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Schluter Fence Installation: The Austin Owner’s Guide
Schluter fence installation in Austin typically runs $3,500 – $9,000 fully installed, and the work usually takes two to four days depending on fence line length, gate hardware, and what the existing post footings look like. Most Austin homeowners call us after a windstorm or a few hard freezes have exposed a failing section of fence, or when a gate starts dragging against uneven ground. If you’re standing in the yard looking at a cracked panel, a leaning post, or hardware that’s pulled loose, you’ll want a real price in writing before you agree to anything. That’s exactly what we provide.
One thing worth saying up front: we are an independent Austin remodeling contractor, not a Schluter dealer or manufacturer affiliate. We install Schluter-compatible fencing products because they hold up well in Texas heat and the freeze-thaw swings we get here, and because the aluminum post system resists rot in a way wood never will. But any warranty on the Schluter product itself goes through Schluter, while our labor warranty and the 365-Day Done Right Promise come from us, in writing, before we start.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
Schluter’s fencing line covers a few distinct series, and the right part depends on which one you have. The main distinction in Austin yards is between the aluminum post-and-rail systems and the composite privacy panels, and within those lines there are different post sizes, rail profiles, and gate kits. If you can find the product label on the inside face of a post cap or the underside of a rail, that’ll tell us more in ten seconds than a photo of the fence from across the yard. No label? Measure the post width and the rail channel, and we can usually ID the series from that.
On the OEM versus aftermarket question: for structural parts like posts and gate hinges, we always recommend OEM Schluter components. The tolerances on the rail channels are tight, and a generic post that’s off by a sixteenth of an inch will cause panel rattle you’ll hear every time the wind picks up off Lake Travis. For non-structural hardware like post caps and decorative finials, a quality aftermarket equivalent is usually fine and can save you 15 – 20%. We stock OEM posts, rails, gate kits, and hinge hardware for the common residential series on our trucks, so most Austin jobs don’t need a second trip for parts.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Fence Installation Is Failing
- Post lean at the gate line. This almost always means the footing wasn’t deep enough for our clay soil. In Austin, fence posts should sit below the expansive clay line or freeze-thaw cycles will heave them a little more every year.
- Panel rattle in the wind. If you hear panels chattering during a north wind, the rail channel clips or set screws have worn loose. Ignoring it lets the panel work its way free, which is when you start finding panels on the ground after storms.
- Gate sag or drag marks in the grass. This is a hinge or post fatigue issue, often accelerated when the gate is the most-used entry on the property. A dragging gate stresses the post cap assembly every time it swings.
- Cracked or chalky panel surface. UV exposure in central Texas is brutal on composite finishes. Surface chalk is cosmetic, but a hairline crack that runs the full panel width means the panel’s structural core is compromised.
- Hardware that won’t stay tight. Set screws and bracket bolts that loosen within days of tightening are a sign of stripped channels or rusted threads, not a sign that you need a bigger wrench.
See the difference
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After
Before
After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For a Schluter fence installation in Austin, the total price lands between $3,500 and $9,000. Where your job falls depends mostly on linear footage, how much of the old fence needs removal, gate count and hardware, and whether the existing concrete footings can be reused. A short 30-foot run with one gate and good footings sits at the low end; a 150-foot perimeter with two gates, old fence demolition, and three new footing pours climbs toward the top.
Here’s how the price breaks down on a typical mid-range Austin job:
- Removal and disposal of old fencing: $400 – $1,200 depending on length and material type
- New footings for posts: $300 – $900 total for a typical residential line
- Schluter posts, rails, and panels: $20 – $48 per linear foot, materials only
- Gates and hardware: $450 – $1,500 per gate including installation
- Labor: $1,200 – $3,500 depending on site access, slope, and complexity
Every quote we write includes parts, labor, removal, and a written 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the fence fails inside that year for reasons tied to our installation, we come back and fix it at no charge. No service call fee on the second visit, no re-inspection fee, no argument.
DIY or Call Us?
The honest split is this: you can safely check your post caps for looseness, clear debris from the rail channels, and tighten an accessible set screw now and then. What we’d tell you not to do is pull posts, re-pour footings, or resize a gate panel yourself. A fence post under load is a heavy piece of metal, and when the footing gives way during removal, it doesn’t fall slow. We’ve seen more than one homeowner start a Saturday with a pry bar and end it with a bent rail and a bruised shin.
If the issue is something in the panel or post channel, call us. We’ll match the Schluter series, bring the OEM parts on the truck, and hand you a written price before we touch anything at (325) 225-5429.
FAQs
In our climate, an aluminum post system with composite panels can last 20 – 30 years with basic maintenance like clearing debris from the rail channels and checking set screws each fall. The panels oxidize slower than powder-coated alternatives, and the aluminum posts don’t rust like the steel posts we pull out of older Austin fences. Call (325) 225-5429 if you want us to assess the condition of your current fence.
Yes, and about 40% of what we do is section repair rather than full replacement. Loose rails, stripped set screws, single damaged panels, and one leaning gate post are all repairable. If the damage runs multiple sections or the footings have heaved across half the run, full replacement usually costs less per lifetime year than chasing repairs every spring.
A single-section gate repair runs half a day. A full Schluter fence installation on a typical Austin residential lot takes two to four working days, including old fence removal and new footings. We give you a defined arrival window in writing before day one, and we leave the yard clean at the end of every workday.
We stock OEM Schluter posts, rails, gate kits, and hinge hardware for the common residential series on our trucks. If you have a less common series or a specific panel color, we may order the matching part before the scheduled work date, and we’ll tell you that up front so there’s no surprise second visit. Call (325) 225-5429 and we’ll identify your series from a photo in a few minutes.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner, Penhallow Remodeling Austin at Penhallow Remodeling Austin, serving Austin and nearby areas.
