Good questions.
Clear answers.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a custom metal gate generally ranges from about $600 to $3,000 for a pedestrian gate, roughly $1,500 to $5,000 for a manual single-swing driveway gate, and around $7,000 to $15,000 or more for an automated driveway gate. These are market estimates only, not CJM prices. Final cost depends on size, material, ornamentation, finish, and automation, so the best way to get an exact figure is to request a quote.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a metal fence typically runs roughly $30 to $95 or more per linear foot installed, depending on the style. Standard tubular steel or picket tends to fall around $30-$55 per foot, ornamental steel around $40-$80, and custom horizontal slat steel around $50-$95 or more. These are general market estimates that vary with height, material grade, gates, and site conditions, so request a quote for an exact figure.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a custom welded steel pergola typically runs roughly $4,000 to $14,000 or more installed, depending on size and options. A smaller 10x12 ft open-rafter pergola often lands around $4,000 to $7,000, while a larger 16x20 ft structure with shade panels and upgraded legs can reach $10,000 to $14,000 or more. These are general planning ranges that move with footprint, roof style, leg design, and finish — build yours in our 3D designer, or request a quote for an exact figure.

For most custom gates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, plan on roughly 4 to 10 weeks from your first consult to a finished install. Add about 1 to 3 weeks if the gate is automated, and more if a permit, inspection, or off-site galvanizing is involved. Exact timing depends on the design, size, finish, and your site, so the only firm number comes from a quote.

First, photograph everything from several angles before you touch or move anything; those photos are the backbone of an insurance claim. If any power line is down on or near the fence, stay far away and call 911 and your electric utility. Make only temporary fixes to prevent further damage, and keep the receipts. Fences are usually handled under the "other structures" part of a homeowner's policy, and wind and hail are typically covered causes, but policies vary, so check yours. Then get a repair estimate: a leaning steel fence can often be straightened and re-welded, while snapped wood posts usually mean replacement. CJM Metals repairs storm-damaged steel fences and gates across Arlington and DFW.

Yes. In Arlington, Texas you generally need a building permit to put up a carport, whether it is attached or detached, and it must meet zoning setbacks. A carport in your front yard or in front of the home's building face also needs a special exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Confirm the current rules with the City of Arlington Planning and Development Services before you build, because they change.

Usually, yes. The City of Arlington requires a fence permit when you install a new fence or replace more than 50 percent of an existing one. Small repairs that touch less than half of one side at a time generally do not need a permit. Height tops out at 8 feet, front-yard fences follow much stricter rules, and corner lots have visibility setbacks. Confirm the current rules with the City of Arlington Planning and Development Services before you build, because they change.

Usually, yes. If your home is in an HOA, the deed restrictions almost certainly require written approval from the architectural review committee before you build any fence. What changed in 2021 is what the HOA can refuse: Texas Property Code Section 202.023 now bars associations from enforcing a covenant that prevents you from building a perimeter fence as a security measure, though they can still regulate the type of fencing you install. Get the approval in writing before work starts, and remember a city permit is a separate step.

In Texas, a pool fence generally must be at least 48 inches tall, with no opening that lets a 4-inch sphere pass through or under it, and every gate must be self-closing, self-latching, and open outward away from the pool. State law sets those minimums for apartment and HOA pools, and cities apply very similar rules to single-family homes through their building codes. Cities can also go further than the state, and some do, so confirm the current rules with your city before you build.

For rust protection, hot-dip galvanizing lasts far longer than powder coating alone, often several decades and up to 50 years or more in a moderate climate, because the zinc both shields the steel and sacrificially protects it where it gets scratched. But the longest-lasting finish is both combined: galvanize the steel first, then powder coat over it. This duplex system gives you the corrosion life of galvanizing and the color and UV resistance of powder, and industry testing shows the two together typically outlast the sum of either one alone.

The practical difference is strength versus upkeep. Steel is the strongest and most secure but can rust if its finish is neglected, while aluminum never rusts and needs almost no maintenance but dents more easily and usually costs a little less. For most Dallas-Fort Worth homes, properly finished steel offers the best balance of security and longevity; aluminum suits pool enclosures and lighter decorative runs. At CJM we build in steel, designed, welded and installed by hand.

It depends on what you need the carport to do. A prefab kit wins on upfront price and speed: basic single-car kits start around $1,100 to $1,600 on the open market and can be up in a day. A custom welded carport wins on everything structural: continuous welded joints instead of bolted connections, posts set in concrete instead of ground anchors, steel sized for North Texas wind, and a design that actually matches your house. For a basic flat lot on a tight budget, a kit is honestly a fine choice. For anything you want to look built-in and last decades, welded steel is the better buy.

Yes. In most cases an existing gate can be automated by adding the right operator, power, and safety devices. Feasibility comes down to the gate's weight and condition, the posts and hinges, whether it swings or slides, and whether power is available at the gate. Heavy, sagging, or undersized gates may need reinforcement first.

More often than not, it's something simple: industry service data puts roughly half of gate opener service calls down to something a basic check resolves, no parts needed. Before you pay for a service call, run through five things in order: the breaker, a full power cycle of the operator, the remote's battery, the photo eyes, and the gate itself on its manual release. If the gate swings freely by hand and still won't run, the problem is likely the operator's electronics or motor, and that's when it's worth calling someone.

CJM Metals is based in Arlington, Texas and serves the wider Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. That includes nearby cities like Mansfield, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Kennedale, Pantego, Dalworthington Gardens, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Irving, Cedar Hill, Burleson, Crowley, Forest Hill, Benbrook, Grapevine and Dallas. If your city is not listed, call (214) 603-9142 to confirm coverage.