Driveway gates
Driveway gates built for the driveway you have.
Swing and slide gates measured against the real slope, the real swing clearance and the real opener duty — so it works the same on day one thousand as on day one.
- Configurations
- Swing & slideSingle or double leaf.
- Automation
- Opener-readyBuilt for the motor from the start.
- Estimate
- FreeSite visit for anything structural.
- Coverage
- Serving the East BayHayward and the East Bay.
What we build
Double-swing driveway gates, single-leaf gates on narrower drives, slide gates on a track or a cantilever, and combination openings where a driveway gate and a pedestrian gate share one run of metalwork so they read as a single entry rather than two separate jobs.
A driveway gate is the largest single piece of metalwork most homes will ever carry, and it is the one people see from the street. Both of those things are true at once, which is why the structural decisions get made first and the decorative ones second.
Why the slope matters more than the width
A level opening is the easy case. Most driveways are not level — they rise from the street, or crown in the middle, or fall to one side for drainage. On a swing gate, that slope decides whether the leaf clears the ground through its whole arc or grinds at one point. On a slide gate, it decides whether a rolling track is even viable or whether the gate has to be cantilevered clear of the ground.
Which is why the measurement happens on site with a level, not from a photograph. A photo tells us what you want; the driveway tells us what will work.
Built for automation, whether or not you automate now
A motorised gate cycles thousands of times a year, and every cycle loads the hinge side. That is a different design problem from a gate a person pushes twice a day.
If automation is in the plan — now or later — the gate gets a heavier hinge post in a deeper footing, hinges with real duty margin, a frame braced against the racking that repeated motor starts induce, and conduit run to the post while the trench is already open. Adding all of that later means digging up finished work.
- Hinge post and footing sized for motorised duty, not hand duty.
- Conduit and a pull string run to the post during install.
- Frame braced so motor starts do not rack the leaf out of square.
- Clearances and mounting points the operator manufacturer requires.
Infill, privacy and wind
Solid infill on a wide gate is a sail. Wind load on a fully panelled driveway gate is real, and it goes straight into the hinge post and the footing — a gate that would be fine at four feet of picket can need a substantially bigger post at the same width in solid panel.
Vertical pickets pass wind and let you see the street. Horizontal slats at a tight spacing give most of the privacy of a solid gate while still breathing. Wood or composite boards in a steel frame give complete privacy, and get designed with the extra post and footing that choice demands rather than being bolted onto a frame sized for pickets.
Privacy has a structural price
If you want a solid-panel driveway gate, the honest version of that quote includes a heavier post, a deeper footing and often a stronger operator. We would rather show you that at the estimate than build the light version and have it lean in the second winter.
How the estimate works
Driveway gates get a site visit. Ground slope, footing depth, what the leaves would swing into, where power can reach and how the gate meets the fence line all affect the real price and none of them read reliably off a photograph.
Start by texting (510) 363-2490 a photo of the driveway from the street and a note on whether you want it automated — that is enough to tell you whether we are talking about a swing or a slide, and to book the visit.
Projects
Driveway Gates we’ve built.
Photographed on completed jobs. Measurements and pricing come at the estimate, on your own opening.
Driveway Gates
What people ask before booking.
Swing or slide — how do I know which one my driveway needs?
Swing is simpler, cheaper and quieter, and it is the right answer whenever there is clear, level space for the leaves to open into. Slide is the answer when there is not: a driveway that rises away from the street, a swing radius that would land on the sidewalk or a parked car, or an opening too wide for two leaves to stay rigid. Slide costs more, has more hardware and more that eventually needs servicing, so nobody should be sold one who does not need one. We look at the actual driveway before recommending either.
Do you install the automatic opener as well?
We fabricate and install the gate, and we build it to carry an opener: a reinforced hinge post, hardware rated for motorised duty, and the clearances the operator needs. Whether we install the motor itself or coordinate with an opener installer depends on the job and on the operator you want. Say at the estimate stage that the gate will be automated — retrofitting an opener onto a gate that was not built for one is where most driveway gate problems start.
Does a driveway gate need a permit?
It depends on your city and on what the gate does. Height, whether it swings into a public right-of-way, whether it is part of a fence that itself needed a permit, and whether it is motorised all factor in. We will flag a job that looks like one that needs a permit, but your planning or building department has the final say. A five-minute call to them before the gate is fabricated is worth far more than one afterwards.
Steel or aluminum for a driveway gate?
Steel is stronger for the same wall thickness and is the usual choice for a heavier, security-focused gate, and for anything wide enough that stiffness matters. Aluminum will not rust, which matters on a gate nobody is going to repaint. Weight also decides the operator: a heavy steel gate needs a stouter motor, which costs more up front and draws more every cycle. We ask how the gate will actually be used before recommending one.
What about safety devices on an automated gate?
A powered gate is a moving vehicle-sized object, and the industry standards for gate operators exist because of the injuries that happen when one is installed without entrapment protection. Photo eyes, edge sensors and reversing behaviour are part of the operator installation, not optional extras. We build the gate to accept them and will not spec an automation setup that skips them.
Free estimate
Send a photo of the driveway.
We'll tell you swing or slide, what it needs structurally, and a real price — before anything is scheduled.
Licensed, bonded and insured — CSLB #1037852. Free estimates, no obligation.
Based in Hayward. Serving the East Bay. Not sure if it’s something we do? See the full list of services, or book a consultation.