Every iron fence we build comes with the same core scope: layout, post setting, panels, gates, and cleanup. Here is what is covered, and what we will flag before we start if your lot needs something different.
We mark the fence line with stakes and a string line, confirm property boundaries, and contact Colorado 811 for utility locates before any digging starts. Iron panels are heavy and fixed in size, so the layout has to be exact.
Iron posts go deep in concrete — frost depth in the Denver metro is commonly cited at about 36 inches — because an iron panel is heavy and a heaved post shows immediately. Gate posts are set deeper still.
Panels are welded steel or iron, finished against rust, and set between posts or brick piers where the design calls for them. Masonry piers need their own footings, and we plan for that in the layout.
Iron gates get welded frames and heavy hinges. We hang the gate, test the swing, and adjust the latch before we leave. An iron gate that drags will pull its hinges out of the post.
We check the Denver rules for your address — 4 feet in front of the primary facade, 6 feet behind it, zoning permit over 4 feet — and the Landmark rules where they apply. In a historic district, a fence needs a permit and a Certificate of Appropriateness at any height.
Everything old — iron fence, concrete footings, scrap — goes in the trailer. We rake the work area and sweep the driveway, then walk the line with you before we leave.
Wrought iron fence installation Denver CO is the process of setting heavy iron or steel posts in concrete and hanging welded ornamental panels between them. The panels are custom or semi-custom: pickets, scrollwork, finials, and spear tops are chosen to match the house, and the gates are welded to the opening. This is the slowest fence to build and the longest-lived — a well-kept iron fence outlasts the house's other fences by decades.
Most Denver homeowners choose iron for a front entry, a courtyard, or a period home in a historic district. The material suits Victorian, Queen Anne, Tudor, and Denver Square houses, and it is the reference material in districts such as Baker, Potter Highlands, and Curtis Park. The honest limits are cost — iron is the most expensive fence per foot in the market guides — and rust, which needs attention at every weld and scratch.
Every job follows the same four steps, whether it is a 40-foot front run in Baker or an estate perimeter in Montclair. You will know what happens each day.
Call
Call (720) 697-2456, Monday through Sunday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Tell us about the iron fence, the yard, and the lot, and we will set a time to measure.
Measure & plan
We measure the line, check the ground and the slope, note trees and roots, and confirm the height, permit, and Landmark rules for your address. Ironwork is made to the opening, so the measure has to be exact.
Build
Posts go in concrete and cure, panels are set plumb and welded or bolted to the posts, and gates are hung and tested. We keep the site tidy as we go.
Walk-through
The last step is a walk of the finished iron fence with you — every gate and latch checked, the site cleared before we leave.
Post hole digger and auger
Used to bore clean holes deep enough to clear the frost line. Iron posts are heavy, so the concrete footing does the structural work.
String line and level
The string line keeps the fence straight over 100 feet, and the level keeps every post plumb. A crooked post shows immediately on a welded panel run.
Welder and grinder
Panels and gates are welded where the design calls for it, and every weld is ground smooth and primed before the finish goes on.
Tamper and wheelbarrow
Soil tamped around each footing keeps the iron fence post from shifting, and the wheelbarrow moves concrete mix to the hole.
Level and square for gates
Iron gates are built square and hung on reinforced posts. We check the diagonal before the gate goes on the hinges, not after.
Rust-inhibiting primer and finish
Every weld and cut is primed against rust before the finish coat goes on. A weld left bare rusts from the inside out.
Posts set below Denver frost depth
Denver metro frost depth is commonly cited at about 36 inches, and the exact code figure for fence posts is not settled in the sources we reviewed. Our rule: 36 inches is the floor, never the target, and iron fence posts are set in concrete.
Welds primed, not left bare
Every weld is ground smooth, primed, and finished. A bare weld is where an iron fence starts to rust, and rust at a weld is structural, not cosmetic.
Panels matched to the house
Ironwork is chosen to match the house: scrollwork and spear tops for a Victorian, simple pickets for a Denver Square, plain steel for a modern build. The fence should look like it belongs to the house.
Masonry piers on their own footings
Brick or stone piers need footings of their own, separate from the panel posts. We plan the piers into the layout and the permit, not as an afterthought.
01
What we do:We measure the front run, talk through ornamental iron with brick piers, and check the Landmark rules for the address. In a historic district, the design needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before the zoning permit.
→ A front fence that looks like it has always belonged to the house — and passes design review.
02
What we do:We check whether the panels can be repaired — a failed weld can often be re-welded and refinished — or whether replacement is the better call. Our fence-repair page covers the repair-or-replace decision.
→ Ironwork saved where it can be saved, replaced where it cannot, with the same style carried through.
03
What we do:We measure the entry, talk through a welded iron gate with a lockable latch, and set the posts deeper than the line posts. Iron is the security fence that does not look like a security fence.
→ A gate that locks, swings clean, and suits the front of the house.
04
What we do:We measure the pool surround, talk through iron or steel with self-closing, self-latching gates, and check the current Denver pool-barrier rule for the address before building. Our pool-fence page covers the code picture in detail.
→ A pool surround that keeps the water visible, the gate shut, and the rust in check.
Iron is Denver's oldest fence material and its longest-lived. The Victorians of Baker, Curtis Park, and Potter Highlands were built with iron, and much of that ironwork is still standing. Denver's climate is mixed for iron: the dry air helps, but sprinkler spray, clay soil at the ground line, and hail all attack the finish, and a weld left bare rusts from the inside. The job is really about the finish — every weld primed, every scratch touched up — and the posts, which have to carry real weight in freeze-thaw ground.
Victorian and Queen Anne homes from the 1870s to 1890s on narrow lots. Part of Baker is a Denver landmark district, where a fence needs a permit at any height and front fences must stay low and mostly open — check per address. On these streets, an ornamental iron fence is the usual call.
Denver's densest neighborhood, mostly apartments and converted mansions. The fence work here is usually courtyard, parking-area, and rear enclosures rather than a suburban backyard run. An ornamental iron fence is the usual call on these streets.
Settled on high ground west of the South Platte and annexed by Denver in 1896 (some histories say 1890). The Potter Highlands Historic District covers about 276 acres and 571 contributing buildings — check per address before planning a fence. These streets usually call for an ornamental iron fence.
Platted in 1885 with lots twice the standard Denver size. The Montclair Historic District, designated in 1975, covers only the central heart — Landmark review applies inside it, and period iron and masonry suit the front streetscape. On these streets, an ornamental iron fence is the usual call.
One of Denver's oldest neighborhoods, with the Curtis Park Historic District inside it and the Five Points Historic Cultural District designated in 2002. Victorian fronts call for low iron or picket; solid privacy belongs at the rear. An ornamental iron fence is the usual call on these streets.
Historic-district review is block-specific
In a Denver landmark district, a fence needs a permit and a Certificate of Appropriateness at any height, and front fences must stay low and mostly open. District boundaries are block-specific — never assume a whole neighborhood is or is not in one. For a iron fence, we check the district boundary for your address before we quote.
Freeze-thaw cycles that heave shallow posts
Denver's freeze-thaw ground lifts shallow posts within a winter or two. Frost depth is commonly cited at about 36 inches in the metro, and posts set shallower than that are the usual cause of a leaning fence. On a iron fence job, posts go deep in concrete so the freeze–thaw ground cannot lift them.
Bentonite clay that holds water against posts
Expansive bentonite clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and it drains slowly, so post bases stay wet. Pressure-treated posts and a rot board at the base keep pickets out of the wettest soil. A iron fence in clay needs pressure-treated posts and a rot board at the base.
Hail Alley — the 8 May 2017 storm cost $2.3 billion insured
Denver sits in Hail Alley, with 7 to 9 hail days a year. The 8 May 2017 storm caused $2.3 billion in insured losses across the metro. Vinyl is the most hail-vulnerable fence material; wood and metal fare better. For a iron fence, that means choosing a material that survives hail — vinyl is the most vulnerable.
Most iron calls start with a problem, not a wish list. Here are the four we hear most often, and how we handle each one.
Problem
Iron rusts first at the welds and at scratches, and rust at a weld is structural — it eats the joint that holds the panel together.
Our Fix
We grind the rust out, re-weld where the joint has failed, prime, and refinish. A weld left bare will rust again within a season, so the finish is part of the repair.
Problem
A heaved post shows immediately on a welded panel run — the panels rack and the rails pull out of the post pockets.
Our Fix
We dig out the failed footing, reset the post deep in fresh concrete, and rehang the panels. If the panel is undamaged, you keep it.
Problem
An iron gate is heavy, and a shallow gate post leans under the load. The latch stops meeting the post, and forcing the gate pulls the hinges out.
Our Fix
We diagnose the cause first — post, hinges, or frame — reset the post if it has leaned, and rehang the gate with proper hardware, then test the swing.
Problem
In a Denver landmark district, a fence needs a permit and a Certificate of Appropriateness at any height, and the design has to match the district's character.
Our Fix
We review the district rules for the address, measure the fence, and work out whether a design change or a new Certificate of Appropriateness brings it into compliance.
Iron is the longest-lived fence material in Denver and the most expensive. Here is what you actually get when we build yours — and what it will ask of you afterward.
Built to last decades
A well-kept iron fence outlasts every other fence on the block. The Victorians of Baker and Curtis Park still carry ironwork from the 1890s, and the material has not changed since.
The period reference
In Denver's historic districts, iron is the reference material. A Victorian, a Denver Square, or a Tudor with ironwork looks right; the same house with vinyl in front does not.
Security that looks like a fence
Iron is a security line that reads as a garden fence. A welded gate with a lockable latch keeps a courtyard shut without turning the front yard into a compound.
What wrought iron fencing costs in the Denver market
Third-party market guides published in October and November 2026 put wrought and ornamental iron fencing at $65 to $150 or more per linear foot installed. Angi (4 Aug 2026) lists a typical iron fence project total of $3,200 to $5,740. Sources: Denver Fence Contractors; Recommended.app, Nov 2026 access; Angi, 4 Aug 2026. Those are market ranges, not Payless Fence Company prices. Call (720) 697-2456 with your fence length and material and we will talk through a quote for your yard.
Google ★★★★★4.9 out of 5
Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 27 Google reviews. Read the reviews on our Google Business Profile, or call (720) 697-2456 to talk about your fence.
Iron in Denver has to survive freeze-thaw ground, sprinkler spray, and hail — and pass Landmark review where it applies. We build it for those conditions: deep concrete footings, every weld primed and finished, and panel designs matched to the house and the district. If your lot is in a historic district, we check the rules for the address before the build.
Payless Fence Company is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 27 Google reviews. Individual review text stays on Google; the aggregate is what we publish here. Call (720) 697-2456 to talk about your iron fence.
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5
Based on 27 Google reviews for Payless Fence Company. We do not publish customer quotes on this page; read the reviews on Google, then call us to talk about your fence.
Call (720) 697-2456Real answers to the questions we hear most often about iron fence from local homeowners and property managers.
Powder-coated aluminum that will not rust, sized for front yards and pools. Pairs with ornamental iron on the same lot.
View Aluminum Fence InstallationPool fencing checked against the rules, with self-closing, self-latching gates. Often built on the same lot as an iron fence.
View Pool Fence InstallationLow wood and vinyl picket fences for front yards and garden edges. A common companion to an iron fence.
View Picket Fence InstallationCedar and pressure-treated pine fences built for Denver clay, frost, and hail. Pairs with ornamental iron on the same lot.
View Wood Fence InstallationPost, rail, picket, and gate repairs, including storm and freeze-thaw damage. Often built on the same lot as an iron fence.
View Fence RepairManual walk and driveway gates, braced and hung to swing clean. A common companion to an iron fence.
View Gate InstallationCall (720) 697-2456 to talk about a wrought iron fence. We answer Monday through Sunday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Have your approximate fence length, the style you are considering, and your neighborhood ready, and we can talk through the next steps on the call.
Phone
(720) 697-2456Address
Payless Fence Company LLC, Denver, CO 80201, US
Hours
Mon–Sun 7:00 AM–8:00 PM
