- Swing and slide gates
- Gate operators and keypads
- Iron and ranch gates
- Adding an opener to an existing gate
- Gate and operator repair
What Goes Into an Automatic Driveway Gate?
An automatic gate is a few parts that have to work together: the gate, the posts it hangs on, the motor that moves it, and the safety and access pieces. If one of them is skimped on, that's the one you'll be dealing with.
The Gate and Movement System
The gate can be iron, ornamental steel, wood or pipe, sized for a single or double drive. Swing gates hang on heavy hinge posts with a gate stop. Slide gates roll on a track or hang on a cantilever frame.
Power and Operators
The operator is the motor that moves the gate. We match it to the gate's weight and width, so it isn't working at its limit every time the gate moves. Where there's power near the road, we use it. Where running a new line would cost too much, a solar operator with a battery backup is the usual choice.
Access and Safety Features
Most setups have a keypad on a post at car-window height, remotes for the family, and an exit loop buried in the drive so the gate opens on its own when you leave. Gate operators sold in the US are built to a safety standard called UL 325. Photo eyes send a beam across the opening, and a safety edge on the gate makes it stop and back off if it touches something.
Our guide on what an automatic driveway gate costs in Texas breaks the cost down piece by piece.
Swing or Slide?
Which one fits comes down to your drive: the slope, and how much room there is in front of the gate and beside it.
Swing Gates
Swing gates hang on hinges and open like a door. They're simpler and usually cost less. On a fairly flat drive with room for the gate to swing, a swing gate is usually the right call.
Slide Gates
Slide gates roll sideways on a track or hang on a cantilever frame, so they don't need room to swing. They do need room beside the drive for the gate to slide into. On a drive that climbs from the road, where a swing gate would hit the ground, a slide gate is often the fix.
Adding an Opener to a Gate You Already Have
If you already have a solid manual gate, you may not need a new one. What usually decides it is the hinge posts. An opener moves the gate's full weight every time it opens and closes, and if the posts are already leaning, the gate will sag and the motor will strain. We check the posts first, and if they need to be reset before an opener goes on, we'll tell you.
What About Power Outages and Deliveries?
Both are fair questions, and both have simple answers.
- Power outages. Most operators have a battery backup that keeps the gate working through an outage for a while. If you're on solar in a shady spot, a bigger battery helps. Every automatic gate also has a manual release, so you can open it by hand.
- Deliveries and guests. You can give regular visitors their own keypad code. Many operators also work with a phone app, so you can open the gate for a delivery or a guest without handing out a code.
- Upkeep. Operators and sensors need service now and then. Keep the photo eyes clean, because a spider web or dirt over the lens can keep the gate from closing.
Gates for Every Kind of Fence
We build the gate to match the fence on either side of it: an iron gate with a wrought iron fence, a wood gate in a tall privacy fence, or a pipe gate at a ranch entry. The gate gets the same care as the electronics, with gaps sized so nothing gets caught and posts set to carry the weight.
If an older gate sags, drags or won't latch, our fence repair page covers gate and operator repair.
How Much Does an Automatic Gate Cost in Boerne?
What most jobs around Boerne cost, installed.
What can raise or lower your price
- Gate size and material Wider openings and heavier iron cost more than a pipe gate.
- Swing vs slide Slide gates need a track or cantilever setup.
- Operator and access Keypads, remotes, exit loops and solar power.
- Slope and rock Sloped drives and rock-drilled posts add work.
Gates on Sloped Drives and Rocky Ground
A lot of drives around Boerne, and out toward Bulverde and Spring Branch, climb from the road. A swing gate needs room to clear the ground as it opens, and on an uphill drive it often doesn't have it. That's when a slide gate on a track, or a gate that swings out, makes more sense. We check the grade and the space beside the drive before we recommend either.
Gate posts carry more load than anything else in a fence, and an automatic operator adds more. In stony ground we drill the hinge posts into limestone and set them in concrete, so the gate doesn't sag and the operator doesn't strain. Ranch entries without power at the road get a solar-powered operator with battery backup.
Gate Setups We Install
Every entry is a little different. These four setups cover most of what we build.
Why Choose Boerne Fence for Your Driveway Gate?
Posts that carry the load
Heavy hinge posts set in rock, so the gate doesn't sag and the operator doesn't fight it.
Swing or slide, honestly
We recommend what fits your drive, not what's easiest to sell.
Safety built in
Photo eye sensors and safety edges so the gate stops and reverses when something is in the way.
Fence and gate in one job
Iron, wood, pipe or ranch fence plus the gate, handled as one job.
How a Gate Install Works
- 01
Look at the entry
We measure the opening, check the slope and space for a swing or slide, and find out where power is, if any.
- 02
Pick gate and operator
Gate style, operator, keypad, remotes and safety devices. Each choice sets where your price lands.
- 03
Posts and gate
Hinge posts are drilled and set in concrete, the gate is hung, and gate stops or a track go in.
- 04
Operator and safety
The operator, keypad, photo eyes and exit loop are wired and tested, and we show you the manual release.
Driveway and Automatic Gate Questions, Answered
What are the downsides of an automatic gate?
Operators and sensors need occasional service, you need a plan for power outages and deliveries, and safety sensors must be kept working. A manual release and battery backup handle most of it.
Do I need a permit for a driveway gate?
Inside Boerne city limits, fence work needs a permit application and site plan, so plan on it for a gate in a new fence line. Fair Oaks Ranch runs its own permits. Outside city limits, check your county and any HOA rules.
Should a driveway gate open in or out?
Most driveway gates swing in, toward the property, so they don't block the road. If the drive slopes up or there's no room for the swing, a slide gate is often the fix.
Do you install driveway gates in Bulverde and Spring Branch?
Yes. East of Boerne along Hwy 46 and US 281, many properties have long, sloped drives and rocky ground, which affects whether a swing or slide gate fits and how the posts are set.
Do you repair gates and operators?
Yes. We fix sagging gates, worn hinges, bent frames, and operators and sensors that stopped working right.
