Piedmont is a preservation problem disguised as a design problem. Most of the housing stock predates 1930, much of it carries original ironwork, tile, or Julia Morgan-era joinery, and a gate that ignores that reads as damage. Our Piedmont work starts by documenting what is already there — hinge profiles, picket spacing, the patina on the existing hardware — and building to match it.
Our Piedmont 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 Piedmont 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 Piedmont 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.
Piedmont is shorthand for early-1900s estate architecture — Tudor, Mediterranean, and Julia Morgan-era Craftsman. Bay-influenced humidity and dense tree canopy mean salt-tolerant hardware and mildew-resistant finishes are non-negotiable.
The existing garden ironwork stayed; the gate had to join it without looking new. We pulled the scroll radius off the original panel and repeated it once, quietly, in the gate's upper rail.
A short apron meant the leaves could not swing in. We shortened the leaves, added an offset hinge, and put the speakeasy at driver height so deliveries could be handled without opening.
Commissioned as the counterpoint to an otherwise plain rear elevation — one carved panel, everything else restrained, bronze hardware left to darken naturally in the canopy humidity.
The most-requested Piedmont style by a wide margin: a segmental arched top, deep Sapele stiles, and a wrought-iron grille or speakeasy panel. It sits correctly against the stucco-and-tile Spanish Revival stock along Piedmont Avenue and Central Piedmont.
Upper Piedmont's Tudor estates want heavy vertical boarding with forged straps and a slightly proud top rail. We keep the finish matte and low-sheen so it reads as aged timber rather than new millwork.
Along the Crocker Highlands boundary the Maybeck and Morgan-influenced homes call for the opposite: no ornament, honest joinery, exposed tenons, and hardware in oil-rubbed bronze that will go dark rather than green.
"We needed a gate that honored the 1924 architecture of the house. Heartwood matched the existing ironwork and built a Sapele pedestrian gate that looks like it has always been there."
Heartwood Gates is headquartered in Concord, CA, roughly 15 miles from Piedmont. 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 Piedmont 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.
