Let me tell you a story that might hit close to home.
Earlier this, we gave a gentleman from out near Fredericksburg a quote on a beautiful metal entry gate with an automatic openers and about 300 feet of solid pipe fencing. He was a nice guy — wanted to think on it, run the numbers, maybe wait till the weather warmed up a bit. No problem, we told him. Just keep in mind: material costs have been moving.
Well, fast-forward to this month. He called us back, ready to go. Only one problem: the price of steel and gate operator components had jumped — by nearly 25%. His project costs went from something like $12,000… to just over $15,000. (what’s worse: he had 2019 budgets in mind for the project)
His response?
“I had no idea it would change that fast. I thought I was being smart waiting for the right time.”
And here’s the truth: he’s not alone.
One of our vendors for gate operators doubled the price on gate controllers between August and October, and another vendor raised their minimum shipping & handling from $12 to $65 between June and September (try that on a “small parts” order!)
Steel, Fencing, and Gate Parts Are Climbing Fast
The global cost of raw materials like: steel pipe, hinges, chain link, automatic openers and solar batteries… have all jumped in the last 6–12 months — and not by a little.
Some suppliers have raised pricing every quarter. Others now hold quotes for just 7–10 days because they don’t know what they’ll pay next month.
We’ve even had a few orders where we had to lock in material the day of just to keep our numbers from sliding. This isn’t scare tactics, it’s what every fence builder and welder in Texas is dealing with right now.
Why Prices Are So Unpredictable Right Now
You might be wondering: “Why is everything jumping so much?”
Well, a few reasons:
Global steel demand is up, especially from construction, shipping, and infrastructure
Supply chain delays, especially for electric components and batteries for solar gate systems
Fuel and freight costs, getting materials delivered isn’t cheap anymore
Labor shortages, fabricators and mills are running behind, driving costs up
Bottom line: the whole industry is adjusting every few weeks. That makes it tough for both homeowners and contractors to plan the way we used to.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you’ve been thinking about adding a perimeter fence, automatic entry gate, steel privacy wall, custom welded railing or corral
…the best time to move is before the next price jump.
We’re doing our best to give customers real-time pricing — and we’re transparent about how long we can honor a quote. In most cases, that’s 14 days.
If you’re even halfway serious, the best move is to:
📞 Call us for a site check and updated estimate
🛠️ Approve your design so we can source materials now
📅 Get on the schedule before the year-end rush
Storytime Isn’t Over Yet…
Remember that customer from Fredericksburg? He ended up scaling back the design to keep it under budget. He still got a great gate, but it wasn’t the showpiece he originally wanted.
He told us:
“If I had known, I would’ve said yes back in January.”
You’ve probably heard the phrase: “The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. The second-best time is today.”
Same goes for fencing.
Prices won’t go backward much any time soon. But if you lock in your materials now, you’ll beat the next spike.
Rocking Diamond Fence & Gate is here to help you make a smart decision, before hesitation turns into a 175% regret.
Let’s get it on your property!