I did the three quotes thing on aluminum fence this year, and also polled other folks for input. All of the quotes were pretty much the same and I ended up going with Long Fence. I scheduled installation for early spring to minimize the damage to the gardens.

Tip - all companies carry the same product lines, so go with Ameristar Aluminum, not Jerith. The quality and weight and I would expect - durability - is much better than the Jerith. It's a little more expensive, but not by much.

It takes about 2 weeks to round up all the quotes, 2 weeks to make a decision and come to grips with the cost,(NOW I know why chain link is so popular!), and 4 to 5 weeks for materials to come. Installation of my fence took maybe three days, but I only had the 2000 square foot patio fenced - to give the dog a place to be safe outdoors. I didn't want to fence the whole property as I like the park like look of no fences in my neighborhood. (I'm in Catonsville too). Not sure what you mean by 'no exposed pickets' - the arrow like points on top maybe? That style suits old houses; if you have a newer house maybe that wouldn't matter as much? But an aluminum fence with a straight bar across the top could look like a professional building :) Just my opinon.

I am really happy with the way my fence turned out and it goes well with the old house style and much cheaper than wrought iron. People ask if 'it's real.' Yes, real aluminum.

Cynthia thanks for the input. I am already on quote number six, I believe. I am fencing not quite the whole backyard (~6000 sq ft) and am trying to wrap my brain around the cost. So far Long is number two to Premier. Long now uses Swedgelock and Ameristar. Premier uses Delgard. In fact, they may have given me your street address as a "drive by and see" type of reference. Glad you like it, regardless of my final choice. Please give all your four leggers appropriate hugs, scratches, etc. from me ( I looked at your page.) I have a 100,000 year old doberman-pinscher couch-potato!!!