Unilock Fence Installation Nationwide

Unilock Fence Installation: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide

Unilock fence installation in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $3,500-$9,000 for a complete vinyl or aluminum system, with most residential projects quoted and started within one to two weeks. We stock Unilock-compatible posts, rails, and hardware for common series, and we carry the post-base brackets and tension bands that fail first in South Florida’s salt-air environment. Most homeowners realize something’s wrong when a gate sags past its latch catch or a rail pops out of a post shoe after a tropical storm passes through.

Call (754) 254-7676

Which Unilock Models This Applies To

Unilock’s fence line breaks into two main families: the U-Grip vinyl privacy series and the aluminum ornamental lines sold through their dealer network. The vinyl systems use a routed post-and-rail construction with internal locking tabs, not the bracket-mounted rails you see on big-box brands. Aluminum lines vary by picket profile, spear-top vs. flat-top, and rail dimension, typically 1-5/8″ or 2″ nominal.

To identify your series, check the post cap underside for a molded date code and series stamp, or measure the wall thickness of a cut rail end. Unilock vinyl from 2015-2020 used a thinner 0.060″ wall in the U-Grip 400 series; post-2020 production moved to 0.080″ for the 500 series, and the rail clips are not backward-compatible. We source OEM Unilock rails and posts through the regional distributor in Pompano Beach, but for hardware, we often spec a heavier-gauge stainless post shoe from Ameristar that outlasts the original in coastal Fort Lauderdale conditions. The Haven Standard requires us to list the brand and gauge on every quote, so you know what you’re getting.

Signs Your Unilock Fence Installation Is Failing

• Gate sags and the latch misses the striker. The gate frame has racked or the post has settled in sandy Fort Lauderdale soil. We check post depth first, then whether the diagonal tension cable inside the gate frame has snapped or pulled through its turnbuckle.
• Rail pops out of the post shoe during wind. The locking tab inside the routed post has fatigued, or the post shoe itself has cracked from UV exposure. This is the most common call we get after a tropical storm in neighborhoods like Victoria Park, where mature ficus roots push posts out of plumb over time.
• Post leans more than 2 inches at the top. Either the concrete footing has cracked in our high-water-table soil, or the post itself has bowed from thermal cycling. We pull the post, inspect the footing diameter, and reset with a wider base if needed.
• Picket tops discolor or craze. UV degradation on the cap stock of older vinyl, or salt-air corrosion on aluminum powder coat. We match the finish code from Unilock’s current spec sheet or recommend a compatible aftermarket cap.
• Hardware seizes or snaps. Hinges and latches from the original install were often zinc-plated steel, which lasts 3-5 years in Fort Lauderdale’s salt air before swelling or shearing. We upgrade to 316 stainless on every replacement.

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Replacement Cost & What’s Included

The spread on full installations comes down to three things: vinyl vs. aluminum, terrain slope requiring stepped panels, and how many gates with hardware upgrades you need. Every quote from Rowan Construction Group is a flat written price with line-item material brands and labor hours, signed before work starts. Under Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, that number does not change unless you sign a change order. Our fence work carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and you receive a documented photo record of footing depths, post plumb, and hardware specs before the crew leaves.

DIY or Call Us?

There’s no high-tension danger in fence work the way there is with garage door springs, but there is a lot of ways to waste money. A homeowner can safely check whether a gate latch aligns or whether a post wiggles at grade. What goes wrong fast: digging post holes in Fort Lauderdale’s sandy, high-water-table soil without the right auger diameter, mixing concrete too wet so it crumbles in six months, or assuming a rail from Home Depot will lock into a Unilock routed post (it won’t, the profiles differ by 1/8″ and the tab spacing is proprietary).

We also see DIY resets where the post was set to the old lean angle instead of plumb, so the gate drags worse than before. Measure twice, write it down, then say it once. If you’re matching an existing Unilock system, call (754) 254-7676 and we’ll confirm the series from a photo before you dig.

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