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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Before
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Lomita
Gate installation in Lomita almost always involves more than hanging a new gate and bolting on a motor. The homes here were mostly built between the late 1940s and mid-1960s, and many still have the original wrought iron driveway gates sized for narrow mid-century cars. If you’re researching what it costs, what the timeline looks like, and whether your old gate can be saved, here’s the short answer: a new residential driveway gate in Lomita typically runs $2,800-$6,500 installed, depending on material, width, and whether the concrete apron needs regrading first. Most jobs take one to two days on site. Call us at (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come measure, talk through what’s actually needed, and give you a written price before any work starts.
Hal Gatewood has been doing this since 2001, and the name is on the shop. We know Lomita’s streets, its housing stock, and the specific ways salt air and 70-year-old iron interact here. That local knowledge is the difference between a quote that holds up and a surprise invoice at the end.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Lomita’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
We’re not a franchise and we don’t run crews from three states away. Hal Gatewood owns the company, answers the phone, and shows up to look at the job himself. Lomita homeowners who’ve been burned by phone quotes that changed at the door tend to appreciate that. A live person answers our calls 24/7. Not a voicemail, not a chatbot. You call, somebody picks up.
Our 90-Day Done Right Promise is stamped in writing on every job. If it’s not right, one call brings us back. No runaround. We also offer free second opinions on any written estimate you’ve gotten from another company. If you have a bid and something feels off, bring it to us and we’ll tell you straight whether it’s fair, padded, or missing something important. Hal has fixed enough sloppy gate work around Lomita to know exactly what to look for.
Lomita sits roughly three to four miles from San Pedro Bay. That proximity shapes every gate we install here. Salt-laden marine air accelerates rust on hinges, latches, and frames far faster than homeowners expect. We spec marine-grade hardware on Lomita jobs as a matter of course, because skipping it means the customer is paying twice in five years. That’s the kind of detail you get from someone who’s looked at hundreds of corroded gates in this exact ZIP code, 90717.
Our Gate Installation Services in Lomita
We handle all the gate work a Lomita home needs, from a simple pedestrian gate off the side yard to a full sliding driveway gate with automation. Here’s how the most common projects break down.
Driveway Gate
A driveway gate in Lomita usually means accommodating an opening that was built for a 1950s car. Eight to nine feet wide is common. That’s tight for a modern swing gate operator, which needs level pad space to mount cleanly. We measure first, tell you honestly whether your existing concrete can support an operator, and if not, we quote the regrade as part of the job rather than surprising you with it later. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come out and look.
Pedestrian Gate
Side-yard and walkway gates in Lomita are often original chain-link or wrought iron with shallow footings and rusted hinge posts. We replace the post, the hinges, and the panel as needed, using galvanized hardware that holds up to the marine layer. A pedestrian gate installation typically runs $900-$2,200 in Lomita, including post setting and hardware. It’s a one-day job in most cases.
Sliding Gate
Sliding gates make a lot of sense on Lomita’s narrow driveways, where a swing gate doesn’t have room to arc without hitting a car or the house. A slide gate tucks parallel to the fence line instead of swinging into the driveway. That’s why we recommend them so often on older lots here. The catch is that a slide gate needs a level track or cantilever system, which sometimes means pouring an extension. We handle the concrete work, the gate, and the operator as one scope. A sliding gate installation in Lomita generally runs $3,800-$7,500 depending on length and operator type.
Swing Gate
Swing gates remain common in Lomita, but the original posts are usually the weak point. If the post is rotted below grade, a new gate on the old post fails within months. We set new posts at proper depth, often in concrete with galvanized steel cores. The Gate Installation team welds on site where needed, so the gate stays in your driveway instead of getting hauled to a shop. Swing gate jobs in Lomita typically cost $2,600-$5,800, with automation adding from there.
Double Gate
Double gates are where we see the most old work fail. Two panels, two hinge posts, and two operators all have to align or the gate chatters, sags, and burns out motors. We see this constantly on older Lomita bungalows. Replacing a double swing or double slide gate properly means addressing both posts, the alignment, and the operator pair in one pass. This runs $4,500-$9,000 for most Lomita driveways.
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 Lomita
We install and service operators from Linear, Viking, DoorKing, and Ghost Controls, among others. That covers most of what’s already on Lomita’s existing gates, which matters when you’re retrofitting rather than starting fresh. Hal keeps common control boards and safety parts on hand for fast turnaround, but we’ll also tell you straight when an old operator isn’t worth fixing. A pre-UL 325 board from the 1990s has no entrapment protection. That’s not something to patch. It’s a safety issue, and we’ll explain why before any new parts go in.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Lomita Homes
Years of working gates in Lomita have shown us the same failure patterns over and over. Here’s what we actually run into:
- Rusted hinge posts below the concrete line. Salt-laden soil and constant humidity eat post steel from below, even when the visible part looks fine. The gate drops, scrapes the driveway, and the hinges tear out. We replace the footings, not just the visible post.
- Gate openings too narrow for a modern swing operator. The 8-9 foot widths common to Lomita’s bungalows leave no level pad space. A swing operator gets torqued or won’t mount cleanly, so we often convert to a slide gate instead.
- Legacy operators without safety sensors. Pre-2000 control boards don’t have photocell entrapment protection. Retrofitting a safety edge and photocells is mandatory when we replace these, and honestly, a new board often costs less than repeated repairs on the old one.
- Chain-link posts leaning from 1950s footings. Shallow original concrete can’t handle the added weight of automation. The post leans, the gate drags, and within months the whole thing is out of square. We set new posts deeper and properly braced.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Lomita, CA
- Pedestrian gate: $900-$2,200
- Swing gate (single): $2,600-$5,800
- Swing gate (double): $4,500-$8,500
- Sliding gate (single): $3,800-$7,500
- Driveway gate with automation: $4,800-$9,000+
- Concrete apron regrade or pad extension: $1,200-$3,200
The concrete work is the wildcard on Lomita jobs. If your original 1950s driveway is too narrow or uneven to mount an operator level, that concrete work is mandatory before anything else happens. We include it in the written quote so you’re comparing complete prices, not guesses. Every price is agreed before work starts. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate, and know that seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lomita
Our crews serve Gate Installation in Lomita and the surrounding South Bay communities, including Torrance, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, and West Carson. If you’re in one of those nearby cities, the same live-answer phone line and 90-Day Done Right Promise apply. Lomita is home base for the work we’re describing here, but we’re on the road throughout the area every week.
Serving Lomita, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lomita 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 Lomita
Why do so many Lomita driveway gates need concrete regrading before installing a gate operator?
Because most Lomita driveways were poured in the 1950s for cars that were a foot and a half narrower than what people drive now. The level pad beside the driveway is either missing or too small to mount a contemporary operator cleanly. A swing arm needs a flat, load-bearing surface to bolt to. If it’s not there, the operator torques, the gate binds, and the motor fails early. We quote the regrade as part of the gate job so there’s no surprise. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact measurement.
Can you retrofit an original 1950s wrought iron gate with a modern automatic opener in Lomita?
Sometimes, yes. If the gate panels are still structurally sound and the hinge posts haven’t rotted below grade, a retrofit with new operators, safety photocells, and marine-grade hardware is doable. But if the posts are compromised or the opening is too narrow for swing clearance, retrofitting becomes more expensive than replacing. We’ll tell you which is which after we look at the gate. Free second opinions on any written estimate are part of what we do.
What safety sensors are required for automatic gates in Lomita?
Modern automatic gates need UL 325 compliant entrapment protection. That means photocells at the gate opening and either a contact edge sensor or an inherent reverse system, depending on the operator type. If you’re replacing an older operator that predates these standards, adding this safety equipment is not optional. It’s a requirement. We install it on every automatic gate, every time.
Why does my Lomita gate rust faster than gates in Torrance or Redondo Beach?
Lomita sits close enough to San Pedro Bay that persistent salt-laden humidity from the marine layer keeps metal components in near-constant contact with corrosive air. Unlike drier inland cities, Lomita doesn’t get a dry season that temporarily slows oxidation. The salt sits on the metal year-round. That’s why we use galvanized steel posts and marine-grade hinges on Lomita installations as a default, and why old gates here need re-coating or replacement far sooner than their inland counterparts.
How narrow is too narrow for a slide gate on a Lomita driveway?
A slide gate needs usable run length beside the opening. If you have an 8-foot gate opening, you need at least 8 feet of clear fence line to one side for the gate to slide into. Of course, narrow mid-century lots don’t always have that space. We measure the actual available run before recommending a slide conversion. If there’s no room, a swing gate with regraded pad space might be the better option, or a compact operator configured for tighter clearances.
Old Gates, Honest Answers, and a Phone That Rings
Here’s the part that matters. Lomita’s older gates were built for a different era. Some can be retrofitted and kept, and we’ll do that when it’s the right call. Some are better replaced, and we’ll tell you so without padding the quote. Hal’s name is on the shop and on every invoice. The phone number is below, and a real person answers it, day or night.
Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate on gate installation in Lomita. Free second opinions on any written estimate. $40 off any repair over $200. A permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. And a 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing on every single job.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Lomita and the South Bay since 2001.