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 University Place
Gate installation in University Place runs $1,100 to $4,800 for most residential work. A straightforward pedestrian gate starts around $1,100 to $1,800 installed, while a motorized driveway gate with operator, safety edges, and the electrical run typically lands between $2,900 and $4,800. We quote the price before any work starts, in writing, and that number doesn’t change at the door. Hal Gatewood has been at this since 2001, and his name is on every invoice. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate, and you’ll talk to a person, not a voicemail.
Why University Place Gates Fail Differently
University Place sits on a glacially-deposited clay plateau directly above Puget Sound. That matters more than most homeowners realize. Wet-season swelling and dry-season shrinkage heave even properly set gate posts out of plumb within two to three years, so a gate that latches clean in August can drag badly across the driveway by February without a single hardware failure. We see it constantly in neighborhoods across 98467, from mid-century ranches to the newer places up near Chambers Bay. Annual rainfall exceeds 40 inches here, with persistent marine humidity off the Sound that rots cedar gate components and oxidizes steel hinges faster than inland Washington. This is the defining gate problem in University Place, and fixing it is not a parts swap. It is post resetting, re-plumbing, and rehanging done by someone who understands the soil.
On a 1970s ranch near Cirque Drive, we reset a leaning hinge post for a cedar board-and-stringer swing gate that had dragged across the driveway since the first heavy rains. The original footing was only 18 inches deep in that heavy clay, so we augered a new 36-inch footing, re-plumbed the post, and rehung the gate with new hinges. The homeowner had already replaced the latch twice. This fixed it for good.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Who University Place Calls
We’re locally owned and owner-operated. Hal Gatewood founded the shop in 2001 and still runs it today, with a published address and a state license number anyone can look up. The person who takes your call is the same kind of person who shows up at your gate. University Place homeowners keep our number because they’ve already been burned by a national outfit that quoted one price on the phone and another at the door. That does not happen with us. We quote upfront, in writing, and the 90-Day Done Right Promise means if it’s not done right, we make it right. One call brings Hal back. No runaround.
Our response time to University Place is measured in hours, not days, because we work the area regularly. We know these streets. We know which subdivisions were built on the heaviest clay, which cedar gates have survived forty years of marine moisture, and which older automatic operators are still worth retrofitting. That local knowledge means fewer wrong guesses and fewer wasted trips. You can call (877) 610-2993 any time, day or night, and a live person answers. Not a bot, not a call center three states away.
University Place Gate Installation Services
We handle the full range of Gate Installation work, from simple yard gates to automated driveway systems. Here is what University Place homeowners ask for most.
Driveway Gate Installation
Driveway gates in University Place need to hold up against wet clay soil and 40-plus inches of annual rain. We install swing and slide configurations with posts set deep enough to resist seasonal heave. For motorized gates, we run the power, mount the operator, and wire the safety edges and photocells to current standards. A typical motorized driveway gate installation here runs $2,900 to $4,800 including the operator.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
Most University Place homes were built between the 1960s and 1980s, which means original cedar board-and-stringer side-yard gates now several decades into weathering Puget Sound moisture. We build replacements that fit the existing fence line, using materials suited to marine humidity. A new pedestrian gate, installed and hung, runs $1,100 to $1,800 depending on width and hardware.
Sliding Gate Installation
Sliding gates make sense on University Place properties where a swing gate would fight the slope or where the driveway apron is tight. We install track and cantilever slide systems, and we handle the electrical and safety sensor wiring the same day. Slide gate installations typically run $2,800 to $4,500 depending on the length and whether automation is included.
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates are the most common style across University Place, but they are also the most vulnerable to the clay heave this area is known for. We set hinge posts in concrete footings deep enough to stay plumb through wet and dry cycles, then hang the gate so the latch aligns cleanly. If you already have a swing gate that drags in winter, we can often reset and rehang it without replacing the whole gate.
Double Gate Installation
A double gate adds style and a wider opening, but it doubles the post work. Both hinge posts have to be set straight and stay straight, or the center latch will never line up. We build and install double gates for driveway and yard access, with steel-reinforced posts where the clay is heaviest.
Security Gate Installation
For University Place homeowners who want a real barrier, we install ornamental iron and steel security gates with integrated access control. These gates work with keypads, remotes, and intercom systems. We also make sure old automation is brought current. UL 325 compliance matters, and we do not skip it just to save time.
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.
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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 Gate Brands We Install and Service
University Place homeowners with existing automation often have Viking, Ghost Controls, or DoorKing operators. We service all three, along with LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Hal is certified across those nine major brands, which matters when someone else installed the operator and left no paperwork. We stock parts for the brands most common in University Place and can usually turn a same-week repair. If your operator is older and the board is failing, we’ll tell you honestly whether a replacement board is worth it or whether a new operator is the cheaper long-term move.
Common Gate Problems We See in University Place Homes
Most of the gates we look at in University Place are not actually broken. They are victims of the soil and the weather. Here is what we find most often:
- Winter dragging from clay heave. Wet-season swelling pushes swing gate posts out of alignment, so the gate drags across the driveway. The operator and hinges are usually fine. The posts need resetting and rehanging.
- Rotted cedar frames on 1960s-80s ranches. Forty-plus inches of annual rain and constant marine humidity rot original cedar board-and-stringer gates from the inside out. Sag correction and hinge post re-plumbing are more common here than operator replacement.
- Obsolete control boards on old automatic gates. Many University Place automatic gates were hung before modern safety standards existed. They often lack working photocells or edge sensors. Replacing the control board without fixing the sagging gate doesn’t solve the entrapment risk.
- Latches that won’t line up. The gate has sagged, the latch no longer catches, and the homeowner has replaced the latch twice already. The latch was never the problem. The hinge post was.
Pricing for Gate Installation in University Place, WA
Here are honest numbers for the University Place market:
| Service | Typical Installed Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian gate (wood or steel) | $1,100 - $1,800 |
| Driveway swing gate (manual) | $2,200 - $3,500 |
| Driveway swing gate (motorized) | $2,900 - $4,800 |
| Sliding gate (manual) | $2,400 - $3,800 |
| Sliding gate (motorized) | $3,200 - $4,500 |
| Double gate (manual) | $2,800 - $4,200 |
| Security gate (steel or ornamental iron) | $3,000 - $6,000 |
What moves the price: gate size, whether you want automation, the depth and condition of your existing posts, and whether we need to run power to the gate location. We quote everything before we start. No surprises. You’ll also want to know that the price we quote is the price you pay, agreed and signed before any work begins. Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount, and if you have a written estimate from another company, we’ll give you a free second opinion. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll walk through it.
Gate Installation Near University Place
We install gates throughout University Place and the surrounding Pierce County communities. If you’re in Fircrest, Tacoma, Artondale, or Wollochet, the same owner-operated crew covers your area. The conditions are often similar, but each neighborhood has its own soil quirks. Our University Place customers know we show up when we say we will, and we do the same in every city we serve.
Serving University Place, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the University Place 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 University Place
Your gate probably is not broken. University Place sits on a glacially-deposited clay plateau that swells during the wet season and shrinks during the dry season. That movement heaves hinge posts out of plumb within a couple of years, which makes the gate drag across the driveway in winter and line up fine in summer. The fix is resetting and re-plumbing the post, not replacing the operator or hinges. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
Usually it can be retrofitted. The problem is almost always the hinge post, not the gate itself. We reset the post in a deeper concrete footing, re-plumb it, rehang the gate with new hinges, and the latch lines up again. If the cedar frame itself is rotted through from 40 years of Puget Sound moisture, then replacement makes more sense than repeated repairs. We’ll show you the rot before we quote either way.
Yes. Gates installed before modern UL 325 requirements regularly lack working photocells or edge sensors. That creates a real entrapment hazard, especially for children and pets. If we are working on an older automatic gate, we bring the safety equipment current. Retrofitting photocells and edges costs less than most people think, and we will not leave a gate that can close on someone. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll take a look.
Yes, and slide gates are often the better choice on sloped driveways where a swing gate would fight the grade. We install cantilever and track-style slide systems that handle moderate slopes without dragging. The key is preparing the base so the track stays put through wet and dry seasons. A sloped slide gate installation in University Place runs $3,200 to $4,500 motorized. Estimates are free.
That depends entirely on depth and footing. A post set 18 to 24 inches deep in University Place clay will heave out of plumb within two to three years. We auger footings 36 inches or deeper, use concrete, and can steel-reinforce the post for gates that carry a lot of weight. Done right, a post should stay straight for a decade or more. Done shallow, it’ll lean before the warranty is up. That is why our 90-Day Done Right Promise is in writing, and why we come back and fix it if it isn’t right.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving University Place since 2001.
If your gate is dragging, sagging, or you’re ready for a new one, call (877) 610-2993. You’ll talk to a person, get a straight answer, and a written estimate before any work starts. The name is on the shop, and the shop is down the road. That’s the oldest accountability there is.