Palisade vs Clearview Fencing: Which to Choose

Updated November 2026 by Meghan Ristea, Procurement Manager.

Choose palisade if you want a boundary that looks hard to cross. Choose clearview if you want to see straight through it. Palisade is vertical steel pales on rails; clearview is dense welded mesh with few footholds. Both are made to your boundary, quoted after a free survey, and carry a 2-year manufacturing warranty.

What is the difference between palisade and clearview fencing?

They solve the same problem in two ways. Palisade shows strength. Clearview keeps the view open.

	Palisade fencing	Clearview fencing
Build	Vertical steel pales on horizontal rails, fixed to posts	Welded mesh panels fixed to posts
Look	Bold vertical lines, an obvious deterrent	A fine grid that reads as light from the street
Seeing through	Partly, between the pales	Clearly, for people, cameras and patrols
Climbing	Depends on the pale profile and top treatment	Dense mesh leaves few footholds
What the quote names	Pale profile, height, top treatment, rails, posts, footings, corners	Mesh opening, wire, panel height, bends, posts, fixings
Gates	Matching gates, quoted with the fence	Matching gates, quoted with the fence
Lead time	3 to 4 weeks	3 to 4 weeks
Manufacturing warranty	Palisade Fencing: 2 years	Clearview Fencing: 2 years

Which is more secure, palisade or clearview?

The one that fits your security plan. Neither fence makes a property impossible to enter, and our own terms say so: our products are barriers, not a guarantee against crime.

Palisade works as a visible deterrent at the street. People see the pales and the top profile and choose another property. Clearview works with surveillance. Because the mesh is dense, there are few places to put a foot or a hand, and because it stays open to the eye, guards and cameras see anyone who tries.

So if cameras or a patrol watch your boundary, clearview helps them. If nobody watches it, a fence that looks hard to cross does more of the work. Be wary of any blanket claim attached to a category name. Clearview systems are not all the same, and neither are palisade systems. If you need a specific level of performance, ask for evidence for that exact system.

Which looks better on a home?

Palisade is the familiar South African boundary. It suits a strong street front and matches most gate styles. Clearview looks more modern and lighter, which is why estates, schools and business sites use it.

If privacy matters more than visibility, neither is the answer. Slat fencing or laser-cut fencing screens the garden, and both can match a gate.

Which lasts longer near the coast?

Both are steel, so the finish decides, not the fence type. Inland, hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated steel carries a rust warranty on the main frame of 10 years sheltered, 7 years semi-exposed and 5 years fully exposed. In coastal suburbs it drops to 5 years sheltered or semi-exposed and 3 years fully exposed. Within 500 metres of the sea it is 3 years and 2 years.

A boundary fence is usually semi-exposed or fully exposed, and sprinklers along the fence line count as full exposure. On the beachfront, look at aluminium fencing instead. Our coastal guide explains the zones.

What does palisade or clearview fencing cost?

Both are quoted to the measured boundary, never per metre off a list. Seven things move the price:

the length of the boundary;
the height;
the system: pale profile or mesh specification;
the ground, levels and steps along the line;
footings, corners and posts;
the number and size of gates;
the finish tier, from powder coat to hot-dip galvanising.

Installation is a separate line. Prices include VAT. The quotation is valid for 7 days. Standard payment is a 70% deposit and 30% on installation, and paying 100% upfront earns a 7% settlement discount. Our palisade fencing guide covers heights, posts and footings in more detail.

How high should a palisade or clearview fence be?

There is no universal height. The purpose of the boundary, the ground levels on both sides, sightlines at the driveway and any estate or municipal rule all set it. A fence on a retaining wall, or on ground that falls away, reads differently from each side. We settle the height on the boundary survey, before anything is made, and it is written on the quotation.

Can I use palisade and clearview on the same property?

Yes, and many sites do. Palisade along the street front for the visible deterrent, clearview along the sides or the back where cameras need a clear line. Both are quoted from the same boundary survey, in the same finish and colour, with gates designed to match.

How is a boundary fence installed?

We survey the whole boundary before quoting: footings, posts, corners, changes in level and the gates. On a slope the panels step so they sit cleanly. Gate posts are sized to carry the gate. A fence that leans after a few years usually had the wrong footing, not the wrong panel. In South Africa our Alrode teams measure and install, and in Zambia our Lusaka team does. In the other markets the Robo Door distributor installs, and supply-only is available everywhere.

Both fences are on the fencing page, with matching driveway gates, which carry a 2-year manufacturing warranty.

Next step

Pace out the length of the boundary and mark where the gates go. That is most of what the quotation needs. Request a free quote, WhatsApp +27 82 888 1919 or call 082 888 1919.