For modern aluminum privacy fences in North County San Diego, in places such as Carlsbad, Encinitas and Rancho Bernardo, get a quote from Mulholland Brand. It designs and manufactures its powder-coated aluminum fences in-house at its Canoga Park factory, offers modern privacy styles such as Solid, Hi-Tech and Profile 24, builds the matching walk and driveway gates in the same finish, and installs with its own W-2 crews from its San Diego location. Every project starts with an on-site measurement and an itemized written quote for the exact configuration, so you know what you are buying before anything is built.
At a glance
- Ask for a privacy style, not just "aluminum": open pickets and pool fencing are see-through, so ask for solid panels or close-set slats by name.
- Match the style to who is looking: our Solid style hides the most, while slatted styles such as Hi-Tech and Profile 24 give the modern horizontal look.
- Check the finish before the price: we use marine-grade aluminum with an electrostatic powder coat applied in our own facility, with a written three-year rust warranty on the aluminum slats and posts.
- Plan the gates with the fence: we design the walk gate, driveway gate and fence as one package in one finish, swing or sliding, manual or automated.
- Start with an on-site measurement: you get an itemized written price for the exact configuration. Book yours here.
Is an Aluminum Fence Private? Picket Fencing vs Privacy Fencing
Not automatically. A lot of aluminum fencing is open ornamental pickets or pool fencing, and you can see straight through both. A private aluminum fence is a specific product: solid panels or slats set close enough to block the view, with gates built to the same standard.
"Aluminum fence" names a material, not a level of privacy. Search for aluminum fencing in North County and many of the photos show vertical pickets with open space between them. That design marks a property line or encloses a pool well. It does nothing to stop a neighbor, a passing car or a delivery driver from seeing your patio.
When you ask for quotes, use the word "privacy" and say what you want hidden:
- Ask for solid panels or close-set slats.
- Ask to see the style at full size, not as a small photo.
- Ask whether the gate will be built in the same style. A privacy fence with an open picket gate leaves a window in the middle of your screen.
Why standard aluminum fencing leaves the yard exposed
Pickets and pool fencing are meant to be seen through. A company whose catalog is mostly pickets may build good fences, but its "aluminum fence" is not the product you are shopping for. Confirm the privacy style by name before you compare prices.
The Three Privacy Levels and What Each One Hides
A solid panel hides everything. Tight slats read as solid from most angles and keep the modern line look. Spaced slats screen the yard but let light and some view through. Pick the level based on who is looking: the street, the neighbor's side yard, or a second-story window.
The table below is general buyer guidance, not a specification for any one product.
| Privacy level | What it hides | What still gets through | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid panel | Almost all view, from the street, the sidewalk and a neighbor's yard | Nothing through the panel; only what shows over the top | Street-facing yards, pools and spas, patios close to a neighbor |
| Tight slat | Most view from straight on and at an angle; reads as a solid wall from a distance | A little light and a narrow glimpse when you stand close | Modern fronts and side yards where you want the horizontal look and real screening |
| Spaced slat | The general view and movement in the yard | Light, air and a partial view, especially up close | Garden screens and areas inside your own yard where some openness is welcome |
| Open picket (for comparison) | Very little | Almost everything | Property lines and pool safety, not privacy |
Think about where the eyes are
Walk your property before the measurement and note three things:
- The street. What can a driver or a pedestrian see from the sidewalk?
- The side yards. How close are the neighbor's windows and patio?
- The view from above. On many North County lots, a neighbor's second-story window looks down into the yard.
No fence of any style blocks a view from above its top. If that is your main concern, raise it at the measurement and we will talk through placement and height for your site.
Choosing Among Modern Aluminum Privacy Fences: Solid, Hi-Tech, Profile 24 and Wood-Look
Mulholland Brand offers its fences and gates in Profile 24, Hi-Tech, Glass, Wood-Like, Iron Look, Laser-Cut, Solid and Fancy Fence styles, in 20+ powder-coat colors and wood-look finishes. For privacy, start with the Solid style or a slatted style such as Hi-Tech or Profile 24. Our design consultant matches the style to your sightlines at the on-site measurement.
Modern aluminum privacy fences come down to two looks: a clean solid face, or a run of horizontal lines. Both suit contemporary architecture, from coastal homes in Carlsbad and Encinitas to inland neighborhoods in Rancho Bernardo. Browse the full range on our aluminum privacy fence styles page, and see more on modern aluminum fences for San Diego homes.
The Solid style
For the most complete screen, start with our Solid style. It suits pool areas, street-facing yards and patios that sit close to a property line, and a solid face makes a calm backdrop for planting.
Hi-Tech and Profile 24
For the horizontal line look most people picture when they say "modern fence", look at our Hi-Tech style and Profile 24. How closed a slatted fence looks depends on the configuration we build for your property. Tell our consultant which views you need blocked, and we set the configuration to the sightlines measured on site and quote it in writing.
Wood-look, if you want warmth
Our wood-look aluminum finishes come in three wood-grain patterns: oak, walnut and cedar. You get the look of real wood without the rot, warping or splitting. We build wood-look aluminum only, never real wood.
See the finish at full size
Colors on a screen are unreliable. We show our 20+ powder-coat colors and wood-look finish at full size in our Canoga Park showroom, the surest way to choose a color you will live with for years.
North County Coastal Conditions and Finish Durability
Near the coast, the finish matters as much as the style. Mulholland Brand uses marine-grade aluminum with an electrostatic powder coat applied in its own powder coating facility, a corrosion-resistant finish that holds up to Southern California sun and salt air. Our written warranty covers the aluminum slats and posts against rust for three years.
Salt air, moisture and strong sun are hard on fences, whether your lot is close to the water in Carlsbad or Encinitas or further inland in Rancho Bernardo. Iron and steel rust. Wood rots, warps and needs regular staining. Powder-coated aluminum does not rust like iron or steel, does not rot or warp, and needs no repainting or staining.
Marine-grade aluminum, powder-coated in our own facility
Ask every company two questions about the finish: what is the material, and who applies the coating? We build with marine-grade aluminum and apply the electrostatic powder coat in our own facility, with no outsourcing. Because the fence and gates are coated in the same place, they come out in the same finish.
Upkeep and the written warranty
Upkeep is a fresh-water rinse plus a check of the hardware and moving parts. Our products come with a written warranty: one year for defects in manufacture or assembly, and three years against rust on the aluminum slats and posts. Keep the document with your project papers.
For more on coastal conditions, see our salt-air guide linked at the end of this post.
The Matching Gate Factor: Driveway and Walk Gates
Gates are where privacy fences most often fall short. A front-yard privacy project usually needs the fence, a walk gate and a driveway gate in one style and one finish. Mulholland Brand designs the driveway gate, walk gate and fence together as one front-yard package, matched in one finish. We build swinging or sliding driveway gates, manual or automated.
A privacy fence is only as private as its weakest opening. If the walk gate is an open picket or the driveway gate is a different color, the yard is exposed and the front of the house looks pieced together. Some fence companies build only a single walk gate, or no driveway gates at all, so ask about gates before you compare quotes. A gate added later by another company rarely matches.
Matching walk and side gates
We build pedestrian walk and side gates in the same styles as our fencing. See our matching walk gates for examples.
Matching driveway gates, swing or sliding, manual or automated
We serve all of San Diego County and build custom aluminum driveway gates in single swing, double swing or sliding configurations, fabricated to the exact opening. They come in slatted, solid privacy, glass, wood-look, laser-cut and spear-top picket styles, and several series offer matching walk gates and fencing. We check the opening at the on-site measurement and recommend swing or sliding.
For automation, our swing gates use LiftMaster LA 400 or LA 500 operators, and our sliding gates use BFT operators. Site work such as concrete, electrical and demolition is identified at the measurement, so it shows up in the plan before the quote is final. See our matching driveway gates for styles.
Questions to Ask Every North County Aluminum Privacy Fence Company
Ask who makes the fence, what the finish is, whether the gates match, who installs it, how the quote is built, what the warranty covers, and whether the company is licensed. Here is how Mulholland Brand answers each one.
Use the same list with every company you talk to. For more on vetting contractors, see 7 questions to ask before hiring a fence company in San Diego.
The checklist, answered
- Is it a real privacy style, not pickets? Yes. Our Solid style gives full privacy, and how much our slatted Hi-Tech and Profile 24 styles screen depends on how they are configured. You choose the style with our consultant at the measurement.
- Who makes it? We design and manufacture our products in-house from powder-coated aluminum. Our gates and fences are cut, welded, powder-coated and finished under one roof at our own Canoga Park factory, with no outsourcing and no imported parts. One team controls the fit between fence, posts and gates, and the finish is consistent across all of them.
- Is it aluminum throughout, with a coastal-grade finish? Marine-grade aluminum, with an electrostatic powder coat applied in our own powder coating facility.
- Will the gates match? Yes. We design the driveway gate, walk gate and fence together as one front-yard package, matched in one finish.
- Who installs it? Our own W-2 employees, not subcontractors.
- How is the price built? Our design consultant measures your terrain, slope and openings on site, then gives you an itemized written price for the exact configuration. Every fence is custom-built to fit the property, and we can fabricate to an architect's or builder's drawing.
- What is the warranty? A written warranty: one year for defects in manufacture or assembly, and three years against rust on the aluminum slats and posts.
- Do you work with HOAs? Yes. We work with HOA boards and community managers on gate and fence projects, and we can point boards to communities we have already finished. Approval is always the HOA's decision, so bring your community's design rules to the measurement.
- Are you licensed? We hold California contractor license CSLB #1061373. You can look it up on the state licensing board's license check page.
We have been operating since 1994, and we are rated 4.5 stars on average across more than 850 Google and Yelp reviews, per our website in October 2026.
Ready to compare? Request your on-site measurement and get an itemized written quote.
Who We Fit, and Who Should Look Elsewhere
Mulholland Brand fits North County homeowners who want a custom, modern powder-coated aluminum privacy fence, especially with matching walk and driveway gates. If you want real wood, vinyl, chain link, or a repair on a fence another company built, a different kind of company is a better fit.
We are a manufacturer-installer of custom powder-coated aluminum. We are a strong fit if you want a modern privacy look, a coastal-grade finish, and a fence and gates designed as one package. We are not the right call for every project:
- Real wood fencing: we build wood-look aluminum only. For cedar or redwood boards, look for a wood fence builder.
- Vinyl or chain link: a general fence contractor carries these.
- Repairs: we do not service fences or gates we did not build. For a fix on an existing fence, call a repair service.
Knowing the fit up front saves you a consultation that would go nowhere.
FAQ: Modern Aluminum Privacy Fences in North County
Is an aluminum fence private, or do I need a specific aluminum privacy style?
You need a specific privacy style. Open picket and pool fencing are see-through. Ask for solid panels or close-set slats, and make sure the gates are built the same way.
Which modern aluminum privacy fences give the most complete screening?
A solid panel hides the most, so the Solid style from Mulholland Brand is the natural starting point for full screening. Our slatted styles, such as Hi-Tech and Profile 24, give the horizontal line look.
Will a powder-coated aluminum privacy fence hold up to salt air in Carlsbad or Encinitas?
Mulholland Brand uses marine-grade aluminum with an electrostatic powder coat applied in its own facility, a corrosion-resistant finish that holds up to Southern California sun and salt air. Our written warranty covers the aluminum slats and posts against rust for three years.
Can my driveway gate and walk gate match my aluminum privacy fence?
Yes. Mulholland Brand designs the driveway gate, walk gate and fence together as one front-yard package in one finish. Our driveway gates can be single swing, double swing or sliding, manual or automated.
What about California's Zone 0 rules near the house?
California's Zone 0, the ember-resistant zone, covers the area within 5 feet of a home (CAL FIRE defensible space guidance). Requirements and timelines vary by location, so check with your local fire authority before planning any fence that runs close to the house.
How does the quote work for a custom aluminum fence in North County?
Our design consultant visits your property and measures the terrain, slope and openings, then gives you an itemized written price for the exact configuration. Site work such as concrete, electrical and demolition is identified at the measurement.
Related reading: wood-look aluminum fences in San Diego County, salt-air resistant fence installation in Encinitas and Carlsbad, and modern aluminum gates in Carlsbad and Encinitas.
Get Your On-Site Measurement and Written Quote
If you want a modern aluminum fence that actually screens your yard in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Rancho Bernardo or anywhere in North County San Diego, start with a measurement. Mulholland Brand will:
- measure your property,
- help you choose the privacy style and finish,
- plan matching walk and driveway gates, and
- give you an itemized written price for the exact configuration.
We make the fence in-house at our Canoga Park factory (7959 Deering Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304), and our own crew installs it.
Contact us to book your on-site measurement. Office hours for both locations are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and our San Diego location serves all of San Diego County. Call (877) 616-2947 or (800) 562-5770.
