Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across University Park
A new automated driveway gate in University Park typically runs $6,500 to $18,000 installed, depending on the width of the opening, the weight of the ornamental iron, and whether you need underground operators or surface-mounted arms. We finish most custom gate installations in one to two days once the steel is fabricated and the posts are set. Call (936) 296-2568 and Hal will give you a straight number before any work starts.
University Park is where Hal Gatewood has spent more than two decades watching gate technology change and gate hardware stay stubbornly the same. The homes here are built around circular drives, courtyard entries, and wrought iron that weighs more than some small cars. That’s the work we do. If you live near Golf Drive, along University Boulevard, or tucked into one of the streets off Preston Road, you’ve probably seen our trucks. We know these blocks. We know what the soil does to a gate post here, and we know the city’s appearance codes better than most people know their own HOA rules.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is University Park’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
Hal Gatewood started this company in 2001 and his name is still on the shop. That matters in a place like University Park, where you’ve likely had a national outfit quote one number over the phone and present another at the door. Hal publishes his address and license number. The person who answers your call is a live person, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail. No call center three states away. That’s the oldest accountability there is.
University Park customers call us because we weld on site and repair before we replace. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and that’s where we start. Fix the panel without the post and you’ll fix it twice. We carry that repair-first mindset into every installation too. If your existing steel can be salvaged and matched, we’ll tell you. If a new leaf is cheaper than restoring a rusted one, we’ll tell you that too. Every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing, and we stand behind it. If it’s not done right, one call brings Hal back. No runaround.
Our Gate Installation Services in University Park
Swing Gate Installation
Most of the custom iron gates in University Park are swing gates, and they’re the ones most likely to bind when the clay beneath the hinge posts moves. We set deeper footings than code requires here because the Vertisol soil under the Park Cities heaves more than anyone expects. A heavy double swing gate on a Tudor estate needs posts that won’t drift, hinges that won’t sag, and operators that won’t strain. That’s the whole job.
Driveway Gate Installation
Driveway gates in University Park aren’t just functional. They’re the first thing anyone sees from the street, and the city’s appearance code means that first impression has to match the original design. Whether you’re replacing a 15-foot ornamental steel gate or adding one to a new-build, we handle the footings, the frame, the operator, and the finish. Powder coat color, finial caps, hinge hardware, all matched to your existing iron.
Security Gate Installation
Security gates around University Park usually mean reinforced steel, keypad or intercom entry, and an operator sized for a gate that weighs as much as half a ton. We install safety photocells and entrapment protection on every automated gate, and we’ll walk you through exactly how the edges and sensors work before we leave. The goal is a gate that opens when you want it to and stops when it should, every time.
Pedestrian Gate Installation
A pedestrian gate alongside a driveway gate has to swing true and latch clean or it’ll sag within a season. The same clay soil that shifts driveway posts will twist a light foot-gate frame if the posts aren’t set right. We treat every pedestrian gate with the same level of care as the 600-pound driveway panel next to it.
We also handle Gate Installation for custom double gates, slide gates where a driveway slope makes swing impractical, and full access control systems for homes that need keypad, intercom, and camera integration from the start.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in University Park
We’re certified to service and install nine major gate operator brands, and around University Park we see a lot of Viking, FAAC, and Elite Series work on older estates that have been upgraded over the years. We stock common control boards, limit switches, and safety sensors for these brands locally, so a repair doesn’t turn into a multi-week wait for a part from out of state. If your gate runs on something we don’t stock, we’ll order it that day and tell you exactly when it arrives. No vague timelines.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in University Park Homes
- Hinge posts shifting with the clay. The black Vertisol soil under University Park swells in the spring and contracts hard in August. A gate that hung perfectly in April can be out of plumb by Labor Day. The fix is deeper footings and post bases that resist lateral movement, not a shim behind the hinge.
- Operators binding and stripping gears. When a swing gate goes out of plumb, the operator works harder. Over a Texas summer, that added strain burns out limit switches and strips gear teeth. We see it every year on gates that were installed without accounting for soil movement.
- Finish mismatches after a repair. University Park enforces its own appearance code independent of Dallas. Replace an operator without restoring the original powder coat color or matching the ornamental finial caps, and the city’s inspections office can flag the work. We match finishes before we hang a new leaf.
- Undersized post footings on new installs. A bespoke ornamental iron gate can weigh 500 to 800 pounds per leaf. If the footing was poured to generic spec instead of sized for the actual weight and the clay load, the post will lean within a year or two. We over-build footings specifically for University Park soil and gate weights.
Pricing for Gate Installation in University Park, TX
Here’s what we actually quote in University Park. A standard single swing driveway gate with a surface-mounted operator runs $6,500 to $9,500. A custom double swing gate with ornamental steel panels, new footings, and a Viking or FAAC operator typically lands between $10,000 and $18,000. Underground operators add $1,500 to $3,500 per gate because of the excavation and drainage work the clay soil demands. Pedestrian gates run $1,800 to $4,500 depending on width and finish. Security gate systems with intercom and keypad entry start around $9,000 and scale from there.
We give you the number before we start, and the price is agreed in writing. No surprises at the end. Hal will come out, measure, and hand you an exact quote. Estimates are free. Ask about the $40 off any repair over $200, and remember we never charge a trip fee inside the county. Seniors and veterans get 10% off, permanently.
We Also Serve Cities Near University Park
Our crews work throughout University Park and the surrounding Park Cities, and we also take jobs in Dallas, Plano, Irving, and Highland Park. If you’re just outside the University Park city line, call and ask. Most nearby neighborhoods are well within our normal service area, and the same no-trip-fee policy applies inside the county.
Serving University Park, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the University Park area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Gate Installation in University Park
Yes. University Park runs its own municipal appearance code that applies to gate repairs and replacements, independent of Dallas. That means any new operator, leaf, or hardware has to restore the gate to its original finished look: powder coat color, finial caps, hinge hardware, the whole thing. We’ve handled enough of these jobs to know exactly what the city’s inspections office is looking for, and we build that compliance into every quote. Call (936) 296-2568 and we’ll tell you what your specific gate needs to pass.
The black clay under the Park Cities is expansive. It swells after wet springs and dries out hard in the summer, and that seasonal movement pushes gate posts out of alignment. That’s why we set deeper footings and heavier post bases on every install in University Park. A post that doesn’t move means the gate doesn’t bind, the operator doesn’t strain, and you’re not calling us back for the same problem next year. For a gate that’s already shifting, we’ll reset the posts and square the frame before we hang anything new.
We do it regularly. Hal welds on site, so a new leaf can be fabricated to mirror the scrollwork, picket spacing, and finish of your existing gate. If an original leaf is rusted but the frame is sound, we’ll repair and refinish rather than replace. If a new leaf is the better call, we’ll match the powder coat and hardware so closely the only way you’ll know which side is new is by the date on the invoice. Bring a photo to the shop and Hal will look you in the eye and tell you what’s possible.
Yes. Every automated gate we install gets safety photocells and entrapment protection set to current UL 325 standards for the operator’s class. That’s non-negotiable on our jobs, not an upsell. We’ll walk you through how the sensors work and test them with you before we finish. The gate should stop when it’s supposed to stop, every single time. If it doesn’t, that’s on us.
Yes, if it’s sized right and the gate stays in plumb. Most operator failures we see in University Park come from undersized motors working against a binding gate, not from the heat itself. We spec operators for the actual weight and swing of your gate, and we set the posts so the gate doesn’t fight the soil. A Viking or FAAC operator on a properly hung gate will run through August without complaint. If it ever doesn’t, the 90-Day Done Right Promise means one call brings us back.
Call (936) 296-2568 for a free estimate on gate installation in University Park. Hal will answer or call you back himself, and you’ll get the price before any work begins.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving University Park and the surrounding communities since 2001.