Aluminum is the go-to for pool barriers and for front yards where a solid fence would feel closed off. It doesn't rot, it doesn't rust the way steel does, and black powder-coated aluminum reads a lot like iron from the sidewalk.
Pool barriers in Florida
Florida Statutes 515.29 sets the rules for residential pool barriers:
Pool barriers are where Florida's 2026 permit exemption is least likely to help. The state law waives building permits for some work under $7,500 on single-family homes, but cities apply it differently; Naples, for one, lists pool barriers and fences as not eligible. Plan on Pensacola's fence permit unless the city tells you otherwise.
Historic districts
Aluminum isn't named among the approved materials in the city's preservation guidelines, which list wood, brick, stone and wrought iron, so a historic-district pool fence needs a conversation with the review board.
Price
Angi lists aluminum at $17 to $90 per linear foot nationally. Pool-grade self-closing hinges and latches add to the gate cost.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 515.29 (2025): Residential swimming pool barrier requirements
- WLRN / News Service of Florida: A new Florida law will drop permits for low-cost home projects (May 8, 2026)
- City of Naples: New State Law: Building Permit Exemptions for Residential Properties (HB 803)
- City of Pensacola: Preservation District Design Guidelines (2014-15, updated 2023), Fencing section
- Angi: How Much Does Fence Installation Cost? (national survey data, checked November 2026)
Checked November 10, 2026. City codes, statutes and prices change; the linked source is the authority.