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
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Union City
A new driveway or side-yard gate in Union City typically runs $1,900-$4,800 installed, depending on steel gauge, powder coating, and whether you need an electric opener. Most standard swing gate installs take one day; double gates, slide gates, and operator wiring can run two. We keep stock for the brands people actually use here and schedule most Union City jobs within a week. Call (877) 610-2993 and a live person answers, day or night.
If you live near Decoto, Alvarado, the Dumbarton Bridge approach, or anywhere in the 94587, you know what the salt air does to metal. We’ve been pulling corroded gate hardware out of Union City driveways since 2001 and we’ll tell you straight: the gate that lasts 15 years in Livermore doesn’t stand a chance here unless it’s spec’d for the coast. That’s the whole reason this page exists.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Union City’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
Hal Gatewood has owned this shop since 2001. His name is on the invoice, his phone rings at the shop, and he still walks installations himself. When a Union City customer calls about a gate that sags or a slide operator that groans, the person who shows up knows exactly what the bay air does to a hinge post. No call center. No subcontractor you’ll never see again.
Our Union City customers call for the same reasons. They had a national outfit quote one number over the phone and a different one at the driveway. They had a gate hung in a day that never latched square. They want someone local enough to stand behind the work, and that’s what the 90-Day Done Right Promise is for: if it isn’t done right, we make it right. In writing. Every job.
Background-checked, uniformed crew. Free estimates. And a live person answers every call, 24/7. That’s not a gimmick. That’s how a local shop survives for 29 years in the same communities.
Our Gate Installation Services in Union City
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates remain the most common choice for Union City’s tract-home side yards, especially in Decoto and Alvarado where the original 1970s tubular steel panels are now 35 to 50 years old. The big Union City problem isn’t the panel; it’s the hinge post. Salt-laden moisture wicks down into the base and eats through steel. We set new galvanized posts in deeper concrete footings and use stainless fixings and sealed bearing hinges, because that’s what actually survives here.
Sliding Gate Installation
For wide driveways along arterial streets like Union City Boulevard, a sliding gate often makes more sense than a swing. Slide gates need a steel track, a beefy post and wheel assembly, and a rack gear for the operator. In Union City’s salt air, the rack and pinion are the first point of failure on budget installs. We install sealed-gear units and corrosion-treated racks from the start, so you’re not paying for a gearbox swap in year five.
Driveway Gate Installation
Driveway gates in Union City run the full range: single swing, double swing, slide, and a growing number of modern aluminum panels on the newer housing stock near Union Landing. We build and install panel and post, then align the operator so the gate closes square every time. Since most Union City driveways serve an attached garage and a side yard, we set gates to clear your sidewalk and swing without clipping pedestrians walking by.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Pedestrian gates are smaller but fail the same way. The latch goes stiff from salt corrosion first, then the hinge pins. For Union City, we recommend stainless or powder-coated aluminum hardware on every pedestrian gate, even when the panel itself is steel. A small gate that binds on a rusty hinge is the one people leave open, and an open gate on a Union City fence defeats the point.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Union City
Certified on nine major gate brands, and that matters in Union City because homeowners across Union City don’t all have the same opener. We service and install Linear, DoorKing, Viking, and Ghost Controls, among others. We keep common boards, remotes, and safety edges available for Union City jobs, so we don’t have to special-order a part and leave your gate stuck half-open for two weeks while it ships.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Union City Homes
- Hinge posts rotted through at the base. Union City’s salt-laden marine air pushes moisture into the base of painted steel posts. The paint on top looks fine for years while the metal underneath turns to scale. Then the gate sags, drags, and finally pulls the whole post loose.
- Slide gate racks stripping within 5 to 7 years. Along the Dyer Street and Whipple Road industrial corridors we find electric slide operators with stripped drive gears well before the operator itself is old. That’s corrosion acceleration, not normal wear. A drive gear that lasts a decade in Fremont’s eastern hills might not last six years here.
- Operator circuit boards shorting from salt on terminals. Exposed terminal blocks and board connectors corrode, and the gate fails without warning. A board that shorted from salt doesn’t usually give you a “dying” warning; it just stops. Sealed enclosures and conformal coating are the only real fix.
- Chained or padlocked gates as a “temporary” fix. A lot of Union City homeowners lock a failing gate shut rather than fix it. Then the gate becomes a fence, and the driveway got worse. We’ll give you a repair-first assessment: sometimes the panel is fine and only the post needs replacing.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Union City, CA
| Installation Type | Union City Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian gate (steel, basic) | $650-$1,400 |
| Single swing driveway gate (steel, powder-coated) | $1,900-$3,800 |
| Double swing driveway gate (two panels, opener-ready) | $3,200-$5,500 |
| Sliding driveway gate (steel, electric operator) | $3,800-$6,800 |
| Electric operator install (single gate) | $900-$1,800 |
| Galvanized hinge post replacement (in concrete) | $400-$850 |
Every job is priced and agreed in writing before any work starts. We don’t add surprise line items at the door. Free estimates in Union City, no trip charge inside the county. Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount, and any repair over $200 gets $40 off. We’ll also give you a free second opinion on any written estimate from another company.
We Also Serve Cities Near Union City
Beyond our Gate Installation work across the region, Gate Installation in Union City puts us close to your neighbors: Newark, Fremont, Fairview, and Hayward. If you’re just over the border but need a local crew that understands the bay air, call.
Serving Union City, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Union City 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 Union City
Galvanized steel is the minimum for any swing gate in Union City, and powder-coated galvanized is better. Bare or painted mild steel will rust through at the hinge post base within five to seven years near the Don Edwards marshlands. A galvanized post set in a deep concrete footing with stainless fixings and sealed bearing hinges is the spec that lasts.
A swing gate hinge post in Union City should be set at least 36 inches deep with concrete that’s below the freeze and moisture line, and wider than code minimum. The real issue isn’t wind; it’s the constant damp at ground level. A deeper, wider footing keeps the post out of the salt-saturated soil and gives the gate a rigid anchor.
Salt-loaded humidity from the bay pushes corrosive air into gearboxes, racks, and operator terminals. In Fremont’s eastern hills or Hayward’s higher ground, the same operator might run 10-12 years before stripping a drive gear. Along Union City’s industrial corridor, we see that failure in five to seven. It’s not the operator’s fault; it’s the environment, and the fix is a sealed unit and a corrosion-treated rack.
Yes, solar openers work in Union City as long as the panel gets direct west or south sun and the battery is sized for morning and evening use. Fog and marine layer can cut solar charge in the summer, so we often spec a dual-battery tray here. If your driveway is shaded along the Dumbarton corridor, a hardwired opener may be the more dependable choice.
UL 325 is the safety standard that requires gate operators to reverse or stop when something blocks the gate’s path. It covers photoelectric sensors, edge sensors, and force limits. Your Union City gate needs it because every electric gate in California is required to meet UL 325 when installed. More than code, though, it keeps a dog, a kid, or a delivery driver from getting pinned.
Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate. A live person picks up around the clock, and the name on the invoice is the same one on the shop.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Union City and the East Bay since 2001.