Gates and Gate Repair in Chico, CA

The gate is the part of the fence you actually use. It gets opened and slammed every day, it carries its whole weight on two hinges, and it's usually the first thing to go wrong. At first it just drags a little on the walkway. Then you have to lift it to close it. Then the latch stops catching, and one windy night it swings open and the dog is gone. Around Chico, we fix more gates than almost anything else, and most of the time the fix is quicker and cheaper than people expect. Up in Paradise, where so many homes have new fences, we also build a lot of new gates from scratch, from simple walk gates to wide double gates for trailers and RVs.

Below we explain why gates sag in the first place, what we can do to fix one, the kinds of new gates we build, and the latch and hardware choices that make a gate easy to live with. If the problem is the fence itself and not just the gate, our fence repair page covers that.

Why Gates Sag

Almost every sagging gate comes down to one of three problems. The first is the hinge post. A gate puts constant sideways pressure on the post it hangs from, and if that post isn't set deep enough, or it's rotting at the base, it slowly tips toward the gate. The second is the gate frame itself. A wood gate without a proper diagonal brace will slowly sag into a slanted shape under its own weight. The brace has to run from the bottom corner on the hinge side up to the top corner on the latch side, and a surprising number of gates are built with it backward. The third is the hardware. Light-duty hinges and screws that are too short work loose over time, and the gate drops a little more every month. Wide gates make all three problems worse, because the extra length adds leverage on the hinges and post.

How We Fix a Gate

First we figure out which of those problems you have, because each one has a different fix. If the hinge post is leaning or rotted, we reset it or replace it with a heavier post set deeper in concrete. If the frame has sagged, we square it back up and add the right brace, or a steel anti-sag cable kit that pulls the latch corner back up. If the hardware is the problem, we replace it with heavy-duty hinges and longer screws or through-bolts. Often it's a mix of all three. When the gate is too far gone, we'll build a new one to fit the opening and match the fence. Either way, it should swing freely and latch every time when we're done. Most gate repairs take a few hours, and many can be done in a single visit. We'll also check the gap under the gate, so it clears the ground in winter when the soil swells, without leaving room for a small dog to squeeze under.

New Gates We Build

• Walk gates: single gates for side yards and backyards, usually 3 to 4 feet wide.
• Double drive gates: two gates that open from the middle, wide enough for a car, boat, trailer or RV.
• Rolling gates: gates that slide along the fence on wheels, good for driveways where a swinging gate won't fit.
• Steel-frame gates: a metal frame covered in wood or vinyl, so the gate stays square for years.
• Ranch gates: tube steel or wire-filled gates for pastures and farm roads.

We build gates in wood, vinyl, chain link and metal, matched to your fence. Wide gates get extra attention: heavier posts, a steel frame or cable, and a wheel or drop rod where needed, because a 12-foot gate puts a lot more strain on its post than a 4-foot one.

Latches and Hardware That Last

The right hardware makes a gate easy to use every day. Gravity latches close on their own when the gate swings shut. Lockable latches add security for side yards and pool areas. For pools, gates generally need to be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch set high enough that small kids can't reach it, so we check the current rules for your address. On heavy gates, we use heavy-duty strap or barrel hinges and add a drop rod to hold double gates in place. Everything we use is galvanized or coated to stand up to sun and rain. Want to open the gate from both sides? We can add a pull string or a two-sided latch, which is handy for side yards where you're often carrying trash cans or yard tools through.

Need a new fence to go with the new gate? Our wood fence installation work is built to match.