Walnut Creek is where two design languages meet: the low-slung 1960s ranches of Walnut Heights and Parkmead, and the taller contemporary rebuilds climbing toward Northgate. A gate here has to pick a side and commit. We draw every Walnut Creek commission from the street elevation out — roofline pitch, fascia depth, the exact grey of the stucco — so the finished entrance reads as original to the house rather than added to it.
Our Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek 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.
Walnut Creek homes range from mid-century hillside builds to traditional ranches and contemporary new construction. Hot, dry inland summers and clay-heavy soils common across the I-680 corridor — we spec UV-stable finishes and pier-and-footing systems sized for expansive soils.
The approach rose fast off the street, which killed a single-leaf swing. We split the opening into two 8' leaves, set the hinge posts on 42" piers to clear the clay, and buried the operators so nothing interrupts the sightline back to the house.
The owners had already committed to the driveway gate; the walk gate had to read as the same composition at a quarter of the width. We tightened the slat reveal proportionally so the rhythm matched at both scales.
Root protection ruled out a conventional footing on the north post, so we sistered to the existing masonry pier and carried the load through a steel plate rather than trenching under the drip line.
The dominant Walnut Creek request of the last three years: wide horizontal Sapele slats, tight reveal, blackened hot-rolled steel frame. It flatters the long low rooflines of the 1960s ranch stock without pretending to be period-correct.
Modern-farmhouse remodels along Parkmead want vertical board-and-batten faces with an exposed strap hinge in oil-rubbed bronze. We build these in Sapele rather than cedar because the west-facing exposure here punishes softwood.
Tice Valley clients almost always want full-privacy solid panels. Solid faces catch wind, so we either brace with a concealed steel armature or introduce a 15% vent gap at the top rail — invisible from the street, decisive for operator longevity.
"Heartwood designed and installed a Sapele swing gate that completely changed the front of our home. The crew was tidy, the joinery is gorgeous, and the FAAC operator has been flawless through two summers."
Heartwood Gates is headquartered in Concord, CA, roughly 10 miles from Walnut Creek. We serve the whole of Contra Costa 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 Walnut Creek 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.
