Gates in Seattle
A fence only works as well as its access points. Gates in Seattle projects need to open cleanly, latch reliably, fit the fence style, and provide enough clearance for people, equipment, pets, or vehicles.
We plan gates as part of new fence systems and also work on existing access points. Start with gate installation for new or replacement gates, or gate repair when the frame, hinges, latch, or alignment can still be restored.
Schedule your no-obligation on-site consultation today.
Gate Options for Residential and Commercial Fences
The best gate type depends on who or what needs to pass through it. A backyard walk gate, a landscape-service opening, and a commercial vehicle gate have very different structural and operational needs.
Single Walk Gates
The everyday gate: usually 3 to 4 feet wide, hung on one side, used by people, pets, mowers and wheelbarrows. Built into a new fence, a walk gate starts around $650 including its heavier posts and hardware. Its width is set by the largest thing that has to pass through.
Wide Access and Driveway Gates
Double gates of 10 to 16 feet let a car, trailer or small machine into the yard. Two leaves keep each half light enough not to sag, with a drop rod holding one leaf closed. Built with the fence, a double drive gate starts around $1,900.
Commercial Access Needs
Business gates open more often and carry more weight, so they need commercial-grade hinges, heavier posts and latches or locks rated for the traffic. Vehicle gates are sized for the largest truck on site; exit routes from buildings must stay clear.
Wood, Chain Link, and Metal Gates
Gate material should coordinate with the surrounding fence but also account for weight, stiffness, hardware, and maintenance. Matching appearance is only one part of the decision.
Wood and Cedar Gates
A wood gate matches the fence board for board, built on a frame with a diagonal brace running up from the hinge side so it resists sagging. Wood gates are heavy, so wider openings are better split into two leaves or built on a steel frame with a cedar face.
Chain Link Gates
Chain link gates are welded steel frames with mesh stretched across them — light, strong and inexpensive. They come as single walk gates, double drive gates and rolling gates for wide commercial openings, and privacy slats can be added to match the fence.
Metal and Ornamental Gates
Ornamental steel or aluminum gates match their fence panels and stay rigid over wide spans. Aluminum is lighter and never rusts; steel is stronger for larger or busier openings. Both are powder-coated and hung on heavier posts than the fence itself.
Driveway Gates and Walk Gates
Walk gates prioritize convenience and frequent use. Driveway or wide-access gates need more space, stronger support, and careful planning around swing or travel paths.
When to Choose a Walk Gate
Choose a walk gate when only people, pets and garden equipment pass through. It is lighter, cheaper, easy to open with one hand and easy to keep latched — which also makes it the safer choice around children and pools.
When to Choose a Driveway Gate
Choose a drive gate when a vehicle, trailer or equipment needs into the yard, or when you want to close a driveway. Check the swing: a double gate needs clear, reasonably level ground on the side it opens toward, or it will drag.
Matching Function to Layout
Many yards use both: a walk gate near the house for daily use and a double gate at the side or back for occasional access. Putting a small walk gate beside a drive gate saves opening the big one every day.
Gate Installation and Gate Repair Services
Access should be designed with the fence, not cut into it later. A properly planned gate installation keeps the opening convenient without weakening the surrounding run or creating a chronic alignment problem.
Installing Gates with New Fences
The best time to add a gate is while the fence is being built. The gate posts are set deeper and heavier than line posts, the opening is sized exactly, and the gate is built to the same design. See gate installation.
Repairing Existing Gates
Most gate problems — sagging, dragging, a latch that no longer catches — come from a loose hinge, a racked frame or a post that has leaned. Tightening or replacing hinges, adding an anti-sag brace or resetting the post usually fixes it. See gate repair.
Replacing Unsafe or Damaged Gates
When the frame is rotted or broken, the hinge post has rotted at the ground, or a gate no longer closes securely around a pool or a busy street, replacing the gate and its posts is the reliable answer rather than another adjustment.
Matching Gates to Your Fence Style
A gate should feel like part of the fence rather than a visual interruption. Board direction, picket spacing, rail alignment, caps, finish, and hardware can all be coordinated.
Material Matching
A gate built from the same boards, pickets or panels as its fence disappears into the line when closed. Where a wide opening needs a stronger frame, a steel frame with the fence material fixed to its face keeps the look while doing the structural work.
Hardware and Appearance
Black powder-coated hinges and latches suit most fences; strap hinges and a thumb latch give a traditional look to cedar. Size hardware for the gate's weight first and choose the finish second — undersized hinges are the most common reason gates sag.
Privacy and Security Considerations
On a privacy fence, the gate should have no gaps wider than the fence around it and close tight to its posts. For security, use hinges that cannot be lifted off from outside, a lockable latch on the inside, and keep the gap under the gate small.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of fence gates do you install?
Single walk gates, double gates for driveways and equipment, and wider gates for commercial sites, in cedar and other wood, vinyl, chain link and ornamental steel or aluminum, each matched to its fence.
Do you build gates for wood, vinyl, and chain link fences?
Yes. Wood gates are built on a braced frame, vinyl gates use the manufacturer's reinforced gate kit, and chain link gates are welded steel frames with matching mesh.
Can you repair existing gates?
Yes, when the frame and posts are still sound: resetting a leaning post, replacing hinges and latches, squaring a racked frame and adding an anti-sag brace. If the frame or hinge post has rotted, replacement is the better value.
Do you install driveway gates and walk gates?
Yes, both. Walk gates start around $650 and double drive gates around $1,900 when built with a new fence; the final price depends on width, material and hardware.
How do I choose the right gate for my fence?
Measure what needs to pass through, decide whether a vehicle ever will, check which way the gate can swing without hitting a slope or path, and match the material to the fence. The rest — posts, bracing and hardware — follows from the gate's width and weight.