Swing gate or slide gate
Swing gates hang on hinges from one post (single) or two posts (double). They are the most common choice for houses with a straight, fairly level driveway. They need clear room to swing, so the driveway behind the gate has to be flat enough that the bottom of the gate clears it through the whole arc. On a driveway that climbs toward the garage, the gate may need to open outward or be split into two leaves.
Slide gates roll sideways along the fence line. They make sense on sloped driveways, in tight spaces and where wind would catch a swinging leaf. A slide gate needs fence line beside the opening at least as long as the gate itself. Cantilever slide gates ride on rollers mounted to posts and avoid a ground track, which helps in snow country.
Mounting a linear operatorOpeners and power
An automatic gate needs an operator sized for the gate's weight and length, and power to run it. A low-voltage line from the house is the most reliable option. For gates far from the house or where trenching under a driveway is not practical, a solar panel and battery kit is common. Short winter days drain the battery faster, so we size the panel and battery for December, not June.
Access options include remote clickers, a keypad on a post, a phone app or an intercom. A vehicle loop or exit wand lets cars leave without a remote.
Safety devices are not optional
Automatic gates can trap and crush. The safety standard for gate operators, UL 325, requires entrapment protection, and the construction standard for automated gates, ASTM F2200, covers things like the size of openings near the gate edge. In practice that means photo-eye sensors across the opening, contact edges where needed, and no gaps a hand or a child's head could get caught in. We set the force and reverse settings and test them before we leave.
Posts, hinges and sag
Most saggy driveway gates have the same causes: posts that are too light, footings that are too shallow, or hinges that cannot carry the weight. A 12- to 16-foot steel gate leaf puts a lot of leverage on its hinge post. We use heavier posts and deeper footings at gates, and adjustable hinges so the gate can be trued later without welding.
Heavier posts at the gateSnow and wind
Snow piles up at the bottom of a swing gate and stops it cold. Leaving enough clearance under the gate and keeping the swing area clear matters more here than in milder places. A gate with solid infill catches wind like a sail, so an opener on a solid gate needs more power and a stronger lock than on an open picket gate.
Spring snow on the railWestminster permits and HOAs
The gate is part of the fence, so the same height limits apply: 36 inches in front of the house, 42 if it is an open ornamental design, and six feet behind the front building line. Many driveway gates sit behind the front line of the house, which allows a taller gate. Electrical work for an opener is permitted separately. Your HOA will usually want to see the gate design and color before it goes in.
Automatic gate, installed
$2,380to$8,000
Average about $4,000
Angi · checked Oct 2026 · national
Swing gate, by size
$500to$6,000
10 ft to 16 ft openings
Angi · national
Cantilever slide gate
$6,000to$10,000
Gate type range
Angi · national
