasteners have been fine. Just don't over tighten the self tapping screws and jack up the rubber grommets - I did that on a few.

[@FlyboythaACE]

I have one in the design phase thanks so much for sharing

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

cool - glad you found it useful

[@georgegriffiths8717]

quality fence, good one mate.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks - I wish KZbin let you post pictures in the comments - it's rusted up nicely with the rains this month and the fully rusted look is pretty cool - maybe I'll update my video with a couple shots of it on the end.

[@banga8080]

Great fence💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks!

[@benmendez]

Beautiful, you should think about painting it with paint for metal so it doesn't rust

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

well, in this case we wanted it to rust - we bought weatherable steel for that purpose. If you look in the details section above there's a link to a picture of it about completely rusted (about 6 months later) to get an idea of the patina we were going for.

[@jburritt426]

This looks great. We just did a custom wood fence and my friend wants a metal fence. This would look great at his home.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

can't go wrong - the neighbors immediately across the street from this property just had a metal fence installed that is nearly identical to the one I put up. I think we started a trend.

[@gabinobarrera1631]

Thanks for the information brother 💯🙏

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Glad you found it helpful

[@luismolina1517]

Dude great shit ! No bs!

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

glad you found it useful

[@RobertReynolds1970]

Very nice job.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Thank you!

[@Ekorslk]

I’m doing this is my yard, I see this all around Tucson so ima do it too lol

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

The good kind of peer pressure! Best of luck

[@RighteousBruce]

thanks dude. i wont be doing this but its good to see it aint to hard.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

no problem, glad you got value out of it.

[@angelrodriguez6973]

Great video

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

thanks, glad you found it useful

[@catalinasalazar755]

Thanks so much for your taking the time to make this video. I am helping on a project with a friend and hope to have a better strategy for the next one. Busting out concrete due to the zig zag effect is no fun! How did you overlap your edges, or some call them ends? My search for tutorials came up short, tho I found a few about sheet metal roofing jobs that describe overlap with fat end underneath . One reason was due to most common wind direction per region. How important is it in fence construction? If you find the time to reply, I would be delighted ! Thank you from New Mexico.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

not sure what you mean by the 'fat end' in this case - we used corrugated sheets that are 6 feet high and 32” wide - we did about a 4” overlap (2 ridges worth) with the panel before it and screwed in through both sheets in that overlap - worked best for us. The supply place recommended a larger overlap but we found it unnecessary for this purpose (and of course it would require more sheets to cover the area).

[@catalinasalazar755]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr the larger side with a lip. Thanks I learned something valuable and it was well worth watching .

[@groundup421]

Jeff, good job , can you do a follow up video on how the metal has aged since you filmed the video, curious to see the patina

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I posted a picture in my review of Santa Rita Steel (where I got the materials) that includes a picture taken about 6 months later after the monsoons here in Tucson - it's almost completely rusted at that point - it's a little darker now but looks pretty similar : www.google.com/maps/contrib/102422816256897658341/place/ChIJJbT2V_Zw1oYR0YEUTSliTss/@32.211885,-110.953551,17z/data=!3m1!4b1

[@kathleenwessels9992]

groundup421 yes that would be helpful

[@calebintuc]

Great work!!! im thinking of doing one soon on my house. In Catalina Az! Never welded before, is it posible to use screws for everything?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

possibly, but I've never seen the cross supports done that way. You can get an entry level flux core welder for under $200 these days and with a little practice you can get proficient at it - you'll be surprised at the things you can do with it once you get the hang of it.

[@kathleenwessels9992]

Thank you..

[@dwanango]

Thank you!

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

glad people are getting some use out of it...

[@docimma]

Perfection! How do you prevent rust and later pitting to extend life? Size and gauge of fence and posts? Topper used for J-channel? Any sheeting cap alternatives?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

The metal we used was designed to surface rust - you can see how it looked by the next year after the monsoons here: www.google.com/maps/contrib/102422816256897658341/place/ChIJJbT2V_Zw1oYR0YEUTSliTss - The metal holds up well, it's been 6 years now and everything is in great shape. I've done a couple fences since then without the j-channel since my metal supplier didn't always stock them and it saves some money. For relatively level yards it looks fine just plain. I do like the toppers for fences that have to do some level changes to hide the "jagged" look, but it's not necessary in all cases.

[@docimma]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr I love the rust patina but will it pit? Will it last 100% longer than wood?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

@@docimma Lots of rustable metal fences in Tucson - they last a long time, no pitting I've seen on any of them near my properties around town.

[@docimma]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr that is great to hear; Im planning to replace my existing fence with metal… Dallas suburb. Will aim for Japanese style overall.

[@shawnmoyer5777]

Jeff this looks awesome. I am in Tucson as well and am halfway through my DIY fence similar to this. Which supplier did you go to for the J channel? All the ones I have seen have holes pre-drilled for nails.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I got them from Santa Rita Steel - however of late it's not something they keep in stock (it took 6 weeks to get the ones I used on my 2nd fence) - the fence I just finished at my Silver duplex I skipped them to save costs - actually I'm reasonably happy with the look so long as the yard is fairly level and you don't have a lot of jagged height change sections.

[@EJfromNYC]

welds look great to me... lol. Hey why didnt you weld the metal sheets to the steel posts instead of the screws?? too thin?? what gauge did you get for the sheets?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

you could weld them - they're thinner than the piping of course but that's not the issue - the primary reason was we wanted the option to easily replace individual sheets should they be damaged/tagged - this has already come up once where a truck backed into one of our fences and folded a couple of the sheets nicely. You can bang them back into shape but they never look right again so we just replaced them.

[@rosieadriadrirosie67]

Hi Jeff, did you pretreat/ paint the tubes to prevent rust before inserting in concrete? How deep did you set the posts? How are they holding up now?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

They were two feet deep - six feet high - I bought 24 ft' long posts and cut them in 8 foot sections for this - no waste so it worked out good. No, I didn't pretreat - once in concrete they do fine. I asked the metal supply folks about this when I did my first one and they assured me it wasn't necessary. With 4 around town now, they're all doing great. Only a couple gate issues (rattling locks, needing to tighten them up and such), everything else has been fine.

[@melidylane3520]

You didn't use galvanized posts. Are you concerned about them rusting out at the base? I'm in the planning stages of doing something similar, but I don't see people using mild steel.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

The rustable metal posts just surface rust - they stay structurally stable for some time. I looked at a lot of rustable metal fencing here in southern AZ and didn't see a single one using galvanized posts. Same deal with the sheeting - I get asked all time time if we're worried they'll just fall apart over time - they very much do not. If you want to go full galvanized, I'd just do that - I prefer the rusted look myself and we've now put up 5 separate fences over the years around Tucson - all doing very well currently. The one here is pushing 6 years old and is still in perfect condition (I had to repair the wooden gates a few times).

[@HomelightRealtyAZ]

I am having an argument with my husband... is there a right and wrong side to the metal? We are laying out 60 sheets of non galvanized corrugated metal (its heavy and we got it at an actual metal company) which will be installed vertically. He said there is an inside and an outside and I say all you do is turn every other one upside down to over lap them. Does that make sense? We are going to rust them for a certain vintage look to our old 1960's farm house in East Mesa. I hope this doesn't sound stupid...

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

So far as I know all corrugated metal sheets either stainless or otherwise don’t have a “side“ to them. Both sides should be finished the same. Depending on which side you have showing the left or right will have the “downward curl“. This is especially important when coming to a corner where you want both sides to have that downward curl together to make a nice clean edge. So yeah just flipping them upside down to get the curl on the side you want it on should be the only concern.

[@jessiemoreno3767]

How far apart did you set your fence line poles?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

For the most part we did 8 foot spans give or take.

[@miguelgarcia2871]

Hey Jeff! Fence looks awesome! This is something I want to do with my fence! You think doing 2x2 post is good enough or has to be bigger?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I've seen 2 inch posts used for the "body" of the fence but in most cases around gates I see 3 inch posts - you can probably get away with 2 inch all around but I like the extra "stiffness" 3 inch posts provide in high stress spots like gates.

[@mico26az]

Nice work I'm doing a fence like this what's the cost of each sheet ?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I put the cost breakdown for the components in the notes under the video - but of course that was from several years ago now - prices of metal are all much higher. Haven't done a new fence in a while so I couldn't say right off hand what those sheets would cost today.

[@deadsurgeon397]

Little late to the game here but what guage and height was your corrugated steel?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

We used 24 gauge "weatherable steel" 6x4 sheets and let them rust naturally instead of using spray on chemicals - quite a bit thicker and heavier than the stainless steel corrugated sheets you get at the big box stores.

[@carropatrullas9829]

Like how much was each metal sheet? And who much was each pole? By size?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

The prices have changed quite a bit since I did this project - and unfortunately the two major steel vendors here in Tucson don’t publish their prices per piece on line, likely since they fluctuate so often. The last fence project I did a bit more than a year ago which was more expensive than this first one by a fairly wide margin I paid for: 24’ 3x3 14 gauge steel tubes (cut into 8’): $76.10 3’x6’ rustable corrugated sheets: $27.14 24’ 1 ½”x 1 ½” 14 gauge tubes: $34.38 Of course prices today will be very different - most places you have to call and get a price for that day.

[@carropatrullas9829]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr ok is good to know 👍.i think the prices out here are a little cheaper you can also choose in different colors. Or natural . i think is because of competition metal sheets are around $16 to $30 example like this one ...👉 26 gauge galvanized panels. These can be used for roof or wall. I have any length you need and quantity. The price is $1.65 per linear foot. These are 32 inches wide by any length up to 33 feet. I think i might used the round fence poles because this are cheaper New fence post schedule 20 Size 8’ feet diameter 1 5/8” ... But i don't know if this will be thinker then 1/4?...

[@fallenone6]

Can i use wooden post or metal poles?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I wouldn’t recommend it - I’ve seen poles used with collars to attach wooden cross beams for wood fences - kind of a cheap alternative that tries to avoid rotting posts in the ground but isn’t very durable or good looking. One property we bought had metal sheeting (not rustable) bolted onto a wooden fence frame - it was pretty awful and clearly a temporary hack. Not a great look, we replaced it in that case with a block wall to match the neighbors, much to the joy of the current tenants.

[@smashlames]

Another tucson guy here.. where did you rent your auger?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Home Depot - it didn't power through the caliche layer as I had hoped, but it made the whole process for that many posts go a lot faster. Used San Angelo bars to chip through to the layer to get them as deep as I wanted.

[@smashlames]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr thank you

[@juanagarcia6520]

Is metal fence cheaper than the wood fence?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

no, you can put up a wood fence much cheaper than metal, especially if you skimp on the materials and don't paint it and such (as one of my neighbors just did as they're trying to sell their home). But it won't last nearly as long or look as good and of course over time it requires a lot more regular maintenance and repair to keep it upright and in good shape. Since we are long term owners and managers of our rentals, the extra money is worth it to us - plus tenants appreciate the upgraded fences and it makes it easier to rent our units.

[@armandomada633]

What do u change for a metal fance

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Hey Amando - we don't charge anything, these are properties we own that we're improving as we go - the metal fences are just part of it. I list the cost for materials at the time in the video notes, but I can only speculate what professional fencing companies charge for labor these days (and note the price of steel has gone up notably since then)

[@eastside0434]

You build a fence to keep your nosey neighbors away,that is the best thing between neighbors is a fence

[@brittanyalyssa87]

How much did this project cost?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

in the video description I have a break down of the costs from 2017 - little less than $3000 for this project - however metal prices are higher (along with everything else these days) so your mileage will vary.

[@Mary10538]

Can i put a fence on my side of my property. My neighbors trees are over hanging in my yard. I don't want problems but I want privacy

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

In most jurisdictions (all the ones I’ve lived in) you can build up to a 6 foot high fence/wall on your property without a permit with no issue. However, if your home is in an HOA or something you may need to get permission. If you’re not sure probably a good idea to request a survey to mark the specific lot lines for your property and make sure you don’t stray over it. A quick call to the city desk in your town will tell you if permits are necessary. Sometimes (particularly with block walls) there's rules about water traversal and such you need to worry about - but metal and wood fences don't generally have such concerns.

[@JoseRojas-ig8vo]

How much was the corrugated metal

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

at the time I believe it was $22 a sheet - although steel prices change quite a bit so your millage may vary.

[@armandomada633]

How much something like that would run

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

In the comments I detail the costs and materials I used at the time - short version in the fall of 2017 it ran me a little more than $2800 in materials. Probably a bit more these days with steel tariffs in play...

[@armandomada633]

Jeff Lindborg oh ok thank I was looking for someone to install it or someone to help me

[@chrisrelite5205]

Do u work in Tucson a.z

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Yes, we own several rental properties we work on in the greater midtown area of Tucson these days

[@Gameforsale]

Hello sir I live in Tucson would you be available to give me an estimate for something like this?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Hey Alex - we only work on our own properties, we're not licensed contractors that do this kind of work for others - I put the cost break down for materials in the comments section but that was from a few years ago and metal prices vary wildly so for materials cost you'll want to call Santa Rita Steel or Industrial Metal Supply here in Tucson.

[@Gameforsale]

Jeff Lindborg I appreciate you taking the time to respond I found it so mind blowing when I looked up how to install this type of fencing the first video would mention Tucson so I had to reach out lol but thanks again stay safe and have a great day

[@marlenaasprey4653]

Hope the neighbor doesn't get a bad glare.

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Not a problem - the metal is meant to surface rust which it’s doing quite nicely a few months along now - after the monsoons this summer they’ll be about completely rusted which is a great look. You can use chemicals to speed it along but we like the natural path. As a side note, the neighbor right next door ask me to help him make a (small) metal fence for his yard he liked it so much. Getting neighbors of your rentals “on your team” is always a smart move.

[@kathleenwessels9992]

What was the cost ..?

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

The notes under the video have a break down on the materials and costs - keep in mind that was 2017, metal prices fluctuate quite a bit.

[@web1187]

really nice fence Sir 👍👍 if you don't mind me asking about how much did this cost ..? also I think the gate will look even better once the rust patina comes into play

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

Thanks. In the notes I detail some of the materials and cost but big picture in fall of 2017 it ran around $2800 for the metal materials I used on the roughly 160 foot fence - note that is before things like steel tariffs came into play.

[@brianblakely1453]

How much for metals

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I list of costs for the first 160 ft. of the project in the notes above... at the time we bought it (end of 2017) the total for everything ran a bit over $2800. It'd run a chunk more these days what with tariffs and such... the next fence we did (finishing now) we used less metal - only two crossing sections instead of 3 and we didn't use the j-channel for it - saved a bit.

[@popitgood3456]

if my neighbor gets upset because the look of my fence that would be reason enough for me to leave it just like it is

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

more worried about prospective tenants being unimpressed than the neighbors, but keeping the neighbors of your rental properties on your team is never a bad idea in general. No need to borrow trouble where you don't need to.

[@amymagnon8467]

What specifically was the name and gauge of your panels? Thanks

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I used 24 gauge corrugated 6' x 38" mild steel sheets - most places call them "weatherable" or "weathering", some just say "mild steel" (i.e. not galvanized). We didn't use chemicals to rust them, just let the weather do it naturally - around here in about 1 year they're completely rusted and look nice.

[@mackenzie3331]

@@Monkeyboy68Mr "Weathering Steel" or Corten Steel is not the same as "mild Steel" Really nice video though

[@jojolozano]

Dang must of been expensive why didn't you go with Cee perlin, to me thats a waist of square tubing

[@Monkeyboy68Mr]

I list the costs at the time in the notes above - wasn't that bad, but yeah - our next fence at another property which we're finishing up now we did just two cross tubes instead of 3. As noted in the video we were concerned about wind loads in that area which are significant - they can knock down weaker fences and buckle panels - but 3 was more than necessary I think. That said the cost for a 24' length of 1 1/2" square tubing was $28.50 - which is cheaper than Cee perlin I've seen which goes around 2$ a foot. Square tubing also allows for easily attaching things like stubs for aircraft cable when making Roman shade treatments or putting up bike racks and the like which we like to do for our tenants.