Commercial fencing in San Francisco covers a wide range of sites: contractor yards and warehouses in the Bayview and along the southern waterfront, parking lots and vacant parcels, apartment buildings that want the entry and the garage ramp closed off, schools, churches and corner shops. We install galvanized and vinyl-coated chain link, welded wire and steel picket fencing, with swing gates, slide gates and operators. What you are protecting and how people and vehicles come and go decide the design.
Space is the constraint on almost every job in the city. Buildings run to the property line, sidewalks belong to the public right-of-way, and a gate cannot swing out over the sidewalk. That often points to a slide gate, a cantilever gate or an inward swing. Street-facing fences also fall under the Planning Department's height and openness limits, so we check the zoning for the parcel before drawing a tall solid fence along a frontage.
Salt air and fog shorten the life of bare steel, especially east of Third Street and near the piers, so framework and fabric should be galvanized, with a vinyl or powder coat where the fence faces customers. Ask us before specifying barbed wire or razor wire, because cities restrict where it may be used. Before any digging we place the 811 ticket and walk the line with you to mark private lines such as lot lighting and irrigation.
Commercial & security fencing in San Francisco: common questions
Do I need a permit for a commercial fence in San Francisco?
A fence over 6 feet at the side or rear, or over 3 feet in a front setback, needs a building permit from the Department of Building Inspection, and commercial districts have their own Planning rules. We check the zoning for your parcel and tell you what applies before you approve the layout.
Which gate works when there is no room to swing?
A slide or cantilever gate, which moves along the fence line and needs clear run-back space beside the opening instead of swing room. On a sloped driveway the gate type matters even more, so we look at the grade first.
What fencing holds up near the waterfront?
Galvanized steel with a vinyl or powder-coated finish, or aluminum where strength needs are lower. Fittings and fasteners should be coated or stainless as well. Bare or lightly plated steel rusts fast in salt air.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We visit, measure and talk through options.
- Written quote: Clear pricing with material choices side by side.
- Permits & planning: We check local rules and help with permits before we dig.
- Install & clean-up: Our crew installs, cleans up and walks the finished fence with you.