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.
Before
After
Before
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Before
AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Schertz
Gate installation in Schertz costs $2,800 to $9,500 for most automated driveway gates, and a manual ornamental iron gate runs $1,400 to $4,200 depending on width and post work. The real cost driver in 78154 isn’t the gate itself; it’s what’s under the gate. Schertz sits on Blackland Prairie clay that shrinks and swells with every dry summer and wet fall, which means shallow concrete footings heave and tilt. We pull permits, match HOA specs, and quote the full price before the first shovel goes in. Call (877) 610-2993 and Hal will talk you through what your gate actually needs.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Schertz’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
Hal Gatewood has owned and run this shop since 2001, and the name is on the door. That matters in a place like Schertz, where most homes went up in the same 20-year building boom and gate problems repeat themselves block after block. We’ve served families across 78154 long enough to know which subdivisions have builder-grade operators that underperform and which corner lots get the worst clay movement along FM 1518. Our crew shows up on time, in uniform, and background-checked.
Every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not right, one call brings Hal back, no runaround. We don’t send a different subcontractor every time. The person who installs your gate is the person you’ll see at the HEB, and that’s a standard we hold ourselves to.
We also answer the phone around the clock. Not a voicemail, not a queued message. A live person picks up 24/7 because a gate stuck open at 11pm is a security problem, not a next-morning problem.
Our Gate Installation Services in Schertz
Driveway Gate Installation
A properly installed driveway gate in Schertz starts with the post footings. We dig below the active clay layer so the Blackland Prairie soil can shrink all it wants in August without pulling your gate out of plumb. Most builders set posts at 18 inches; our code-plus standard is deeper and wider, with rebar cages and proper drainage. You get an automated gate that stays square through the October soil swell.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Side-yard pedestrian gates in Schertz’s HOA communities need to match the street-facing style while standing up to daily use. We build and install gates framed solid enough that the latch doesn’t drift when the post shifts a quarter inch seasonally. Keypad entry and magnetic locks get wired through conduit from day one, so you’re not retrofitting wiring later.
Sliding Gate Installation
Sliding gates are a smart choice on Schertz lots where the driveway slopes toward the house or where clay movement would throw a swing gate off its hinge line. We install track and cantilever systems with heavy-gauge steel and operators sized for the gate’s actual weight, not the builder’s optimistic spec. For longer driveways off FM 1518 and the Cibolo Creek corridor, a slide gate holds its alignment better than a swing gate through wet-dry cycles.
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates are the most common style in Schertz because they fit the classic Texas curb look. They’re also the most sensitive to clay heave. We set hinge posts in deep concrete with a below-frost footing design and then re-check the plumb after the concrete cures. That extra step keeps the gate from sagging into the latch within a year, which is the most common call we get from newer Schertz subdivisions.
What happens when you call
- 1
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.
- 3
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 Schertz
We’re certified on the brands Schertz builders actually used: Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing make up the bulk of the automated operators we service in 78154. We carry replacement boards, arms, and safety photocells for these systems in stock, which means we can often complete a full Gate Installation or operator swap without waiting on a distributor. Elite and other common brands are serviced too.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Schertz Homes
- Builder-grade operators that die early. Subdivision builders in the 2000s and 2010s installed the cheapest operators that met code, and many are now reaching end of life. We replace them with properly sized operators and wire them for battery backup and UL 325-compliant safety photocells.
- Manual gates with no conduit. A lot of Schertz homes have ornamental iron gates that were installed manual with no thought given to future automation. Running new conduit through concrete or flagstone is expensive, but surface-mounted wiring bakes in the Schertz summer sun and fails fast.
- Shallow post footings that heave every October. When the fall rains hit, the cracked summer clay re-expands and pushes posts out of plumb. If the original footing wasn’t deep enough, the gate binds, sags, or stops latching. Reset and backfill is the most common repeat call we see in 78154.
- HOA-mandated styles with no structural upgrade. The gate has to look a certain way, but the original contractor never upgraded the post or the hinges from the base model. We install gates that meet HOA specs and actually hold up to Schertz clay instead of just matching a photo.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Schertz, TX
Here’s what we quote in Schertz, with the understanding that every gate gets a free on-site measure and written price before any work starts.
| Gate Type | Typical Range (Installed) |
|---|---|
| Manual ornamental iron driveway gate | $1,400 - $4,200 |
| Automated driveway swing gate (single) | $3,200 - $6,800 |
| Automated driveway swing gate (double) | $5,500 - $9,500 |
| Automated sliding gate | $4,800 - $9,200 |
| Pedestrian gate with keypad entry | $1,800 - $3,400 |
| Adding automation to existing manual gate | $2,400 - $5,500 |
The biggest cost variables in Schertz are post depth (soils here require deeper footings), operator brand (Viking and DoorKing cost more than builder-grade, and they last longer), and conduit runs. If the home never got conduit, that adds $400 to $1,200 in trench and wiring work. We quote the full number before we start. No trip charge inside the county, and $40 off any repair over $200. Seniors and veterans always get 10% off.
We Also Serve Cities Near Schertz
Our trucks run throughout the I-35 corridor and into the surrounding communities daily. We handle Schertz first, then cover Selma, Universal City, Cibolo, and Converse. Same crew, same warranty, same live-answer phone number: (877) 610-2993.
Serving Schertz, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Schertz 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 Schertz
Because the original post footings were poured too shallow for Blackland Prairie clay. The soil here shrinks hard in summer and swells again in fall, and any footing less than about 30 inches deep will move with it. A gate installed by a contractor who doesn’t know Schertz soil will work fine for six months and then start binding after the first wet season. We dig deeper and use rebar, so the gate stays true through the seasonal cycle. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free footing inspection.
Yes, as long as the gate style and operator aren’t visible from the street in a way that violates your community’s design standards. Most Schertz HOAs care about the gate’s appearance and the placement of keypads and photocells, not the automation itself. We’ve installed automation in HOAs along FM 1518, and we can draft a spec sheet for your architectural review committee. Call us for a free measure and we’ll walk you through what your HOA typically approves.
Because October is when the first substantial fall rains re-expand the dry, cracked clay, and your gate posts shift. The gate that closed perfectly in July suddenly binds, sags, or won’t latch because the post has moved a half inch out of plumb. The fix is resetting the post deeper and recalibrating the operator limits, not just shimming the hinges. This is the single most common repeat call we get in Schertz, and it’s entirely avoidable with the right footing from the start.
Yes. UL 325 requires entrapment protection on every automated gate regardless of power source, and that includes solar operators. Your solar setup doesn’t change the safety requirements; it only changes where the power comes from. We install photocells wired to the operator’s control board and test them on every job. No gate leaves our truck without passing a UL 325 entrapment test.
A slide gate handles clay movement better because the gate rides on a track or cantilever roller system instead of hanging from hinge posts that tilt when the ground heaves. That said, a properly installed swing gate with deep hinge post footings and through-bolted hinges works fine in Schertz and matches the curb look most homeowners want. If your lot has a steep slope or a long driveway, slide is usually the better answer. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you which one your driveway actually needs.
Contact Gatewood Fence & Gate for Gate Installation in Schertz
Hal Gatewood’s name is on the shop, and the shop is down the road. We serve Schertz from our San Antonio office, and a live person answers every call around the clock. You’ll get an upfront price, a written 90-Day Done Right Promise, and a gate installed for the soil under it, not for a photo in a catalog. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate or a second opinion on any written quote. $40 off any repair over $200, no trip charge inside the county, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Schertz since 2001.