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Unilock Fence Installation: The Houston Owner’s Guide
Unilock fence installation in Houston typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 installed, depending on linear footage, existing fence removal, and whether the posts go into clay soil or require concrete footings below the Houston frost line. We stock Unilock fence panels, posts, and mounting hardware on our trucks, and most installations finish in two to four days once materials land on site.
The call we get most often starts the same way: a homeowner walks out after a storm and finds a section leaning, or a gate that used to close clean now drags across the pavers. Often the panel itself is fine. The post base failed, or the original installer set posts in soil that holds water for days after a Houston rain. We see it in Meyerland, Kingwood, and Clear Lake constantly: the panel outlasts the footing.
This page covers what we stock, what fails first, what a straight number looks like, and when you should call us instead of wrestling a 6-foot panel in August heat.
Which Unilock Models This Applies To
Unilock fence systems span their Estate Wall, Brussels Dimensional, and Rivercrest Wall lines, but the fence panel and post pairing is what matters for a repair or reinstall. Post dimensions on most Unilock fence runs are 4×4 or 6×6 aluminum or steel inserts wrapped in concrete-look panels. The gotcha we run into in Houston: two different Unilock panel thicknesses are in circulation here, one at 1.5 inches and one at 2.25 inches, and they are not interchangeable in the same post channel. You cannot mix them on one run without shimming, and shimming is how you get a wavy fence line that bugs you every time you look out the kitchen window.
If you are not sure which panel you have, check the back face near the bottom edge. Unilock stamps a mold date and a series code there. Snap a photo of it and we can match it before we ever schedule the truck. We install OEM Unilock panels when the existing run is in good shape and you just need a section repaired. When the run is old and the series has been discontinued, we carry quality aftermarket panels that match the Unilock face texture closely enough that nobody notices unless they are looking for it.
We also work with Unilock-compatible post caps and gate hardware. Bradford Remodeling Co Houston is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Unilock. The brand names we install, Unilock included, carry manufacturer specs and warranties that back our own written guarantee.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Unilock Fence Installation Is Failing
- Leaning section that gets worse after rain. Houston clay expands when wet and shrinks when dry. A post set in a shallow hole will walk out of plumb over one or two seasons. The panel is rarely the problem; the footing is.
- Gate that drags or won’t latch. This usually means the gate post has rotated or settled. A gate post takes more lateral load than any other post in the run, and a 60-pound Unilock panel swinging on it makes it work harder.
- Cracked panel at the bottom corner. This comes from uneven settling beneath the panel. When one post drops a half inch and the neighbor post stays put, the panel flexes and the bottom corner fails.
- Visible rust staining below a post cap. The steel insert inside the post is wicking moisture. In Houston humidity, that rust runs down and stains the panel face. This is a warning sign that the post is compromised inside.
- Gaps opening between panel courses. If the individual courses of the panel are starting to separate, the internal clips or adhesive have failed, usually from water intrusion and our freeze-thaw cycles. Houston gets a handful of freezes most winters, and trapped water is what does the damage.
See the difference
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After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Installed Unilock fence replacement in Houston runs $3,500 to $9,000 for a typical residential run. A short side-yard run under 40 linear feet can land on the low end. A full backyard perimeter over 150 linear feet, with one or two gates and existing fence removal, lands on the high end.
That number includes the panels, posts, concrete footings, all hardware, and labor. It also includes disposal of the old fence, which a lot of guys add on as a line item after the fact. We don’t. We give you a written price before any work starts, and that number stays the number. No change orders because we hit a rock, no add-on for haul-off. Curtis Lane reads a scope the way other guys read a box score: fast, accurate, and without missing anything in the fine print.
Every Unilock fence installation we complete carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work fails inside that year, we come back and correct it at no charge. That’s in writing, in your hand, before we leave the job site.
DIY or Call Us?
There are things you can check safely on your own. Look at the post bases. If you see soil pulling away from the concrete in dry weather, that’s the clay shrink cycle at work, and you know the post is under-supported. Check the gate hinge screws. If they’re backing out, tighten them. That’s a five-minute fix that buys you time.
Where DIY goes wrong fast: digging out and resetting posts in Houston clay in July. A 6-foot Unilock panel with a steel insert weighs more than it looks, and a panel that shifts while you’re working on it can pin a hand or worse. If the post base is the failure point, the whole section has to come down, get braced, and get re-set at the right depth with proper drainage at the base. That’s a two-person job with the right tools and a truck to haul off the old concrete. Not a weekend thing.
We also stock parts on the truck, so if your panel is fine and just the post or gate hardware failed, call us at (940) 289-7658. We’ll tell you over the phone whether it’s a repair or a reinstall, and what the range looks like. No charge for the conversation.
FAQs
A properly installed Unilock fence lasts 20 to 30 years in Houston, with panels typically holding up longer than the post bases. The failure point in our climate is almost always below grade: concrete footings poured too shallow, posts set in clay that traps water, and drain holes either missing or clogged. Get the footings right and the panel will outlast your patience for the color. For a fence that’s already leaning, call (940) 289-7658 and we’ll tell you if it’s a footing fix or a full reinstall.
Yes, in most cases a leaning section can be repaired by bracing the panel, removing the failed post, re-digging the footing, and re-setting it in concrete with proper drainage. If the panel is cracked or the internal clips have failed, that section gets replaced. We stock Unilock-compatible panels on the truck, so repair and replacement usually happen in the same visit. Call (940) 289-7658 for a written price before any work starts.
Most Houston Unilock fence installations run two to four days from start to finish, including demolition of the old fence, post hole drilling, concrete pour, panel set, and cleanup. Larger runs with multiple gates can stretch a day longer. We’ll give you the schedule in writing as part of the quote, and a live person answers our phone 24/7 if you have a question while we’re on your property.
We stock Unilock-compatible panels, posts, post caps, and gate hardware on our trucks when we know what we’re matching. That’s why we ask for the series code stamped on the back face of your panel before we roll. If we don’t have it in stock, we order it and schedule the install when it arrives, usually inside a week. Call (940) 289-7658 and tell us what you’re seeing. We’ll get you a straight scope and a straight number.
Straight scope, straight number – that’s the whole conversation.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co Houston at Bradford Remodeling Co Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.
