The chassis decides how long it lasts
Every hardwood gate we build starts as a welded steel frame — 2″ × 2″ tube at 11 gauge, squared on the bench before any facing goes on. A hardwood leaf without a steel chassis racks inside a season; the diagonal sags, the latch stops meeting the strike, and no amount of adjustment brings it back.
The opening width sets almost everything else: the operator, the post size, the footing depth and whether the gate slides or swings at all. A 20′ opening on a short driveway cannot swing inward without eating the parking pad, which is why we measure the swing path on site rather than quoting from a photograph.
Four ways a gate can open
Runs on a bottom track or a V-groove wheel. Needs a clear backrun as long as the opening — the most common reason a slide gate gets ruled out on site.
One or two leaves on posts. Cheapest to automate, but needs level ground through the whole arc and a driveway deep enough that the leaf does not block the sidewalk.
Hangs from a counterbalance, touching nothing at the opening. The answer where the driveway floods, ices or slopes across the run.
Folds in half as it swings. Costs more in hardware but opens fast in a short driveway — worth it where a slide has nowhere to go.
Driveway gates we have built
What decides the detail
A solid leaf over 6′ on an exposed ridge is a sail. Post, footing and operator get sized to the load, or the gate tears off its track inside two winters.
Gate posts go deeper than fence posts and get more concrete. A gate post set like a fence post will lean within a year, and the lean shows in the reveal.
Hardwood moves with the season. We hang leaves on adjustable hinges so the gap can be reset without cutting anything.
Questions we get asked
How long does a custom driveway gate take?
Six to ten weeks from site visit to handover. Roughly two weeks of that is drawings and permit, three to five is fabrication and finishing, and the install itself is two to four days including the operator. HOA design review can add a month, and that is the single most common cause of delay.
Do I need a permit for a driveway gate?
In most of Los Angeles, yes — for the gate itself if it exceeds height limits, and separately for the electrical run to the operator. We handle LADBS submittal and HOA review. Skipping the permit is the fastest way to be told to remove a finished gate.
Slide or swing — which is right for my driveway?
Swing is cheaper if you have level ground through the full arc and enough driveway depth that an open leaf will not block the sidewalk. Slide needs a clear backrun as long as the opening. If neither is available, cantilever or bi-fold solves it. We settle this on the site visit with a tape measure.
What happens in a power cut?
Every operator we install carries battery backup, so the gate keeps cycling for a day or so on its own. All of them also have a manual release you can reach from the driveway. On long runs we quote a solar panel as an option.
Get a real number
Tell us the opening width and we will tell you what it takes. Site visits are free inside the service area and take about forty minutes.