BKFBurbank Fencing

Wrought Iron and Steel

Wrought iron fencing in Burbank, California

Ornamental iron does three things at once in this city: it is non-combustible where the Verdugo brush zone demands that, it is open enough to satisfy Burbank's front yard design rule, and it looks like the house cost something. That combination is why it keeps winning here.

What Burbank iron fencing costs and where it wins. Figure $50 to $120 per linear foot installed, so a 150 foot run is $7,500 to $18,000. It is the right material in the defensible space near a hillside home, on a front yard where the code wants a see-through design, and on any frontage where security and appearance both matter. Powder-coated tubular steel, not brushed-on paint.
Black wrought iron view fence on a Burbank Hills hillside lot above the Verdugo slope
A black iron view fence on a Burbank Hills lot, non-combustible near the structure and open enough to keep the valley view.

Iron and the Verdugo fire zone

The hillside streets that climb the Verdugo slopes back onto brush that Burbank Fire treats as a mountain fire zone, and the state maps it as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The Santa Ana winds that make summer uncomfortable down on the flat are the same winds that drive fire behavior up there, and California's defensible space rules under AB 38 mean the material sitting closest to your house is not a purely aesthetic decision anymore.

Iron and steel do not burn. That is the whole argument. On a hillside lot we typically run non-combustible fence, iron, steel, or block, for the stretch nearest the structure, and only move to wood further out in the yard where it does not act as a fuse to the house. Homeowners sometimes assume that means giving up privacy everywhere, and it does not, it means being deliberate about which twenty or thirty feet of the run is metal.

The bonus is the view. A hillside lot in Burbank is usually bought for the outlook, either back across the valley toward the studios and the airport or up into the Verdugos. A solid fence throws that away. An iron picket fence marks the line, keeps children and dogs where they should be, and disappears visually the moment you look past it.

The front yard advantage

Burbank handles its own permitting through the City of Burbank Community Development Department, Building Division, and its fence standards live in Municipal Code Title 10. The rule that shapes every front yard here is the one about solid material: in a street-facing yard only the low portion, roughly the first two feet, may be solid, and everything above it has to be an open design you can substantially see through. City review comes in above the general height cap, and corner lots carry a sight triangle near the driveway and intersection.

An iron picket fence is open by construction, so it lands comfortably inside that rule where solid wood or vinyl panels do not. That is why so many of the more considered front yards in this city, particularly on the older Mediterranean and Mission Revival houses, use a low block or stucco base with iron above. You get definition and security at the street without asking for an exception. As always, confirm the exact standard for your zone at the city counter before you order steel.

Ornamental iron front yard fence over a low stucco base at a Burbank Mediterranean home
Ornamental iron over a low stucco base at the street, the arrangement Burbank's open-design rule tends to reward.

What we build, and how it is finished

  • Tubular steel picket. The everyday ornamental fence. Welded steel pickets and rails, flat-top or with a spear, pressed-point, or ring detail.
  • Estate and frontage panels. Heavier stock, wider posts, and decorative work for a driveway frontage that needs presence.
  • View fencing. Slimmer pickets and wider spacing where the outlook is the point, still tight enough to be safe around children and pets.
  • Aluminum ornamental. Lighter and rust-proof, a good answer for a long run where weight or corrosion is a concern.
  • Matching gates. Walk gates and driveway gates built from the same profile, ready for an operator. Covered in detail on our gates page.

Finish is where cheap iron gives itself away. We spec galvanized or properly primed steel with a baked powder coat, which bonds to the metal and holds against strong UV far better than a brushed or sprayed enamel. Burbank's dry climate, about fifteen inches of rain a year, is kind to steel to begin with, so a good coat plus the occasional touch-up at the base means a fence that outlives every other material on the property.

Iron fence pricing in Burbank

TypeInstalled / linear ftTypical 150 ft
Standard tubular steel picket$50 to $70$7,500 to $10,500
Ornamental with detail$70 to $95$10,500 to $14,250
Heavy estate frontage$95 to $120$14,250 to $18,000
Iron walk gate$350 to $1,200 eachby size and detail

Ranges cover posts set in concrete, panels, hardware, powder coat, and labor. Rocky foothill footings, taller sections, and a matching driveway gate move you up. Everything is broken out on the Burbank fence cost guide.

Get a written iron fence price

We walk the frontage or the hillside line, talk through picket profile and finish, and leave you with a fixed written quote. Free, with no obligation.

Book an estimate

Wrought iron questions

How much does a wrought iron fence cost in Burbank?

Ornamental iron runs about $50 to $120 per linear foot installed in Burbank, the widest spread of any material we build. A 150 foot run lands between $7,500 and $18,000. A plain flat-top tubular steel picket sits near the bottom, while heavier stock, decorative scrollwork, rings, and finials, and taller sections climb toward the top.

Is iron the right fence for the Verdugo fire zone?

For the stretch nearest the house, yes. The Verdugo brush behind the hillside streets sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and iron and steel are non-combustible, so they belong in the defensible space close to the structure where solid wood does not. Iron also keeps the view, which matters on a lot that looks back over the valley or up the slope.

Can I put iron fencing in my Burbank front yard?

Usually yes, and this is where iron shines. Burbank Municipal Code Title 10 limits solid material in a street-facing yard to roughly the lower two feet and expects an open, largely see-through design above that. An iron picket fence is open by nature, so it fits that rule where a solid wood or vinyl panel would not. Height limits and the corner sight triangle still apply, so confirm your zone with the City of Burbank Building Division.

Will iron rust in Burbank?

Slowly, and only where the finish is broken. Burbank is dry, about fifteen inches of rain a year, so corrosion is far less aggressive here than at the coast. We use galvanized or primed tubular steel with a baked powder coat rather than a brushed-on paint, and the fence holds for decades. Touch up a chip when you see one, usually at the base after a mower or trimmer hit, and it will not spread.

Keep reading

This is one piece of residential fencing in Burbank.