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.
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Hillsborough
Gate installation in Hillsborough means working on heavy, custom-fabricated iron and steel gates hung on steep, moisture-exposed lots, often in front of estate properties that fall under Architectural Review Board oversight. If your driveway gate has failed, or you’re planning a new one, we can typically have a crew at your Hillsborough property the same day you call. Hal Gatewood has been doing this since 2001, and our shop carries the high-torque operators and retrofit safety components these hillside systems demand. Call (877) 610-2993 and you’ll get a live person, not a menu.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Hillsborough’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
We are not a franchise van with a rotating cast. Hal Gatewood’s name is on the shop, and the person who shows up to quote your Hillsborough gate is the same person who will stand behind the work. That matters here because Hillsborough gates are rarely off-the-shelf. They’re ornamental, heavy, and integrated with intercoms, cameras, and keypads. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and that is where we start.
Our Gate Installation team regularly works along Crystal Springs Road, in the western hillside estates near the watershed, and throughout the 94010 zip code. We know what the fog does to control boards. We know what a landscaper-installed operator on a 15-degree grade does to a worm gear. And we quote the full price before any work starts, so the number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice.
Every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it is not right, one call brings Hal back. No runaround, no fine print about “normal wear.”
Our Gate Installation Services in Hillsborough
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates are the most common gate style in Hillsborough, and they are also the most abused. On a flat lot, a standard swing operator handles the load fine. On a Hillsborough driveway climbing toward the house, the same operator burns out early. We size the motor for the actual torque required by the grade, not the brochure spec. That single calculation is the difference between a gate that runs for fifteen years and one that strips a worm gear in three.
Double Gate Installation
Double gates dominate Hillsborough’s wider estate entrances. Two-leaf systems weigh more, cycle more, and require synchronized operators that do not fight each other. We fabricate and hang the leaves, set the posts, and program both operators so the gate opens and closes as one unit. If your current double gate has one leaf lagging, the problem is usually a worn hinge or a misaligned limit switch, not the panel itself. We check before we quote a replacement.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Many Hillsborough properties have a separate pedestrian gate beside the driveway gate. These often get overlooked until the latch fails or the post rots. We install and rebuild pedestrian gates to match the main driveway gate’s finish and hardware, which keeps the Architectural Review Board happy and the property looking intentional rather than patched together.
Security Gate Installation
Security in Hillsborough is less about keeping the gate closed and more about controlling who gets through. We install keypad entry, video intercom, and phone-based access systems that tie into your existing gate. For older gates that only have a remote, we can retrofit UL 325-compliant photocells and edge sensors while adding the access system, so one visit solves both security and safety.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hillsborough
We service and install FAAC, BFT, Linear, and Viking operators, along with the rest of the major gate brands. We keep common control boards, limit switches, and safety sensor kits stocked so we can fix a Hillsborough gate the same week rather than telling you to wait on a backorder. If you already have a brand you prefer, we work with it. If you do not know what you have, we’ll identify it on the first visit and explain your options in plain English.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Hillsborough Homes
- Landscaper-installed operators on steep driveways. A general contractor hangs the gate, wires a motor spec’d for a flat lot, and walks away. Two to three years later the motor is dead and the worm gear is stripped. We see this constantly in Hillsborough, especially on the long grade climbs off Crystal Springs Road.
- Marine layer corrosion inside operator housings. The fog that rolls through the San Francisco Bay corridor keeps moisture inside control boards and wiring terminals. Intermittent failures, phantom openings, and dead keypads are often traced back to corroded connectors, not a bad board.
- Older gates missing modern entrapment protection. A gate hung twenty years ago often has no photocells and no reversing edge. If we do any new installation on that gate, we add UL 325-compliant safety sensors as part of the job. It is not optional on our work.
- Sagging wrought iron panels with intact operators. The motor works, but the gate drags on the driveway. The failure is in the hinge post or the hinge itself. A new operator will not fix a sagging panel. We fix the post, re-hang the leaf, and keep your existing ironwork.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Hillsborough, CA
A new single swing gate operator installed in Hillsborough typically runs $1,800 to $3,400, depending on the weight of the existing gate and the grade of the driveway. A complete double swing gate system, including new steel or aluminum panels, posts, and high-torque operators, usually lands between $9,000 and $22,000. Pedestrian gate installation is smaller: $1,200 to $3,800 for a custom gate matched to your driveway gate’s finish. Security gate additions like keypad entry and video intercom run $800 to $2,500 per access point.
These are honest Hillsborough numbers, not teaser prices. The final figure is quoted and agreed before any work starts. We do not show up with a clipboard and then add “unforeseen conditions” to the bill. You will know the number before we touch the gate. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hillsborough
We work throughout Hillsborough and the surrounding Peninsula. If you are in Burlingame, Millbrae, San Mateo, or San Bruno, the same crew, the same 90-Day Done Right Promise, and the same upfront pricing apply. The drive is short, and the standards do not drop.
Serving Hillsborough, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough
Yes. In most cases we can install a new operator on your existing gate and keep the original ironwork intact. Hillsborough’s Architectural Review Board requires like-for-like restoration of gate aesthetics, so we match the operator housing and mounting hardware to the existing finish. If the post is solid and the hinges are sound, the gate stays exactly where it is. We replace what failed, not what is still working. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact assessment.
The motor burned out because it was undersized for the uphill torque load. A double swing gate on a steep Hillsborough driveway, especially one on the grade climbs near Crystal Springs Road, puts far more resistance on the operator than the same gate on a flat lot. If the operator was spec’d without accounting for that grade, the motor and worm gear fail within a few years. We size the replacement operator for the actual load, not the gate’s width alone. That is the whole fix.
In most Hillsborough neighborhoods, yes. The Architectural Review Board enforces appearance standards for new gates and any visible hardware changes. A like-for-like replacement of a failed operator typically does not trigger review, but a new gate panel or a change in finish usually does. We know what the ARB expects and we install to that standard. If you are uncertain whether your project needs approval, call us and we will tell you what we have seen approved on similar Hillsborough properties.
Yes. We retrofit keypad entry, video intercom, and phone-based access onto older Hillsborough gates regularly. The work involves running new low-voltage wiring, installing the keypad and intercom station, and programming the new access system to work with your existing operator. We also add or verify UL 325 entrapment protection at the same time, because older Hillsborough gates often lack it. One visit handles both access and safety.
Usually not. A sagging wrought iron gate is almost always a hinge post problem, not a panel problem. The post has shifted or the hinge has worn, and the leaf is now hanging lower than it should. We re-set the post, service or replace the hinge, and re-hang the gate so it clears the driveway. The ornamental ironwork stays. Fix the panel without the post and you will fix it twice.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Gate Installation in Hillsborough
If your Hillsborough gate has failed, or you are planning a new one on a steep or gated estate lot, call us. You will talk to a live person, get a straight answer, and receive a free written estimate before any work begins. Hal Gatewood has been fixing and installing gates since 2001, and the shop stands behind every job with the 90-Day Done Right Promise. Call (877) 610-2993 now and get the gate done right.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Hillsborough and the surrounding Peninsula since 2001.