Gate Installation and Repair

A gate is the only part of a fence that moves, which makes it the part that fails first and the part you use every day. We build gates as their own trade, not an afterthought at the end of a fence job: framed and braced to stay square, hung on posts set deeper than the rest of the fence, with hinges and latches sized for the weight and the use. From a walk gate in a backyard privacy fence to a sixteen-foot ranch entrance with an automatic opener, the construction rules are the same, and we follow them on every one.

Gate types we build

• Driveway Gate Installation

  Single and double driveway gates in tube steel, ornamental iron style or wood, hung on heavy posts with openers available, around Polk and San Jacinto County, TX.

• Walk Gate Installation and Repair

  Walk gates built to match your fence in wood, chain link or metal, braced so they never sag, around Onalaska and Livingston, TX. Repairs for dragging gates too.

• Ornamental Iron-Style Gate Installation

  Ornamental steel and iron-style driveway and walk gates with the wrought iron look, powder coated for East Texas weather. Built around Onalaska, TX. Free estimates.

• Security Gate Installation

  Security gates for driveways, yards and commercial lots around Lake Livingston, TX, built heavy with lockable latches and optional openers and keypads.

• Gate Opener Installation

  Automatic gate opener installation for swing and slide gates around Onalaska, TX, with solar or wired power, keypads and remotes. We service the openers we install.

What makes a gate last

• A braced frame. Wood gates get a diagonal brace running from the bottom hinge corner up to the latch corner, or a steel frame underneath. Metal gates are welded square. Without this a gate racks into a parallelogram and drags.
• A hinge post that can carry it. Set deeper than the line posts, in more concrete, and heavier: a larger wood post or a steel pipe. The whole weight of the gate hangs from this one post.
• Hinges sized for the gate. Heavy strap or weld-on hinges for drive gates, with the top hinge carrying most of the load; adjustable hinges on ornamental and aluminum so the gate can be squared years later.
• Latches that hold and open easily, at the right height, with drop rods and center stops on double gates.
• Clearance for the ground, especially on a driveway that rises or a yard that holds water, so the gate swings all year.

Matching the gate to the fence

A gate should read as part of the fence. Wood gates match the picket style, height and rail layout of a privacy or picket fence; chain link gates use the same coated pipe and fabric; ornamental gates match the panel style; tube gates in galvanized or painted steel go on farm and ranch fence. Where the fence is wood and the gate is wide, we often put a steel frame inside a wood-clad gate so it looks like the fence and swings like a steel gate.

Openers, keypads and remotes

Any driveway gate we build can be fitted with an automatic opener, powered from the house or by solar where there is no power at the road, with keypads, remotes, exit sensors and safety features. We install the opener as part of the gate job so the gate, posts and opener are matched from the start. Gate openers covers the options, and the honest limit: we service the openers we install, not units somebody else put in.

Gate repair

A dragging, sagging or non-latching gate is one of the most common calls we get. Often the fix is a new hinge post and new hinges; sometimes it is a brace the gate never had; sometimes the gate itself has to be rebuilt. We repair gates of every kind, including those we did not build. Tube gate replacement is often the quickest fix on a farm, and fence and gate repair covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Why do gates sag?

Three reasons, usually together: the gate was built without a diagonal brace, the hinge post was set too shallow for the weight, or the hinges were too light. We build the gate braced, set the post deep in extra concrete, and size the hinges to the gate. A gate built that way stays square.

Can you add a gate to my existing fence?

Yes. We cut in the opening, set new gate posts to carry the weight, and build the gate to match the fence in style and height.

Do you install automatic openers?

Yes, on swing and slide gates, with solar or wired power, keypads, remotes and safety sensors. We service the openers we install. See the gate openers page for details.

How wide should a driveway gate be?

Twelve feet is the usual minimum for a single driveway gate so a truck and trailer can swing in. Sixteen feet, often as a pair of eight-foot gates, is common on ranch entrances where hay equipment and long trailers come through.