Same Aluminum System. Two Levels of Screening.
Both options run on the identical 80 × 80 mm powder-coated aluminum post and channel frame we use for full-privacy fences — so they can meet mid-run, share a post, and match colour across the whole property.
Solid Panel + Slat Top
Solid composite boards to roughly eye level, then a section of spaced horizontal boards above. Complete screening where it matters, daylight where it doesn't. This is the option shown in the photos on this page, and the one most Metro Vancouver homeowners choose.
Full Grille Board Panel
A 3D grille-profile board used for the whole panel, giving the lightest visual weight and the most airflow. It marks a boundary and breaks sightlines without reading as a wall — the right call for front yards and anywhere a solid run would feel heavy.
Mixing the two along one property line is common — a grille run across the front, solid-plus-slat down the sides. Because both share the same post and channel system, the transition happens at a post and reads as intentional rather than patched.
Full Privacy, Semi-Privacy, or Grille?
The honest comparison. Most properties end up wanting more than one of these.
Watch a Semi-Privacy Fence Go Up
Panel layout, post alignment and how the slat section sits above the solid boards — filmed on a real Metro Vancouver install, not a showroom.
Posts and Frame Are Aluminum. That's the Whole Point.
On a wood fence, the posts fail first — they rot at grade while the boards above still look fine. Our posts and rails are powder-coated aluminum: they don't rot, don't rust, and never need repainting. The composite handles the look and the weather; the aluminum carries the load and keeps the line straight.
It matters more on semi-privacy than on solid fencing. An open slat section has no continuous surface holding it rigid, so the frame is doing all the work.
Two Ways to Set the Posts
Metro Vancouver lots are rarely one flat condition. The base set works for both, and we decide per section rather than forcing one method across the property.
Dig In
Post set into a concrete footing below grade. The standard approach across open soil and lawn. An 8 ft post gives a 6 ft fence, with each board adding half a foot of height.
Layout · footing · channel and L-bracket · boards · cap.
Anchor Mount
Base plate bolted directly onto concrete — a retaining wall cap, a patio slab, an existing curb. Nothing gets dug. Shorter 6.4 and 6.7 ft posts exist specifically for this, since the full post height sits above the base plate.
Anchor bolts · base plate · post · channel · boards.
Working along a retaining wall is one of the situations we get called for most. Post placement has to be planned around the wall before anything is drilled.
Situations That Call for Semi-Privacy
Laneways
Screen the yard from lane traffic while keeping the property from feeling walled off from the street.
Narrow Side Yards
A solid 6 ft run down a tight side yard turns it into a corridor. An open top keeps light in.
Front Boundaries
Defines the line and breaks sightlines without the closed-off look many neighbourhoods dislike.
Strata & Townhomes
Consistent detailing across shared boundaries, phased section by section if needed.
$60–$80 per linear foot, installed.
That's the working range for composite fencing in Metro Vancouver, semi-privacy included. Where a project lands inside it depends on height, gate openings, old fence removal, ground conditions and site access.
Supplying materials only — for DIY installs or contractors running their own crew — is priced separately. A number of our customers buy the panels, posts and hardware and install themselves.
Semi-Privacy Fencing FAQs
How much can people actually see through a slat top?
From a normal standing distance you read shapes and movement, not detail. The solid lower section is what blocks direct sightlines into the yard; the slat band above sits over head height and mostly lets light and air through. If you want zero visibility at every height, choose full privacy.
Can I mix semi-privacy and solid sections on one fence line?
Yes, and it's common. Both build on the same aluminum post and channel system, so the changeover happens at a post. Colour, post size and hardware stay consistent across the whole run.
Does semi-privacy fencing meet local fence height bylaws?
Height limits differ by municipality and by which part of the lot the fence sits on — front, side or rear. Some cities also treat open upper sections differently from solid ones. We check the rules for your specific city and yard position before the quote is finalized.
Can it be installed on top of a retaining wall?
Yes. The base set includes an anchor-mount option: a base plate bolted into the concrete with anchor bolts, so nothing is dug. Post spacing has to be planned around the wall's structure first, which is why we ask for photos of the wall before quoting.
What maintenance does it need?
No staining, sealing or repainting. Composite boards resist rot, insects and splitting; the aluminum posts and frame don't rot or rust. Occasional rinsing is all it asks for. The system is rated from −40 °C to 60 °C, which covers a Lower Mainland freeze-thaw winter comfortably.
Do you supply materials only, without installation?
Yes. We supply panels, posts, channels, caps, brackets and the semi-privacy top piece to homeowners doing their own installs and to contractors running their own crews, across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Tell us the fence length and height and we'll put together a takeoff.
