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 Lanham
Gate installation in Lanham runs $1,800 to $9,500 for most residential and HOA jobs, depending on whether we’re setting a new driveway gate, replacing a 40-year-old community swing gate, or converting a tight entry to a slide gate. We’re not guessing at those numbers. We’ve been doing this work in Lanham long enough to know exactly what the freeze-thaw clay does to gate posts and what those 1980s operators wired into shared 110V circuits do when the summer humidity hits. Call (877) 610-2993 and Hal will talk you through what your entry actually needs, not what’s easiest to sell.
Most Lanham gate installation work comes down to one thing: the tight lots and shared driveways here were designed around gated common entries back when builders still understood parking geometry. That means a Gate Installation job in 20706 is rarely a simple swap-out. It’s a matter of sizing the gate to the actual space, setting footings below the clay expansion zone, and making sure the operator runs on a circuit that won’t trip every time the mailbox kiosk lights come on. We do all of it locally.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Lanham’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
Hal Gatewood has been the name on the shop since 2001, and the shop isn’t hidden behind a website form. People in Lanham call, a live person answers, and the same crew that quotes the job shows up to do it. We’re owner-operated, not a franchise rolling trucks in from three counties away. The person who welds your gate is the person whose name is on the invoice.
Our reputation with Lanham HOAs and homeowners comes from the repair-first approach. We don’t haul a gate off to some warehouse and call back in a month. We weld on-site, fix the post that’s actually failing, and stand behind every install with a 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not done right, one call brings us back. No runaround.
We know the pocket communities along Annapolis Road, the townhome clusters in 20706, and the older single-family streets in 20703. We know which communities run Apollo and Linear operators on 110V circuits shared with common-area lighting. We know the clay. We know the tight driveways. That local knowledge means fewer surprises on install day.
Our Gate Installation Services in Lanham
Driveway Gate Installation
Driveway gates in Lanham have to work with what the builder left you. Many 1970s and 1980s driveways are narrow, with setbacks under 20 feet from the curb. We size swing geometry carefully so a gate never blocks the shared right-of-way, and we recommend slide gates where a swing would eat too much driveway space. Every driveway gate install includes post footings drilled below the clay expansion zone, so the first freeze-thaw cycle doesn’t throw your gate out of plumb.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Pedestrian gates in Lanham’s HOA communities see more cycles than nearly any other gate type. Mail carriers, kids walking to school, landscapers with equipment. We set these with reinforced posts and hardware sized for heavy daily use, not the light-duty stuff that sags in 18 months. If your community needs a pedestrian gate matched to an existing vehicle gate, we match the iron, the finish, and the hardware so it doesn’t look like an afterthought.
Sliding Gate Installation
Sliding gate installation is our most common call in Lanham because so many driveways off Annapolis Road and Lanham Severn Road simply don’t have the swing room a double gate needs. A slide gate runs parallel to the fence line on a track or cantilever rail, so it doesn’t encroach on a neighbor’s parking pad or a tight sidewalk. We install rack-and-pinion slide gates with deep footings and operators sized for the gate’s actual weight. On shared driveways in 20706 townhome clusters, a properly sized slide gate is often the only workable option.
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates look great on wider Lanham lots, but the hinges and posts take real abuse here. Piedmont clay heaves and contracts every winter, and a post that wasn’t set deep enough will lean within two seasons. We drill footings past the frost line and into stable soil, set posts plumb, and hang the gate with adjustable hinges so we can true it up years later if the ground shifts. For double gates, we set the center stop and load the leafs evenly so one side doesn’t carry all the weight and start dragging.
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 Lanham
We install and service gate operators from Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing. We see a lot of aging Linear and Apollo operators in Lanham’s 1980s-era HOA entries, and we keep replacement parts for those units on the truck because waiting on a distributor means your gate stays down for an extra week. When an old operator isn’t worth repairing, we recommend a current unit that fits the existing wiring and gate weight, and we handle the full swap on-site. We also service and upgrade to LiftMaster operators for communities that want current safety features and easier maintenance.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Lanham Homes
- Post heaving from freeze-thaw clay. Prince George’s County clay absorbs water and expands in winter, then contracts in summer. A gate post set in a shallow footing will tilt within 18 months. We drill below the expansion zone on every install so the post stays where we set it.
- Shared 110V circuits tripping operators. Many Lanham communities run the entry gate operator on the same breaker as mailbox kiosk lighting or common-area outlets. Nuisance tripping kills the gate mid-cycle. We check the panel before condemning the operator, and on new installs we often run a dedicated circuit or size the operator for the existing load.
- Swing gates blocking shared driveways. In 20706 townhome clusters, a swing gate sized for one unit’s driveway can sweep across a neighbor’s parking pad. We measure actual swing clearance before we recommend a gate type, and we’re not shy about telling a customer that a slide gate is the right call even if it costs a bit more.
- Rust pitting on ungalvanized iron. Lanham’s summer humidity runs above 70% for months, and the 1980s-1990s community gates that skipped hot-dip galvanizing before powder-coating are now pitting through. On a new install, we spec galvanized steel or properly primed aluminum so the gate doesn’t look like Swiss cheese in ten years.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Lanham, MD
Here are honest ranges for Lanham work. A basic single driveway swing gate on a standard 20706 lot runs $2,200 to $4,800, including posts, hardware, and a basic operator. A slide gate installation for a tight shared driveway off Annapolis Road typically runs $4,500 to $9,500, depending on gate width, track type, and operator features. A double security gate for an HOA entry runs $6,000 to $14,000, including access control if needed. A pedestrian gate alone is usually $900 to $2,400. The price we quote is the price you pay. We go over the numbers before any work starts, and you’ll have it in writing.
We offer a free estimate on every gate installation in Lanham. There’s no trip charge inside the county, and we’ll do a free second opinion on any written estimate you already have. Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll schedule a time to look at the site and give you a real number.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lanham
Our Lanham crew covers the surrounding communities regularly. We install and repair gates in Glenarden, Summerfield, Walker Mill, and Coral Hills, so if you’re just over the line from Lanham, call us. We’re close enough to show up on time, and familiar enough with the local codes and HOA rules that the permit process doesn’t stall your job.
Serving Lanham, MD - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lanham 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 Lanham
Yes, and this is one of the most common gate installations we do in Lanham. A slide gate runs parallel to the fence line, so it doesn’t sweep across your neighbor’s parking pad or the shared right-of-way. We measure the actual driveway width and setback, then spec a slide gate that fits without eating your usable parking. For driveways under roughly 20 feet of depth, a slide gate is almost always the better choice. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come measure it for free.
It can, because we’ll address the circuit, not just the operator. Many Lanham community gate entries share a 110V breaker with common-area lighting, and nuisance tripping is often the real reason the gate goes dead, not a failed motor. On a new installation we check the panel first, and if the circuit is overloaded we run a dedicated line or install an operator sized for the existing load. Just swapping the operator without fixing the circuit means the new gate will trip too. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll diagnose it before quoting a full install.
We keep a pedestrian gate open and accessible during the entire installation. For double gate installs at community entries, we stage the work so one side of the vehicle entry stays passable where the layout allows, and we schedule the gate-off time for the shortest possible window. Residents off Annapolis Road still get their mail, still walk in, still drive through. We explained this same sequence to a townhome cluster where we swapped a failed swing gate for a slide gate, and not one resident lost access for a full day. Call (877) 610-2993 to talk through the schedule for your community.
A sagging gate usually means the hinge post is moving, not the panel itself. In Lanham’s clay soil, the post is the first thing to fail because it’s set in a shallow footing that heaves with every freeze-thaw cycle. Replace the panel without resetting the post and you’ll do the job twice. We’ll inspect the post, check the hinges, and tell you honestly if the gate can be repaired or if a full reinstall with deeper footings is the only way to stop the sag for good. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll look at it before you spend money on a panel.
Yes. UL 325 requires automatic gate operators to have a primary entrapment protection device (such as photocells or a reversing edge) and a secondary device (like a contact edge) on all installs, plus proper warning signage. For HOA-common gates, we install current-code operators with safety photocells and loop detectors or pressure edges as needed, and we make sure the gate force and travel limits are set correctly. We’re not going to install a gate that doesn’t meet the standard. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll spec the right operator for your community’s entry.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Lanham since 2001.