Glass vs wrought iron pool fence.

Cost (installed, Arizona)

• Wrought iron pool fence: from ~$140 per linear foot
• Tubular aluminum (looks like iron, no rust): ~$65–$110 per linear foot
• Glass (spigot or frameless): $225–$260 per square foot
• 60' pool perimeter, 5' tall: iron from ~$8,400 · aluminum ~$3,900–$6,600 · glass ~$67k–$78k
• Optional hydrophobic or ceramic coatings on glass are priced separately from the base install — quoted per linear foot, not bundled in.

Lifespan in the desert

• Wrought iron: 5–10 years before rust at welds, post bases, and screws becomes visible. 15–20 with aggressive maintenance.
• Powder-coated aluminum: 15–25 years, no rust, color fades in direct south/west sun
• Glass: 25+ years on panels, spigots/hardware serviceable; optional hydrophobic or ceramic coating refreshed every 2–4 years

View

This is the actual decision. Glass disappears — you see the pool, the yard, the view, and the sky. Iron creates vertical bars across every sightline. People underestimate this until they sit in the living room of a friend's house and realize they're looking at a cage. From outside, glass reads as a finished outdoor room; iron reads as 'enclosure.'

Safety + code (the spec each one has to hit)

• Both meet Arizona / ARS §36-1681 and the locally-adopted ISPSC residential pool barrier code at 5' overall height with self-closing, self-latching gates and latch release ≥54" off the ground
• Iron picket spacing: vertical pickets spaced so a 4" sphere will not pass — typically 3⅞" clear between pickets. Anything wider fails inspection.
• Iron climbability: no horizontal cross-rails within 45" of grade on the outside face — older 'two-rail' iron with a mid-rail at ~36" gets red-tagged on remodels. Top-rail-up (spear tips down) is the inspector-preferred orientation; some AHJs require spear tips capped.
• Iron under-gap: 4" max over a hard mow strip or concrete, 2" max over turf, decomposed granite, or pavers without a continuous hard edge — this is the most common iron failure in Arizona because installers skip the mow strip on turf
• Glass is structurally simpler for code: no spacing, no climbable horizontals, no picket math. Just height, gate hardware, and the gap under the panel.
• Tempered safety glass (ANSI Z97.1 / 16 CFR 1201 Cat II) is more impact-resistant than people assume — and iron can be climbed by older kids while glass cannot
• Both stop dogs reliably; neither replaces an alarm, cover, and supervision

Maintenance reality

• Iron: touch-up rust spots annually, repaint sections every 5–7 years, replace failing posts as needed
• Glass: rinse + squeegee monthly, optional hydrophobic or ceramic coating every 2–4 years, hardware service as needed
• Aluminum: lowest-maintenance metal option, almost no rust risk

When iron (or aluminum) is the right call

• Pool faces a back fence or neighbor's wall you don't care about seeing through
• Tight budget, glass simply isn't realistic
• Rental, short-term hold, or property you're flipping fast
• HOA requires a metal fence with no glass option

When glass is the right call

• Mountain, golf course, city lights, or designed-landscape view across the pool
• Long-term hold, want it done once
• Investing in the rest of the yard — pavers, lighting, kitchen, landscape
• Resale matters and your market rewards finished outdoor space