Short answer: the best fence gate design is one that matches the fence and is built to fight gravity. Pick the look from the eight designs below, then make sure the gate has a proper diagonal brace or a steel frame, hinges and posts sized for its weight, and rust-proof hardware. Style decides how a gate looks on day one. Bracing and posts decide whether it drags on the ground by year three.
We build gates as part of almost every fence job around Portland, and we plan them with the fence rather than bolting them on afterward. If you are planning the whole run, start with how our Portland fence contractors build fences, then come back to the gate.
What are the best fence gate designs?
| Design | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Matching privacy gate | Same cedar pickets as the fence, so the gate nearly disappears into it | A clean, continuous privacy line |
| Board on board gate | Two overlapping layers of pickets, solid from both sides | Full privacy that stays solid as the cedar dries |
| Horizontal slat gate | Boards run sideways with tight, even gaps | Modern homes and horizontal fences |
| Hog wire gate | A cedar frame around a welded wire panel | Front yards and gardens where you want to keep the view |
| Capped or trimmed gate | A cedar cap across the top and trim around the frame | A finished, furniture-grade look |
| Arbor gate | A walk gate set under an overhead arbor or trellis | Front entries and garden paths |
| Double drive gate | Two leaves that meet in the middle | Driveways, trailers and RV access |
| Chain link or steel gate | A welded metal frame with mesh or panels | Utility access, big openings, low upkeep |
Whatever you pick, match the height and the top line of the fence. A gate that sits an inch high or low, or breaks the line of the cap, is the detail people notice first.
Why do wooden gates sag?
A gate hangs from one side only. All of its weight pulls the far, latch-side corner down and away from the hinges, and wood gives a little every time the gate soaks and dries. Over a few Portland winters that adds up to a gate that drags. The fix is to build the frame so the weight has somewhere to go.
- A wood brace works by being pushed, so it has to run from the bottom corner on the hinge side up to the top corner on the latch side. The weight of the gate presses down along the brace into the bottom hinge.
- A cable or anti-sag kit works by being pulled, so it runs the opposite diagonal, from the top corner on the hinge side down to the bottom corner on the latch side, and a turnbuckle takes up slack as the gate settles.
- A welded steel frame skinned with cedar solves it outright on wide or heavy gates.
- A brace installed the wrong way round does nothing, which is the most common reason a new gate sags early.
How wide should a fence gate be?
Three to four feet for a walk gate, and four feet if a mower, wheelbarrow or garbage can has to fit through. For a driveway, measure the widest vehicle or trailer that will use it and add room to maneuver. Past a certain width, one long leaf becomes hard to keep square, so wide openings are usually built as a double gate with two shorter leaves.
What hardware does a fence gate need?
- Heavy hinges sized for the gate weight, fastened with long screws into the post, not short screws into the edge of a board.
- Rust-proof hardware and fasteners. Iron reacts with the natural extractives in cedar and leaves blue-black stains, so use stainless steel, hot-dipped galvanized or aluminum.
- A latch you can work from both sides, placed where a dog cannot nose it open.
- A gate stop, so the gate closes against something solid instead of the hinges.
- A drop rod on the inactive leaf of a double gate, so the pair stays shut in wind.
If the gate is part of a pool barrier, it is a different project. Inside the City of Portland, pool barriers always need a permit regardless of height, so plan that gate with the permit in mind.
Why the gate posts matter more than the gate
The hinge post carries the whole gate as a lever, so it takes more load than any other post in the run. A standard line post that leans even slightly will pull a perfectly built gate out of square. We set gate posts deeper and heavier than line posts, in concrete, and offer steel posts on runs where the owner wants posts that will never rot at the ground line.
Thinking about adding a motor later? A post sized for a swinging cedar leaf is not sized for an operator. Our driveway and automatic gate guide covers what a powered gate needs and why the electrical side has to be done by a licensed electrical contractor in Portland.
Local rules that affect gates
A gate is part of the fence, so it has to meet the same height rules. In a Portland front setback that means 3 feet 6 inches, and trellis or lattice on top counts toward the height. Gresham allows one entry gateway, trellis or arbor per lot in the required front yard, up to 10 feet tall, 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide, which is what makes an arbor gate possible there. And a gate should never swing out over a sidewalk or street. Gresham does not allow fences in the public right of way, and Clark County prohibits private fences and walls there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a fence gate swing in or out?
Usually in, toward your own yard. An inward swing keeps the gate off the sidewalk or neighboring property, and on a slope it avoids the gate hitting rising ground. Check that the ground inside is flat enough for the full arc before you choose.
How do you fix a sagging gate?
First check whether the post has leaned, because no amount of bracing fixes a gate on a moving post. If the post is solid, add a brace from the bottom hinge-side corner to the top latch-side corner, or a tension cable on the opposite diagonal, and tighten the hinge screws into solid wood.
Can you add a gate to an existing fence?
Yes. The fence is cut back to make the opening and new, heavier gate posts are set on either side. Reusing the old line posts as gate posts is the usual reason an added gate sags.
Does a new gate come with a warranty?
Ours do. Every gate we install includes a year of free gate adjustment, on top of the workmanship warranty on the fence, because wood gates settle in their first season.
Sources
- Real Cedar: care and maintenance of western red cedar (iron stains and recommended nails)
- City of Portland, Fence Residential Building Permits
- Gresham Community Development Code Section 9.0400: Fencing (9.0410 gateway and arbor allowance)
- City of Gresham: Residential Fences handout
- Clark County Code 40.320.010: retaining walls and fences
Gorilla Works proudly serves Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, Troutdale, Vancouver WA, and Camas WA. Call (971) 343-4964 or request a fence and gate quote.
