How to Measure Your Driveway for a Custom Gate

How to Measure Your Driveway for a Custom Gate

A gate built to the wrong width is a costly mistake. Here is how to measure your opening so your custom gate fits the first time.

1. Measure the Opening Width

Measure the clear distance between where the two gate posts will sit, at the height the gate will hang. Measure at the ground and again at the top of the opening; if the numbers differ, the opening is out of square and we need to know.

2. Check the Swing or Slide Clearance

For a swing gate, measure how far back from the posts the gate can arc before hitting a wall, fence, or landscaping. For a sliding gate, measure the clear run along the fence line the gate needs to slide into, plus room for the operator and tail.

3. Measure the Height

Decide how tall you want the gate and measure from the ground to that height at both posts. Sloped ground means the gate may need to follow the grade or be set higher on one side.

4. Note the Slope

A driveway that slopes up from the road limits swing gates, since the gate will scrape as it opens. Note the slope direction and roughly how steep it is. Photos help.

5. Check for Power

If you want automation, note how far the nearest power is from the gate. For remote sites, a solar opener may be the better path.

6. Send Photos

Photos from the road looking in and from inside looking out, plus a photo of each post location, let us confirm your measurements and recommend a gate type.