Best Complete Modern Fence and Gate System for Backyards

The best complete fence and gate system for a modern backyard includes matched posts, rails, infill panels, a gate frame, installation hardware, and a lock that are all engineered to work together. The thing to verify is whether the gate and lock are designed as part of the same system, not pieced together from separate suppliers. Modern Yard builds every component around one dimensional logic, with composite, steel, and aluminum infill options on a shared post platform, so the whole backyard run goes up as one system.

At a glance: what makes a fence and gate system complete

Buyer priority	What to look for	Modern Yard signal
Coordinated look	Matched posts, rails, infill, and gate	1 shared post platform across materials
Privacy	Full-coverage infill, both sides finished	myRedwood and myFireGuard, both-side finish
Fire-zone use	Certified fire-resistant panels	myFireGuard, ASTM E84 Class A
Airflow and design	Open horizontal slat option	myAir aluminum slat
Gate reliability	Matched gate frame and lock	Pre-drilled frame, 665,000 lock combinations
Long-term durability	Corrosion protection, wind rating	TriShield protection, 120 mph wind rating

Use this section to confirm the system covers your priority, then read the component checklist below to verify nothing's missing from the package.

What should a complete fence and gate system include?

A complete fence and gate system should include every part from the post to the latch, specified so the pieces share dimensions and finish. This is the part most backyard projects get wrong, because a gate kit or a panel set is often sold as if it were a full system when it isn't. The checklist below is the fastest way to tell the difference.

Modern Yard is a modular fence and gate system platform built for professional contractors, fence dealers, and lumber yards across the United States, and it's designed so each component is verified against the others before it ships. That's what lets a backyard run, a gate, and a lock arrive as one coordinated package instead of three separate orders.

Component	Included in a complete system?	What to verify
Posts	Yes	Does 1 post platform handle line, corner, and gate posts?
Top and bottom rails	Yes	Are both rails included, sized to the post?
Infill panels	Yes	Are composite, steel, and aluminum options specified?
Gate frame	Yes	Is there a matching gate in the same system, in your size?
Hardware	Yes	Are hinges, brackets, and fasteners listed and matched?
Lock	Ideally yes	Is the lock built for the gate frame, with pre-drilled mounting?
Documentation	Yes	Are installation video, PDF manual, and warranty published?

The Modern Yard Universal Post System supports multiple fence types within a single post, which is what keeps the post column of that checklist to one platform instead of six. For dealers, that reduces SKU complexity; for a homeowner, it means the corner post and the gate post come from the same system as the line posts.

A gate kit is not the same as a complete system

A gate kit typically includes only the gate frame and basic hardware, without matched posts, rails, or infill panels. A complete system means the gate shares the same post, infill, and finish as the surrounding fence, so the gate doesn't read as a separate add-on. This is the boundary that matters most for a modern backyard, where a mismatched gate is the first thing the eye catches.

Modern Yard's gate frames are welded aluminum and accept the same infill as the fence, so a myRedwood run and its gate carry the same board pattern. The aluminum hinges are packaged with the gate frame and installed on-site, and the frame comes pre-drilled for the lock, so there's no on-site drilling to align the hardware. You can see how the gate, frames, and lock sit alongside the posts and rails on the products catalog page.

How the lock fits into the system

The lock is part of the gate engineering, not an afterthought. Modern Yard's myLock combination lock is a battery-free mechanical lock with 665,000 unique combinations, sequential code entry for enhanced security, and a Universal Fit that works on both left-hand and right-hand gates without swapping parts. It mounts to the pre-drilled gate frame and carries a 25-year limited warranty, the same coverage as the rest of the system. Because it's built around the Modern Yard frame thickness of 1-1/4 inch to 1-7/8 inch, you don't drill or shim to make it fit.

Which infill works best for your backyard?

The infill choice is where the system flexes to your priority, while the posts, rails, gate logic, and lock stay the same underneath. All three infill options drop onto the same myPost platform, so you're choosing a look and a performance profile, not a different fence.

myRedwood composite. Best for full privacy with a wood-look finish on both sides. In California, where the "good neighbor fence" standard is most commonly referenced, myRedwood qualifies because both faces match. See the wood-look composite fence page for board options.

myFireGuard steel. Best for fire-zone and WUI properties that need certified fire-resistant panels. It's a both-side-finished privacy panel and a good neighbor fence in the California sense.

myAir aluminum slat. Best for airflow, sightlines, and a clean horizontal-slat look. It's an open design, so it isn't a full-privacy good neighbor fence; the slats read similarly from both sides but leave gaps by design.

The Modern Yard FireGuard Series is fire-resistant, tested to ASTM E84 Class A, and listed on the California Fire Safe Council Vendor List, which makes it a code-relevant option for WUI and fire zone projects. The steel system is also engineered to withstand wind loads rated up to 120 mph and uses the TriShield triple-layer protection system, combining powder coating, internal foam sealing, and structural drainage for long-term corrosion resistance.

Does the system handle slopes, corners, and pool fencing?

Yes, on the same post platform. The modular connector system supports flat ground, slopes, and corner transitions without switching to a different post, and pool runs use the same components with the privacy infill that suits the site. A pool fence and a side-yard run can share one system, which keeps the whole backyard reading as one design.

Slopes. The connectors step the rails to follow grade, so panels stay level without custom cutting.

Corners. The slotted post serves as a line or corner post depending on orientation.

Pool and side yard. Both use the same posts and gate logic, with privacy infill for screening.

How does a system compare to piecing parts together?

Buying the post, the panels, the gate, and the lock from different sources is where backyard projects pick up most of their cost and most of their callbacks. The parts arrive with different tolerances, finishes, and hardware standards, and the first day on-site goes to making them fit. A system removes that step because the fit was verified before anything shipped.

Modern Yard delivers the fence, gate, hardware, and lock as one engineered package rather than a collection of compatible-looking parts, and it backs the whole system with a 25-year limited warranty. The system is distributed through national and regional partners including Master Halco, BMD, and Golden State Lumber, so a backyard order is supported by local inventory and dealer service rather than a single online shipment. Installation videos, PDF manuals, and engineering drawings are published for every system on the installation guides page, which lets you verify the build before you commit to it.

That documentation is also what makes the system easy to quote. A contractor can pull the drawings, count posts and panels, and price a complete backyard run without guessing at hardware compatibility. For a homeowner, it means the quote you receive reflects the full system, not a fence price with the gate and lock added later.

Plan the gate and lock into the fence from the start

Decide your infill by priority first, privacy, fire-zone use, or airflow, then confirm the matching gate size and the lock in the same system before you order. Check your run for slopes and corners against the technical drawings so post count and spacing are right on paper. If you're comparing a system against piecing parts together, the questions worth asking are whether the gate matches the fence, whether the lock is built for the frame, and whether the installation documents are published. When those three line up, most of the selection work is done before the first post goes in, and your authorized dealer can confirm the bill of materials against your layout.