Wellborn Fence Installation: The Fort Myers Owner’s Guide
A new Wellborn fence installation in Fort Myers typically runs between $3,500 and $9,000, depending on linear footage, style, and whether we’re pulling out an old fence first. We stock Wellborn-compatible components on our trucks and can usually start within the week - not six weeks out like some shops.
Most Fort Myers homeowners call us when their fence has crossed the line from weathered to failed. A section leaning hard after a summer storm, gate posts rotting at ground level from irrigation overspray, or aluminum pickets popping loose because salt air chewed through the fasteners. Wellborn builds a solid product, but Southwest Florida’s heat, humidity, and afternoon squalls don’t pull any punches. You notice the problem, you walk the line, and you realize patching it isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Which Wellborn Models This Applies To
Wellborn offers several fence lines, and parts aren’t universal across all of them - that’s where we see homeowners get tripped up ordering online. The Classic Series uses a standard 2-inch post profile with routed channels that accept 5/8-inch pickets; the Estate Series steps up to heavier 2.5-inch posts and full 3/4-inch pickets, which changes every bracket, cap, and gate hinge in the assembly. If you’re installing a Wellborn aluminum fence near a pool - common in Fort Myers communities like Pelican Preserve or Gateway - you need the code-compliant Pool Series, which has narrower picket spacing and a self-latching gate spec.
To identify what you have, look for the foil sticker on the inside face of a gate post or the back of a latch plate. The model code starts with “WL-” followed by four digits. If the sticker is gone - and in this climate, after a few years, it often is - measure the post width and picket thickness with a caliper. That gets us to the right parts kit every time. We carry OEM Wellborn hardware because the powder coat match and fastener metallurgy matter here; aftermarket aluminum brackets from a big-box store corrode faster in salt air, and the finish never quite matches, leaving you with a fence that looks patched.
Signs Your Wellborn Fence Installation Is Failing
- Posts leaning or heaving at the base. Fort Myers sits on sandy soil that shifts with wet-dry cycles. When a post footer wasn’t poured deep enough - or water pools around the base from a misaligned sprinkler head - the post loses its grip. You’ll see a gap open between the post and the concrete collar, and the section starts listing toward the heaviest side.
- Gate dragging or refusing to latch. Wood posts swell with humidity, metal posts settle, and hinges wear oblong. A gate that scrapes the ground or won’t click shut isn’t just annoying - it’s a security gap. The root cause is almost always post movement or a hinge bracket that has stretched under weight.
- Rusted or missing fasteners on aluminum panels. Wellborn uses stainless hardware, but even marine-grade screws can pit in direct salt exposure if the coating was nicked during install. When you spot rust trails bleeding down a picket, that screw is actively corroding and will snap under load.
- Split rails or cracked pickets on vinyl sections. Vinyl expands and contracts more than people realize - a 20-foot run in full Fort Myers sun can grow a quarter inch. Sections butted too tight at install eventually buckle or crack at the rail joint. Once UV has embrittled the surface, repairs turn into replacements.
- Bottom rail sagging between posts. This one creeps up - you’ll notice the spacing between the bottom rail and the ground tightens in the middle of a section. It means the rail stiffener inside has failed, or the rail itself took a hit from a mower or a falling branch and lost structural integrity.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
A full Wellborn fence installation in Fort Myers, replacing an existing fence on a standard quarter-acre lot, lands between $3,500 and $9,000. The spread comes down to a few things: the linear footage, whether we’re hauling away the old fence, and which Wellborn series you choose. A 150-foot Classic Series vinyl privacy fence with one walk gate runs toward the lower end; a 250-foot Estate Series aluminum perimeter with two drive gates and a pool-code gate pushes toward the upper end.
Every estimate includes tear-out and disposal of the old fence, new concrete footers poured to 24-inch depth minimum (we go deeper in sandy soil), all Wellborn hardware and pickets, and post caps. The number on your written quote is the number you pay - upfront pricing, no surprises, no change order three days in. We back the installation with our 730-Day Done Right Promise: if something isn’t right, we make it right. That covers post settlement, gate alignment, and hardware failure - issues other contractors call “normal wear” and walk away from.
DIY or Call Us?
Digging post holes and setting panels sounds straightforward until you’re three feet down in Fort Myers soil and hit a water table or a root mat the size of a truck tire. You can safely inspect your own fence - walk the line after a storm, check gate hardware, look for cracks or rust - and that’s smart maintenance. Where DIY gets expensive is when you don’t catch a buried utility line before digging, or you set posts in quick-set concrete without proper depth, and six months later the whole run is leaning toward the canal.
If the part in question is a gate spring or a tension band on an aluminum fence, those carry enough stored energy to hurt you if they let go wrong. We’ve seen it. A trained crew with the right post-hole equipment and utility-locate tools can set a full perimeter in two days. For anything beyond swapping a latch plate, call us at (844) 638-7249 for a free estimate - we’ll walk the line with you and tell you exactly what it needs.
FAQs
How long does a Wellborn fence last in Fort Myers?
A properly installed Wellborn aluminum fence in Fort Myers lasts 25 to 30 years with minimal maintenance beyond washing off salt spray a couple times a year. Vinyl runs 20 to 25 years before the Florida UV starts dulling the surface and making it brittle at stress points. The weak link in either material is the post footer - get that right at install, and the fence outlasts most roofs.
Can you repair part of a Wellborn fence instead of replacing the whole thing?
Yes, in many cases. If the posts are sound and the damage is limited to a section of pickets or a gate assembly, we can match the Wellborn series and swap just what’s failed. The catch is powder coat fade - a brand-new panel next to one that’s seen ten years of Fort Myers sun won’t match perfectly. We’ll show you the difference before we start so there’s no surprise.
How long does a full fence installation take?
Most Fort Myers fence installations wrap in two to three working days, start to finish. Day one is tear-out and post setting; day two or three is rail and picket installation, gate hanging, and final hardware adjustment. We schedule around weather - we won’t pour concrete ahead of a named storm or a heavy afternoon lightning pattern, and we’ll let you know the plan each morning.
Do you stock Wellborn parts on the truck, or do I wait for an order?
We keep common Wellborn hardware on our service trucks - gate hinges, latches, post caps, tension bands - so a lot of repairs get done in one trip. If you need full fence sections or a specific Estate Series gate assembly, we pull from our local supplier and usually have it in hand within three business days. No six-week factory backorders, no “we’ll call you when it comes in.”
If you’re looking at a fence that’s done its time, call us at (844) 638-7249. We’ll come out, measure it up, and hand you a written estimate on the spot - free, no obligation, and structured around what your property actually needs, not a one-size-fits-all package. You’ll talk to a live person when you call, 24/7, and the crew that shows up will be background-checked, uniformed, and led by someone who’s been building in Lee County for over 42 years. From foundation to finish line, we stand behind the work - literally, with the 730-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Derek Hollenbeck, Owner & General Contractor at Groundwork Construction Co. of Fort Myers, serving Fort Myers and nearby areas.