Automatic Gate Installation
A new driveway or entry gate, sized to your opening, your slope and the way you use the drive, built for salt air and summer storms, and tested with you before we call it done.
Choosing a gate for a Southwest Florida property
Three choices shape every new gate: how it opens (it swings, slides along the fence line, or rolls on a cantilever frame), what it is made of, and how it is opened (by hand, by an opener with a remote and keypad, or by an access system shared by a whole community). The site settles a lot of it. A swing gate needs level, clear ground across the arc of its leaves; a slide gate needs a straight run beside the opening; a cantilever gate needs that run too, plus room for its counterweight tail.
Our part of Florida adds its own rules. The soil is mostly sand over a high water table, so posts need deep, wide concrete footings to stay plumb. Many drives are flat and low, which matters for underground operators that can sit in water after a summer downpour. A solid privacy gate catches wind like a sail in a squall or a hurricane, so its posts, hinges and stops have to be sized for that. Within a few miles of the Gulf, salt air eats unprotected steel, which is why we lean toward aluminum and stainless hardware there. And in most communities the HOA has a say in height, style and color.
How an installation goes
- Survey We measure the opening, the slope and the room beside it, look at drainage and where water stands after rain, find where power can come from, and note sprinkler heads and anything buried. Before any digging, a Sunshine 811 request goes in at least two full business days ahead so buried utility lines are marked, as Florida law requires.
- Design We settle the gate type, material and style, the operator, the access devices (remotes, keypad, intercom or app) and the safety devices, and you get a written estimate that lists them.
- Permitting and approvals HOA architectural approval where there is one, then the building and electrical permits your address calls for. We go over what each one needs with you, so nothing holds up the install day.
- Installation Posts and footings first, with time for the concrete to cure; then the gate is hung, leveled and fitted with stops, the operator is mounted and wired, and the photo eyes, safety edges and access devices go in.
- Testing and handover Full open and close cycles, force and reversal tests on every safety device, remotes and keypad codes programmed, and a walk-through of the manual release with you, so you can open the gate by hand in a power cut.
Sizing guide: which gate fits your drive?
Width and slope rule out some gate types straight away; the room beside the opening and the power at the gate decide the rest. Try your numbers, then bring the result to the survey.
Gate Sizing Guide
Measure across the drive where the gate posts will stand, then answer three quick questions about the spot.
Your recommended gate type and opener will appear here.
Materials at a glance
The short version of our full materials comparison, which adds cost level and lifespan and compares the gate types too.
| Material | Best for | Durability here | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | Most driveway gates near the coast; HOA-friendly styles | Excellent: it does not rust, so salt air is not a worry | Low: rinse it now and then, touch up chips in the coating |
| Wrought iron | Ornate estate entrances where the look matters most | Good only while the coating is intact; rust starts at chips and welds | High: inspect yearly, treat rust spots, repaint every few years |
| Steel | Wide or heavy-duty gates on commercial lots | Good when galvanized and powder-coated; weak spots are cut edges | Medium: keep the coating sealed, watch the bottom rail and hinges |
| Wood | A warm, natural look on privacy gates set back from the beach | Fair: sun, rain and termites work on it year-round | High: reseal regularly, check for rot at the bottom and the hinges |
| Vinyl | Light privacy or pool-area gates, usually opened by hand | Good against salt; strong sun can chalk or yellow it | Low: wash it; check the inner frame and hinge screws |
Gates we have put in
Swing, slide and cantilever gates in metal and wood from our gallery. We do not have matching before-and-after pairs to show, so these are the finished gates.
Permits, power and timing
Do I need a permit for a new gate?
Often, yes, and an opener with new wiring usually needs an electrical permit as well. Which office issues it depends on the address (the City of Bonita Springs, the Village of Estero, Lee County, Collier County or another town), and each has its own rules on height and setback. In a community with an HOA, the architectural review comes first. We tell you what your address and your HOA ask for during the survey and build the time it takes into the schedule.
What if there is no power at the gate?
There are two common answers. Power can be run from the house in an underground conduit, which is the most reliable choice for a busy gate but means trenching and a permit. Or the gate can run on a solar-charged operator: a panel on a post charges a battery that runs the motor. In Southwest Florida sun that works well for a household gate, as long as the panel is out of palm and oak shade. The sizing guide above takes your power situation into account.
How long does an installation take?
Most of the calendar time goes to things before and around the install day: HOA approval, permits, making the gate and letting new post footings cure before a heavy leaf is hung on them. The work at your property is often a day or two, longer when posts are new, power has to be run or several access devices are wired in. Your written estimate sets out the order of the work so you know when the drive will be blocked.
Can you automate the gate I already have?
Usually, if the gate is sound. Before adding an opener we check that the hinges or rollers move the gate freely, the posts are solid and the leaf is not too heavy or too long for the operator. A gate that binds or sags gets repaired first; an opener will not fix it and the gate will wear the opener out. See openers and access control.
Related pages
Planning a new gate?
Call Declan or send a request with the width of your drive and a photo of the opening. We survey the site, go over the choices and give you a written estimate before anything is ordered.