Skip to main content 
The common fence materials are vinyl, aluminum, ornamental steel, composite, wood and chain link. No single material wins every test. Vinyl and composite give you solid privacy with no painting. Aluminum and ornamental steel keep your view open. Aluminum does not rust, and steel lasts as long as its coating stays whole. Wood needs staining or sealing on a schedule, and chain link rusts where its zinc coating wears through.
Maintenance-Free Outdoor Solutions installs four of the six: vinyl, aluminum, ornamental steel and composite. Wood and chain link are the two we leave out, so this guide covers them only to help you compare. Vinyl and aluminum both come in spaced picket styles, which our picket fence installers build across St. Louis.
Fence Materials Side by Side
Each row shows how one material handles privacy, view, upkeep, rust and rot, and the maker’s warranty.
What matters most to you? Tap one or more, and the materials that fit light up.
| Fence type | Solid privacy | Keeps your view | No painting or staining | Won’t rust or rot | Maker’s lifetime warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFOS installs it | Solid panels | Picket and semi-privacy styles | No painting or staining | No metal, no wood | Ask for your style’s document |
| MFOS installs it | Open pickets | Open pickets | Powder-coated finish | Does not rust | Elite: limited lifetime |
| MFOS installs it | Open style | Open style | Baked-on E-coat | Rusts if the coating breaks | Montage finish for homes: lifetime limited |
| MFOS installs it | Solid molded panels | Solid panels | Wash off graffiti | Molded plastic | Catalyst: limited lifetime, transferable |
| MFOS does not install it | Solid boards | Picket styles | Stain or seal on a schedule | Rots where it stays wet | Not ours |
| MFOS does not install it | Only with added slats | Open mesh | Galvanized wire | Rusts where zinc wears | Not ours |
Warranties have limits and can change, so ask for the current warranty sheet before you order. The steel warranty named here is for the Montage grade made for homes.
Compare Any Two Fence Materials
Want the long version of a pairing? Read the full head-to-head:
- Vinyl vs aluminum fencing
- Aluminum vs steel fence
- Wrought iron vs aluminum
- Vinyl vs wood fence
- Metal fence vs wood fence
- Chain link vs aluminum fencing
- How long a vinyl fence lasts
What Each Fence Material Is Made Of
Four of these materials are the ones we install. Each one is built differently, so each one wears out in its own place.
Vinyl MFOS installs it
- Made of
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a plastic.
- What MFOS installs
- Solid privacy, semi-privacy, spaced picket and post-and-rail.
- What fails first
- A hard hit. A fallen limb or a mower can crack a panel.
- Upkeep
- A rinse with a hose.
- Good to know
- Rain, snow and rust do not touch it, because plastic holds no iron.
- Warranty from the maker
- Ask for the warranty document for your style.
Aluminum MFOS installs it
- Made of
- Aluminum with a powder-coated finish.
- What MFOS installs
- Picket styles that leave your view open, in home, business and heavy duty grades from Elite.
- What fails first
- The finish, if a scratch goes through it. A hard hit can also bend a picket.
- Upkeep
- Check the finish once a year and touch up chips.
- Good to know
- Rust is iron oxide, and aluminum is not iron, so it does not rust. Rackable panels pivot to follow a slope.
- Warranty from the maker
- Elite: limited lifetime warranty.
Ornamental steel MFOS installs it
- Made of
- Galvanized steel with a baked-on E-coat finish.
- What MFOS installs
- Ameristar Montage, in residential, commercial and industrial grades.
- What fails first
- The coating, if a deep scratch exposes the steel. Exposed steel rusts.
- Upkeep
- Look it over once a year and repair any chip, because a small chip is where rust starts.
- Good to know
- Ameristar puts the E-coat on inside and out, so the inside of each tube is protected too.
- Warranty from the maker
- Residential Montage: finish covered for life, with limits.
Composite MFOS installs it
- Made of
- Molded panels. Boulder is heavy polyethylene, a tough plastic, with a stone look. Breckenridge uses the same molded-panel technology with a woodgrain finish.
- What MFOS installs
- Catalyst Boulder and Breckenridge, in 4, 6 and 8-foot heights and 6 and 8-foot widths.
- What fails first
- Catalyst lists impact, graffiti and fade resistance, so read the warranty for limits.
- Upkeep
- Graffiti washes off with a high-powered pressure washer.
- Good to know
- Catalyst lists both styles as good at cutting noise, and says Breckenridge is engineered to better withstand high wind conditions.
- Warranty from the maker
- Catalyst: transferable limited lifetime warranty.
Wood MFOS does not install it
- Made of
- Cedar or pressure-treated pine boards.
- What fails first
- Rot and warping where the wood stays wet.
- Upkeep
- Stain or seal on a schedule.
Chain link MFOS does not install it
- Made of
- Galvanized steel wire on steel posts.
- What fails first
- Rust where the zinc coating wears through.
- Upkeep
- Check for rust spots.
How St. Louis Weather Treats Each One
The National Weather Service St. Louis office reports these figures for the area.
A few thunderstorms each year are severe enough to bring large hail and damaging wind. Source: National Weather Service climate page for the St. Louis area.
Real Yards, by Material
Each yard below is a finished job, and every one links to its full write-up.
AluminumAluminum pool fence on a slope
- 171 linear feet
- 54 inches tall
- 3 gates
- 2.5 days
The yard slopes, so rackable gates tilt with the ground.
AluminumAluminum fence that keeps the view
- 100 feet
- 4.5 feet tall
- 3 11/16 inch spacing
- 1 day
The town required a hole inspection first, and the job passed. A Screw Boss post on the patio concrete gave the gate a solid post.
AluminumAluminum fence for two small dogs
- 38 feet
- 4 feet tall
- 1 5/8 inch spacing
- 1 day
The pickets close to 1 5/8 inches so the dogs cannot slip through. The ground was rocky, and the sidewalk gate got a Screw Boss post mounted to the concrete.
AluminumAluminum fence matched to a neighbor’s
- 122 feet
- 4 feet tall, Elite
- 3 13/16 inch spacing
- 2 days
A subdivision required a style that matched the neighbor’s aluminum. The standard spacing suits a mid-size dog.
VinylVinyl picket matched to an old fence
- 160 feet
- 4 feet tall
- 1 gate
- 2 days
A neighbor’s fence, installed about 10 years earlier, was no longer made, so a similar white spaced picket went in.
VinylVinyl picket with a double drive gate
- 131 feet
- 4 feet tall
- 3 gates
- 2 days
The Norwalk style has 3-inch pickets spaced 3 15/16 inches apart. The double drive gate sits on a slope with a 7-inch drop.
Which One Fits Your Yard
I have worked in fencing since 1979. Start with the job your fence has to do, then choose the material.
- You want privacyChoose vinyl or composite, because both come in solid panels. See our privacy fence page.
- You want to keep the view, or you have a pool or small dogsChoose aluminum. Picket spacing decides what it contains. Our pool fence guide and dog fence guide go further.
- Your lot slopesAluminum panels rack to follow the grade, and ornamental steel panels rack too.
- Your subdivision has rulesAsk your HOA first, then check the fence height rules.
- You need security or a commercial fenceChoose ornamental steel. Ameristar Montage comes in home, business and heavy duty grades.
Price depends on length, height, style, slope and gates, and this guide cannot price your yard. For vinyl numbers, read our vinyl fence cost guide. To buy materials and install them yourself, visit our fence supply store.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most durable fence material?
The answer depends on what is attacking the fence. Aluminum and vinyl do not rot, and aluminum does not rust. Ornamental steel is the strongest, and its coating decides how long it lasts. Elite aluminum carries a limited lifetime warranty. Catalyst molded panels carry a limited lifetime warranty that can pass to a new owner. Ameristar’s Montage finish for homes carries a lifetime limited warranty. Ask for each warranty sheet before you buy.
What is the lowest-maintenance option?
Vinyl, aluminum and composite need no painting or staining. Vinyl needs a rinse with a hose. Aluminum and ornamental steel need a yearly look for chips in the finish. Wood needs staining or sealing on a schedule.
Which material gives the most privacy?
Solid vinyl and molded composite panels block the view. Aluminum and ornamental steel are open styles, so they mark your yard without hiding it.
Which material works for dogs?
Picket spacing matters more than the material. Two small dogs in Kirkwood got 1 5/8-inch spacing, and a mid-size dog in Eureka got 3 13/16-inch spacing. Both fences are aluminum.
Which material is cheapest?
Wood and chain link usually cost less per foot up front, and neither is on our install list. Among vinyl, aluminum, steel and composite, price depends on length, height, style, slope and gates. Call 636-464-1144 for a number on your yard.
What Happens When You Call
- Start with a call to 636-464-1144, or use the estimate request page.
- We visit, usually within a few days, and bring a sample of the fence style so you can see the color and the picket spacing.
- You choose the material, style, height and gates, and the contract records the location, height and layout.
- On day one, we lay out the line with you using a tape and paint marks.
- The six yards above took 1 to 2.5 days each to install.
- If your town requires an inspection, we book it. Brentwood required a hole inspection before the work could continue.
Our installation workmanship carries a one-year guarantee. We have installed fences in St. Louis since 1994, and we are a listed installer in the Catalyst installer directory.
You can read what homeowners say on our reviews page. Prefer to read first? Get our free guide to fencing options.
