Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Plano
Gate installation in Plano is rarely a simple drop-in job. The soil moves, the HOAs watch, and the builder-grade operators from the 1990s are now failing under gates they were never sized to handle. We know because we work these streets every week. When you call Gatewood Fence & Gate at (325) 936-1371, you get Hal Gatewood’s crew, a live person on the phone, and an upfront price before we touch the first post. We serve the whole Plano area, from Legacy to Willow Bend to the older neighborhoods east of 75.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Plano’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
We’re not a franchise with a dispatcher in another state. Hal Gatewood has run this shop since 2001, and his name is on every invoice. When a Plano homeowner calls about a sagging swing gate or an operator that won’t respond, the person who answers the phone can actually explain what’s probably wrong before anyone drives out. That kind of local knowledge only comes from years of fixing gates in the same subdivisions, on the same soil, with the same HOA rulebooks.
Our reputation in Plano is built on the 90-Day Done Right Promise, stamped in writing on every Gate Installation job. If something isn’t right, one call brings us back. No runaround. We also weld on site, which matters more than you’d think: we can repair and reinforce a gate frame in your driveway instead of hauling it off to a shop for a week. That’s how a repair-first company actually works in practice, and it’s exactly why Plano homeowners who have been burned by national outfits end up calling us next.
Our Gate Installation Services in Plano
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates dominate Plano’s subdivision entrances and driveway approaches, especially in the 1990s-built communities along the western corridors. We install both single-leaf and double swing gates, set posts deep enough to handle Blackland Prairie clay movement, and match the finish to what your HOA will approve. If you’re adding automation, we run the conduit before the post is set, not after.
Driveway Gate Installation
A driveway gate in Plano has to handle three things: the weight of the gate, the heave of the soil, and the expectations of the neighborhood association. We size the operator to the gate, not to what the builder originally installed. Most 16-foot iron driveway gates we encounter in Plano were paired with builder-grade operators that were undersized from day one. We fix that math before we buy the hardware.
Security Gate Installation
Security gates in Plano range from decorative ornamental iron to serious perimeter barriers with keypad access and vehicle detection loops. We handle the full run: footings, steel work, operator mount, safety edges, and control wiring. Every safety edge and photocell gets tested before we call the job done. If it can close on a kid or a car, we want it to stop first.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Pedestrian gates flank most Plano backyards and pool enclosures. These are often cedar picket or board-on-board, and after 30 years in Plano’s wet-dry cycles, the post is usually the problem, not the panel. We replace the post, re-plumb the gate, and keep the old pickets if they’re still sound. It saves money and matches the fence line better than new wood.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Plano
We stock parts and service operators from LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Hal is certified on all nine brands, which means we can troubleshoot a Ghost Controls board as easily as a Viking arm. Plano customers don’t wait two weeks for a part to ship from a warehouse in Ohio. We keep common boards, arms, and safety edge components on the truck, so the fix usually happens on the first visit.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Plano Homes
- Builder-grade operators failing under heavy gates. Plano subdivisions built in the 1990s often came with the cheapest operator the developer could spec. A 16-foot iron gate on a motor rated for half that weight burns out in three to five years. We replace the operator and the mount, not just the board.
- Black clay heaving posts out of plumb. Plano sits on expansive clay that swells after rain and shrinks in drought. Posts set in shallow concrete footings move inches per season, twisting the gate out of alignment. We set posts below the active soil zone and pack with gravel where it makes sense.
- Missing conduit and power runs. Many Plano properties built before 2000 have no electrical run from the house to the gate location. Trenching through black clay is rough work, and PVC that flexes with the soil eventually cracks. We lay schedule 40 conduit with expansion joints and pull wire rated for the run.
- HOA finish mismatches. Install a gate that’s close, but not exact, to the approved wrought-iron finish and the HOA will send a letter. We photograph existing fence sections, match the powder coat, and document the install for approval before the concrete sets.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Plano, TX
A typical single swing driveway gate with manual hardware in Plano runs $1,200 to $2,800 depending on width, material, and post depth. Adding an automatic operator brings the job to $3,500 to $6,500 installed, including wiring, safety edges, and programming. A pedestrian gate replacement, post and all, usually lands between $450 and $1,100. Ornamental iron driveway gates with automation on 16-foot openings can push $7,000 to $10,000 when you factor in the heavier operator, custom finish, and longer conduit runs.
What changes the number: gate width, iron versus cedar, whether there’s existing conduit, and how far the power source is from the hinge post. We quote the price before work starts and it doesn’t change at the door. Estimates are free. Call (325) 936-1371 and we’ll walk the site with you.
We Also Serve Cities Near Plano
Our crews work throughout Plano and the surrounding North Dallas suburbs. If you’re in Richardson, Addison, Coppell, or Dallas proper, you’ll get the same live-answer phone, same upfront pricing, and same 90-Day Done Right Promise. The drive takes us a little longer, but the job doesn’t change.
Serving Plano, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Plano area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Gate Installation in Plano
In most Plano master-planned communities, yes. Legacy, Willow Bend, and dozens of other subdivisions have architectural control committees that must approve gate materials, finishes, height, and even the operator housing color before installation. We can help you prepare the submittal: photographs of the existing fence, a finish sample, and a written description of the work. Most Plano HOAs approve standard installations within two to four weeks, but it’s always better to check before the concrete goes in. Call (325) 936-1371 and we’ll help you figure out what your specific HOA requires.
Because the post was set shallow in expansive clay. Plano’s Blackland Prairie soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and shallow footings move with it. A gate that was plumb in April can be an inch out by September. We set posts below the active soil zone and re-plumb the gate to match the fence line, not the ground. The fix is almost always in the post, not the hinge.
Yes, and we do it all the time in Plano. The catch is the power run. Many homes built before 2000 have no conduit from the house to the gate post, and trenching through black clay is not a weekend job. We run the electrical, set the operator mount, install safety edges and photocells, and program the remote. The gate itself usually needs no changes unless the hinges or posts are worn.
Pouring a shallow concrete footing and calling it good. In Plano’s expansive clay, a 2-foot hole with a bag of Quikrete will not hold a gate post through one full wet-dry season. The post heaves, the gate binds, and the hinges get destroyed. We’ve fixed enough of these to know what it costs, and it’s always more than doing the footing right the first time.
Yes. Automatic gate operators must comply with UL 325 entrapment protection standards, which means monitored safety edges, photocells, or both, depending on the gate type. This isn’t optional, and it’s not something we’ll skip to save money. When we install an operator on a Plano property, every safety device is tested on-site before we leave. Call (325) 936-1371 for a free estimate on a code-compliant automated gate.
What Makes Plano Different: HOA Specs and Expansive Clay
Plano’s master-planned communities, Legacy and Willow Bend among them, run on architectural standards that most Texas cities don’t have. Cedar picket gates have to match the existing fence’s board width and stain tone. Ornamental iron has to match the existing wrought-iron’s powder-coat color, sometimes down to the gloss level. We’ve been through enough HOA submittals to know what gets approved and what gets flagged, and we document every installation so the review board can see exactly what was done.
Then there’s the soil. Plano sits on Blackland Prairie clay that can move a gate post several inches in a single season. Concrete footings poured too shallow crack, tilt, and eventually pull the gate out of alignment. We learned to set posts deeper than the minimum, pack the base with gravel for drainage, and use through-bolts instead of lag screws on hinge posts. It costs a little more up front and saves a service call every spring.
We also see a pattern specific to Plano’s 1990s building era: builder-grade gate operators that were never designed for the gates they’re attached to. A 16-foot ornamental iron driveway gate with a cheap residential arm operator is a motor waiting to burn out. When we install a gate in Plano, we size the operator to the gate’s actual weight and duty cycle. That sounds obvious, but half the jobs we walk into have a mismatch the original builder never corrected.
In a Willow Bend subdivision, we installed a LiftMaster swing gate operator on a 1990s ornamental iron driveway gate. The original builder-grade operator had never been upgraded, and the HOA required a powder-coat finish to match the existing fence. We ran new conduit from the house to the hinge post, set a fresh post footing for the operator mount, and synced safety photocells across the approach, then documented the install for HOA approval. That’s the kind of job we do regularly in Plano.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Your Plano Gate Installation
If you’re planning a new gate or replacing one that’s sagging, call (325) 936-1371. Hal Gatewood or one of his crew will answer, ask a few questions, and set a time to come look. The estimate is free, the price is quoted before work starts, and every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. Seniors and veterans get a standing 10% discount. If you’d rather talk in person, the shop address is published and the coffee’s usually on.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Plano since 2001.