McLean, VA
McLean homeowners call Super Fabrications for black aluminum and ornamental iron fences that fit estate lots in Fairfax County. We are a licensed VA Class A contractor and American Fence Association member, we pull the zoning picture before we quote, and every estimate is free and walked on your property. Gates — swing, slide, automated — are built to match.
Fence installation in McLean
McLean's estate lots along Georgetown Pike and the river-side roads change the math: runs run long, grades step hard, and the fence has to look right from both the house and the street. Black aluminum in five- and six-foot heights is our most requested line here, set with heavier posts where the grade drops and panels raked to follow the slope. Ornamental iron with finial or spear tops suits formal entries and garden walls, especially on homes where the architecture already leans classic.
Privacy still happens, just further back. Rear property lines take wood board-on-board or vinyl panels where pools and patios need screening from neighboring yards, and pool barriers in black aluminum keep the water visible from the deck. Driveway entries get estate treatment — double swing gates between stone or brick columns, often automated with a LiftMaster operator and keypad.
Because lots here carry mature specimen trees, we fence around what stays. Curved aluminum panels wrap a legacy oak the same way they wrap a pool corner, so roots keep their space and the line keeps its shape. Hardware is chosen for the look: butterfly hinges and self-closing springs that disappear against black metal tones.
Frontages here read like a portfolio. Some homes want the colonial restraint of a three-foot rail with finials and nothing else; others run six-foot aluminum along the drive and switch to solid privacy only where the pool terrace begins. We plan those transitions deliberately — a gate pier or a section of masonry absorbs the change, so the line reads intentional from both directions.
Service is part of the design. Operators get chosen with their service route in mind, gate hinges take sealed bearings, and powder-coated aluminum ignores the irrigation overspray that ruins painted steel. We would rather install the hardware that never calls us back.
Snow and leaf fall change the reading of a McLean line by season, which is why spacing gets chosen in winter terms. Pickets set too close to grade hold wet leaves against the bottom rail; set too high, they invite a terrier's ambition. We split the difference at the height the county allows and the dog respects, then adjust the gate side for the leaf pile the landscaper leaves behind.
Lighting and hardware finish the estate look. Low-voltage uplights wash the columns after dark, gate hinges take grease fittings where the operator works daily, and kick plates guard the bottom of the leaves where snowplows and stroller wheels do their worst. The metal reads the same by day; the details show up in year five.
Compare wrought iron fence installation with black aluminum fence installation on the same visit — the difference shows in picket weight, price, and maintenance. For the pool terrace, see pool fence installation in matching black.
Repair and replacement
Estate repairs are about matching, not patching: finial profiles, picket spacing, and black finishes that read original from the street. Where a whole line has aged past saving, we say so plainly. Service visits here often start at the gate and end at a panel nobody noticed was loose — that is the point of walking the whole line.
We reset columns, true long runs, and match finial and picket profiles so repairs read original.
Aged estate lines come out in sections and go back in heavier, with posts set for the next twenty years.
Estate driveway gates get LiftMaster operators, keypads, and hardware matched to stone or brick columns.
Recent work
The project gallery draws from completed work across Northern Virginia, including estate lines like McLean's. Each photo is a real fence we built — no renderings, no stock. Compare picket spacing, gate hardware, and how the panels meet grade before you pick a style.
Cost
McLean projects are won or lost at the gates and the grade, not the per-foot rate. Open aluminum typically plans at $40–$75 per linear foot installed, privacy wood at $30–$60 and vinyl at $40–$70, and your estimate confirms the number. Column work and operator hardware are quoted as their own lines so the comparison across bids stays honest. Driveway automation quotes include the electrical path, because the trench is part of the job, not a discovery.
| Wood privacy (per linear foot, installed) | $30–$60 |
|---|---|
| Vinyl privacy (per linear foot, installed) | $40–$70 |
| Aluminum open fence (per linear foot, installed) | $40–$75 |
| Walk gate | $600–$1,500 |
| Old fence removal | Quoted on the estimate |
Read the full fence cost guide for Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Permits
McLean parcels sit in unincorporated Fairfax County, where fences generally avoid the building-permit step and the zoning code sets the limits instead. Front-yard height is 4 feet — a 2-acre-plus parcel may build to 7 feet, and a variance can authorize 6 feet where frontage is tighter — while side and rear runs reach 7 feet. Corner lots treat both street-facing yards as front yards. The Land Development Services Permit Application Center is the county office we confirm details with.
Estate specifics deserve a second look before quoting. Long runs that cross a steep grade, gates over driveways, and pool barriers each carry their own checks: Miss Utility at 811 marks the utilities, Virginia pool rules require a 48-inch barrier with self-latching gates, and any planned deviation goes through LDS rather than guesswork. We put the permit picture in writing on your proposal.
Estate gates occasionally cross into right-of-way territory when a long drive meets a public road, and sight triangles matter there. We check the approach against the county's corner-visibility expectations before the columns go in, because moving masonry later costs more than moving a drawing now. The Permit Application Center sees our questions in writing, and the answers land on your proposal as line items, not footnotes.
Homeowners here also ask about pool inspections and gate operators in the same breath as zoning, which is the right instinct. Virginia's barrier rules govern the fence, the county governs the placement, and the electrical for an operator gets done to code by the same crew that hangs the leaves. One visit covers all three conversations, and the proposal lists them in the order they actually happen.
FAQ
Most McLean fences need no building permit from Fairfax County — zoning height and placement rules still bind. Front yards hold at 4 feet (7 feet on 2-acre-plus lots; 6 feet by variance), sides and rears to 7 feet, and corner lots follow front rules on both street sides. We confirm with LDS before ordering materials. Columns, operators, and the locate each carry their own date on the schedule we hand you.
McLean pricing follows footage and gates more than anything else. A typical planning range: open black aluminum at $40–$75 per linear foot installed, ornamental iron quoted by design, wood privacy at $30–$60 per foot or vinyl at $40–$70. Estate gates and long grade runs add to the figure, and your estimate confirms the number. Estate hardware and column work explain the difference between a McLean quote and a catalog number.
Both read as black metal from the street. Aluminum costs less, never rusts, and suits long runs and pool barriers; ornamental iron carries heavier pickets, finials, and the hand-made look that pairs with stone columns. We price both on the same visit so the comparison is real, not catalog. Bring photos of the house and we will match the metal to the trim, not the other way around.
Yes — we install LiftMaster swing and slide operators on new and existing gates, with keypads, remotes, and solar options where trenching across a long drive gets expensive. As an authorized dealer we match the operator to gate weight and wind exposure instead of guessing. Trenching for power, keypad placement, and exit hardware all get walked before the operator is ordered.
We survey the root zone during the on-site design and either wrap the trunk with curved panels or shift the line a few feet. Posts stay clear of major roots, and the Miss Utility locate covers buried lines before any auger runs. You walk the flagged route before we order anything. Roots get mapped before posts get placed — flagging comes first, and the drawing follows the flags.
Reviews
★★★★★
Ray and his team did a fantastic job installing our aluminum fence! They were communicative, responsive, and very helpful throughout the process. We really enjoyed working with them and are thrilled with the end result!
★★★★★
Excellent service and professionalism.
Estimate
Tell us the McLean address, the fence you have in mind, and whether the old one comes out. If you would rather talk now, call (888) 820-6099.
Ask about financing when you request the estimate.
