Gate Installation
Fence gates and automatic gates in North Hollywood, California
A gate is the part of the fence you actually use, and in dense North Hollywood it is often the security piece that matters most. We install walk gates, sliding and swing driveway gates, and the operators, keypads, and intercoms that run them, matched to the fence they sit in.
The gates we install
Around here the jobs range from a plain side-yard latch to a powered security entry. Broadly, they sort into four:
- Walk gates. The people-sized opening in a fence run, built in wood, vinyl, or iron so it disappears into the line, hung on heavy hinges and fitted with a self-closing latch where you want it shutting behind you.
- Swing driveway gates. Single or double leaf, for drives with the clearance to let a gate arc inward. Simplest build, and the cheapest way into automation.
- Sliding and cantilever gates. These travel sideways along the fence rather than swinging out, which is what a tight NoHo driveway usually needs.
- Access control. Keypads, video and audio intercoms, remotes, card and fob readers, plus the safety sensors, all specified around how your household actually comes and goes.
Built for tight drives and rear alleys
Two things about North Hollywood make gates more than an afterthought. First, security. Dense urban blocks, foot traffic, and rear alleys give a real reason to lock a driveway, and a gate keeps people off the property and the car behind a barrier. That is why demand for security driveway gates and automatic openers is strong across NoHo. Second, space. Driveways here are narrow and often short, so a swing gate can foul a car parked close to the street. On those drives a sliding or cantilever gate that tracks along the fence is the fix, clearing the car and the sidewalk both.
Rear alleys, common on these blocks, are their own opportunity: a gate on the alley side controls back access that would otherwise be wide open. A gate ought to look like it grew out of the fence rather than getting bolted on later, so material and finish get matched: iron inside an iron frontage, a panel gate cut from the same stock in a wood or vinyl run.
Automation and access control
Pick the operator to suit the gate, because it is the piece doing all the work. Swing leaves take an arm or ram drive. Sliders ride a track, or a cantilever beam where there is nowhere to swing. Layered on top of that is whatever decides who gets through: a keypad or a video intercom at the curb, remotes for the people who live there, a card or fob reader once the user list gets long, and never without the safety gear, meaning photo-eyes and a reversing edge that halt the gate for a car, a child, or a pet. On a busy North Hollywood street, seeing a visitor and buzzing them in without leaving the house is the piece people end up liking best.
Power is rarely a problem on these lots, since the house sits close to the drive. Where a line would be awkward to pull, a solar-charged operator banks enough sun to cycle the gate with nothing trenched. The motor gets sized to the weight of the gate and to how many times a day it will run, which is what keeps it going for years instead of months.
Wind, weight, and the gate post
Sooner or later every gate problem traces back to a post. All that weight and leverage lands on two points, and a wide driveway gate takes the fall Santa Ana wind like a sail even out here on flat ground, so gate posts go in deeper and heavier than fence posts, on oversized concrete footings sized for the load and the gusts together. The clean, deep alluvial soil on these flat lots lets us set those footings solid. On a slider we also lay the track or cantilever beam dead level so the gate glides instead of binding, which is what separates a gate still moving freely in year five from one that starts dragging by the next summer.
Gate pricing in North Hollywood
| Gate or add-on | Installed price |
|---|---|
| Walk gate | $350 to $1,200 each |
| Driveway gate (manual) | $2,000 to $8,000 and up |
| Automatic gate operator | add $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Keypad, intercom, or access control | from $300, by system |
Weight, width, how much iron detail you want, slider versus swing, and the access system all shift that number. Our North Hollywood fence cost guide lays out the rest.
Get your gate priced in writing
We look at the drive, the alley behind it, the fence it has to tie into, and the way you come and go, then hand back a fixed quote on paper. No charge, no strings.
Get a fast quoteGate questions
How much does a driveway gate cost in North Hollywood?
Walk gates come in at $350 to $1,200 apiece. Manual driveway gates open around $2,000, and a wide ornamental iron pair can run past $8,000. Automation is a separate $1,500 to $5,000 on top, set by how heavy the gate is, whether it swings or slides, and what access control goes with it.
Should I get a sliding or a swing gate in North Hollywood?
It depends on your space. Tight NoHo driveways often do not have room for a gate to swing in, so a sliding or cantilever gate that runs along the fence line is the practical choice, and it clears a car waiting close to the street. Where there is room, a swing gate is simpler and costs a little less. We read the driveway on the estimate and recommend the fit.
Can you automate my existing gate?
Usually, yes. As long as the gate is sound and the posts were sized for the weight, an operator, a keypad or remotes, safety photo-eyes, and an intercom can all go onto a gate that already hangs. We check post depth before recommending it, because daily powered cycling loads a post far harder than a hand-swung gate does, and an undersized one works loose under a motor.
Are automatic gates worth it in a dense neighborhood like NoHo?
For many homeowners here, yes. Dense urban streets and rear alleys make a locking driveway gate a real security upgrade, keeping foot traffic off the property and the car behind a barrier. An automatic opener means you never get out of the car at the curb after dark, which is the feature people value most on a busy North Hollywood block.
Keep reading
The main guide to fencing in North Hollywood pulls all of this into one page.