Wrought Iron Gate Installation in Galveston, TX

Walk, pool or driveway: three different gates

Walk gates are the simplest: a single leaf, two hinges and a latch, usually matching the iron fence beside them. Sizing the post and hinges to the leaf is what keeps one from sagging. See how much weight gate hinges hold and standard walk gate widths.

Pool gates are set by the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which the City of Galveston's pool permit requires. A pedestrian pool gate must open outward, away from the pool, be self-closing and self-latching, and be able to take a lock. A latch released from outside must be at least 54 in. above the ground. A latch on the pool side must be at least 3 in. below the top, and nothing within 18 in. of it may have an opening over ½ in. See self-closing, self-latching pool gates.

Driveway gates are usually double leaves, one held by a drop rod into a center stop while the other latches to it (how drop rods and center stops work). Wide single leaves and slide gates are the alternatives when a swing won't fit. For grand entries see estate entry gates, and for choosing between types see driveway gates and slide vs swing gates.

Will it ever be automated? Decide now

Ornamental iron gates are often automated later, and the safety standard for automated vehicular gates, ASTM F2200, applies the moment that happens: "any non-automated gate that is to be automated shall be upgraded to conform". Designing for it at the start is cheaper than rebuilding. As printed in LiftMaster's operator manuals, the standard requires:

• No latch. An existing latch must be disabled when an operator is added, and a latch "shall not be installed" on an automatic gate.
• A separate walk gate. Pedestrians need their own access, placed so they can't touch the moving vehicle gate, and "a pedestrian gate shall not be incorporated into an automated vehicular gate panel". A walk door built into a drive leaf has to go.
• Swing gates: the open leaf may cover no more than 4 in. of a column or wall, measured from the hinge centerline, and must stay at least 16 in. from other walls and fences, unless those zones get UL 325 entrapment sensors. Swinging gates must not open into public access areas.
• Slide gates: every opening from the bottom to 6 ft must stop a 2¼-inch sphere, including the stretch of fence the gate covers when open. Standard iron picket spacing fails that, so slide gates get mesh or tighter pickets.
• Bottom edge and protrusions. Smooth bottom edges, and limits on protrusions (F2200 lists exceptions), which matters for spears and scrolls.

Weight matters too. One commercial swing operator is rated for leaves up to 1,200 lb at 12 ft, 800 lb at 16 ft and 600 lb at 18 ft. See electric gates, gate automation and access control and UL 325 and ASTM F2200 explained.

Hardware, finish and upkeep near the Gulf

Hinges and posts first. Operator manuals put it simply: the gate "must swing freely and be supported entirely by its hinges". Sagging, dragging and latches that stop lining up usually trace back to an undersized post, hinge or column. For steel gate posts, one commercial line's table is 2½″ for leaves up to 4 ft, 3″ to 6 ft, 4″ to 10 ft and 6″ to 16 ft. Masonry columns need their own footing and anchors.

Finish. Gates take more wear than fence panels: hands, latches, hinges and the drag of salt spray at the bottom rail. Ask what is under the paint (galvanized or bare steel), seal every cut and drilled hole, and touch up chips early. The iron fence finish guide covers primers and repainting, and the metal fence comparison covers salt air by metal.

Moving parts. Rinse salt off hinges, latches and drop rods, and keep them working. A pool gate that no longer self-closes and self-latches no longer meets code.

From estimate to working gate

1. Free on-site estimate. We measure the opening, the swing or slide room, the slope and the columns or posts, and ask whether the gate may be automated.
2. Design and a written price. Leaf sizes, style, hinges, latch or operator, gate posts or column work, and the finish, in writing.
3. Permits. Pool permit and historic district questions where they apply.
4. Installation. Posts or columns set, leaves hung and adjusted, drop rods and stops set, and any operator and safety devices installed.
5. Walkthrough. We test the swing, latch or operator, and any keypad or remote with you.

What affects cost and timing

We give you a written price after the free on-site visit. The main things that move it:

• Size and type. A walk gate costs far less than a double driveway gate or a slide gate.
• Design. Arches, scrolls, monograms and custom patterns add fabrication time.
• Posts and columns. Heavier gate posts for wide leaves, or new brick or stone columns.
• Automation. An operator, safety sensors, a keypad or other entry control, and power.
• Pool hardware. Self-closing hinges and a self-latching latch.
• Finish. Galvanizing under the paint or powder coat.

See what determines the cost of a custom gate and custom iron driveway gate ideas. Financing is available through the providers on our financing page, subject to credit approval.

Questions we get about this