Berkeley asks more of a gate designer than almost anywhere we work, because four architectural eras sit on the same block — Maybeck brown shingle, Elmwood Craftsman, mid-century hillside, and unapologetically contemporary remodels. There is no house style to default to, so every Berkeley gate we build is drawn to one specific building rather than to a neighborhood.
Our Berkeley custom gate process starts with an on-site consultation. We measure the opening, study the architecture, photograph the surrounding hardscape, and walk you through material and joinery options that will read with your home. From there we deliver a rendered design, a fixed-price quote, and a build schedule.
Materials we work with most often in Berkeley include Sapele mahogany (Janka 1,510), white oak, ipe, and western red cedar — paired with hot-rolled or blackened steel framing and marine-grade bronze or stainless hardware. Every joint is mortise-and-tenon with drawbore pins, and every panel is finished with a UV-stable penetrating oil chosen for the local climate.
We build single and double swing gates, sliding gates, bi-fold gates, pedestrian entry gates, and matching courtyard or garden gates. Most Berkeley clients commission a primary driveway gate plus a coordinated walk gate or garden gate so the entrance reads as one composition.
Lead time on a custom build is typically six to twelve weeks from approved design. Installation usually takes two to four days on site, including post-set, gate hanging, automation wiring (if applicable), and final finish touch-up.
Berkeley layers Brown Shingle, Maybeck-era Craftsman, mid-century hillside, and contemporary remodels — gate design needs to read with the architecture. Marine layer and salt-air exposure call for stainless and bronze hardware; we avoid mild steel without proper coating systems near the bay.
A legacy commission built before we standardized on Sapele. Proportions came off the porch rail; every fastener is a drawbore pin rather than a plugged bolt, which is what the shingle demanded.
West-facing with a bay view the owners refused to give up. The cutout preserves it; stainless hardware handles the salt air that would have pitted plated steel.
Split-leaf so the dog stays in while the top stands open — an Elmwood request we now get several times a year.
Exposed joinery, no plugs hiding fasteners, and a low-sheen oil finish. Anything glossy fights the shingle and loses.
Elmwood's Craftsman blocks read best with a stepped or picket top and a stile heavy enough to hold the line against mature street trees.
Flat unbroken faces with concealed frames and blackened bronze hardware, sized to the retaining walls they usually sit between.
"Heartwood understood our 1912 brown shingle immediately. The redwood entry gate they built has the right proportions and the joinery is honest — no plugs hiding bolts."
Heartwood Gates is headquartered in Concord, CA, roughly 15 miles from Berkeley. We serve the whole of Alameda County within a 150-mile service radius of the shop, with a dedicated install crew on the road most weeks.
Pedestrian and garden gates start around $4,500. Custom driveway gates typically range $12,000–$45,000 depending on size, material, automation, and hardware. Estate-grade builds in Berkeley can exceed $75,000. Every quote is fixed-price after the design is approved.
Six to twelve weeks from approved design to installation, depending on workshop schedule and material lead time. Rush builds are possible for established clients.
Yes. Every gate is built in our Concord workshop and installed by our own crew — post-set, hanging, automation wiring, and final finish touch-up all handled in-house.
Browse all custom gate services, see the full Bay Area service map, or view recent custom gates projects in the gallery.
Browse the full Heartwood Gates journal for materials, joinery, and design deep-dives from projects across Northern California.
Tell us about the entrance you want to build. We respond same-day to consultations booked before 2pm, next business day after.
