How to Measure Your Gate Opening

What you need

A tape measure that reads at least 16 feet, a helper for wide openings, a level, and a phone to photograph everything. Steel posts are not always perfectly plumb, so measure at more than one height.

Step 1: Measure the width

Measure the clear distance between the inside faces of the posts or columns. For a swing gate, take three measurements: at the bottom, at mid height, and at the top. Use the smallest of the three as your gate width so the gate can swing freely without binding.

For a double swing gate, measure the total clear opening. We divide the width across two leaves and plan for the space each leaf needs to open.

For a sliding or cantilever gate, also measure the run of available space beside the opening, because the gate needs room to slide fully open.

Step 2: Measure the height

Measure from the ground to the top of the post or the bottom of any header, at both sides. Driveways are rarely level, and the ground often drops from one side to the other. Tell us the drop and we build the gate so the top line reads level even where the ground is not.

If you want clearance under the gate for water flow or uneven ground, tell us that number too. A common driveway gate hangs 2 to 4 inches above grade.

Step 3: Check the posts

Note the post size (pipe diameter or column face), the post material, and whether the posts are set in concrete. If you are ordering an insert panel for an existing gate, measure the inside of the gate frame, between the crossmembers, the same way: top, middle, and bottom, and use the smallest.

Step 4: Photograph and send

Stand back and photograph the opening square-on, plus a close-up of the posts and any automation hardware. Include your three width measurements, the height at each side, and the ground drop in your quote request. Photos catch what numbers miss.

Common mistakes

Measuring the outside of the posts instead of the inside faces. Forgetting that a swing gate needs swing room across its whole arc. Assuming the driveway is level. Measuring an old gate and ordering the same size without checking that the opening itself still matches. And writing measurements in mixed units. Pick inches or feet and inches and stay with one.

When in doubt, ask

If your opening is odd, sloped, or you are simply unsure, request a quote and describe what you see. We would rather answer a measurement question before the build than after it, and we build to the numbers you confirm.