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Heartwood GatesHeartwood GatesCalifornia · Est. 2016
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Custom Entry, Pedestrian & Garden Gates

The pedestrian gate next to your driveway, the courtyard gate at the front of your home, the gate at the end of the garden path — all small surfaces that say a lot about how a house is cared for.

Custom pedestrian entry gate framed by stone columns, handcrafted by Heartwood Gates in the Bay Area
The Brief

Heartwood Gates designs and builds entry, pedestrian, courtyard, side-yard, and garden gates from our Concord, CA workshop using Sapele hardwood, hand-forged metal, and California pool-code-compliant hardware. Projects run from $4,500 for a simple side-yard gate to $18,000+ for elaborate courtyard entrances, and most ship in 4–8 weeks.

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Chapter

A small surface, a strong statement

An entry gate is one of the most-touched surfaces of a home. Family members and visitors lay a hand on the pull, the latch, the rail every single day. We design every entry gate at hand-and-eye level — pull height, latch ergonomics, finish hand-feel — with hardware that feels right when you reach for it and a finish that ages gracefully against the stone, stucco, or plaster around it.

Proportions are scaled to the doorway and to the human, not enlarged from a driveway design. The result is a gate that feels custom the first time you touch it and still feels right ten years later.

Chapter

Matched to the rest of your home

Most entry gates we build are matched to an existing driveway gate, front door, or adjoining fence section. We pull stain samples, replicate hardware metals (a brushed-nickel front door wants brushed-nickel gate hardware — not chrome), copy joinery details like raised panels or arched tops, and finish with the same penetrating-oil system used on the home's other exterior wood.

The goal is for the entry gate to read as designed with the house, not added later. We routinely take a drawer-front from a built-in or a photo of a front door and color-match it in the workshop.

Chapter

Smart access without the commercial look

Yale, August, Schlage Encode, and Kwikset smart locks integrate cleanly into our hardwood frames. Wiring is hidden, battery packs are mortised flush, and the keypad faces don't look like a commercial side-yard install.

For higher-security applications we install full keypad-and-strike combinations with smartphone management, one-time codes for couriers, and audit logs. Every smart-lock install includes a backup mechanical key and a manual thumb-turn so the gate is never reliant on power or batteries alone.

Chapter

Pool gates that pass inspection on the first try

California Building Code Section 3109 requires very specific hardware on any gate that's part of a pool enclosure: self-closing hinges, a self-latching mechanism mounted at least 60 inches above grade, no openings within 18 inches of the latch larger than ½ inch, and an outward swing. We build pool-enclosure entry gates to that spec by default, with stainless self-closing hinges, code-compliant latch hardware, and the right opening direction.

Inspectors are familiar with our work and our pool gates pass first time, every time.

Materials

What we build with.

  • Sapele hardwood — quartersawn, 1,410 Janka, naturally rot-resistant
  • Hand-forged or powder-coated steel — for straps, hinges, and brackets
  • Brass, bronze, and blackened steel for pulls and latches
  • Yale, August, Schlage Encode, or Kwikset smart locks
  • Stainless self-closing pool hinges and code-compliant latches
  • Penofin Verde or Armstrong Clark penetrating-oil finish
  • 316 stainless hardware for coastal sites; hot-dipped galvanized inland
  • Solid brass or bronze thumb latches from Sun Valley Bronze or Rocky Mountain
Timeline

How long it takes.

Entry gates ship in 4–8 weeks from approved design. Install is typically a single day. Smart-lock programming and a homeowner walk-through happen at install.

Pitfalls

Common mistakes.

  • Using interior-grade hardware on an exterior gate that touches weather.
  • Hanging an entry gate without proper self-closing hardware near a pool — a code violation and a real safety risk in California.
  • Mismatched stain colors with adjacent millwork — a small detail that reads as careless and ages worse.
  • Smart locks without a mechanical backup — the day the battery dies you're locked out.
  • Underspecced hinges on a 7-foot-tall solid panel — sag shows up inside a year.
  • Garden gates without a kick plate at the bottom — irrigation and mulch rot the wood from below.
Northern California

Designed for Bay Area courtyards and side yards

Bay Area lots come in every shape: Spanish-Revival courtyards in Piedmont, narrow side-yards in the Berkeley flats, deep garden paths in the Oakland Hills, walled front entries in Ross and Mill Valley. We design entry gates to the specific architectural language of your home — a Craftsman bungalow wants vertical pickets and exposed strap hinges, a Spanish Revival wants an arched solid-panel gate with hand-forged ironwork, a modern home wants horizontal slats and a flush pull. Climate matters as much as style. Foggy Berkeley and Mill Valley sites get a finish with a fungicide pack and 316 stainless hardware. Sun-baked Walnut Creek and Concord sites get UV-loaded Penofin and a finish-refresh visit at the 12-month mark. Pool-enclosure gates anywhere in California get the full Section 3109 hardware package without us having to ask.
Compare

Wood vs. metal entry gate

Wood (Sapele)All-Metal
WarmthWarm, residential, ages gracefullyCooler, more formal or industrial
PrivacyHigh (solid panels available)Lower (visual transparency)
MaintenanceAnnual finish refreshPowder-coat lasts 10+ yrs
Match to wood doorExcellentDesigned contrast
Best forMost California residentialModernist homes, security-led
Cost (single 42")$4.5K–$9K installed$5K–$12K installed
Lifespan30+ yrs with care30+ yrs with re-coat
Case Study
Custom Entry, Pedestrian & Garden Gates case study by Heartwood Gates — Sapele hardwood, hand-forged blackened steel straps, solid brass thumb latch, stainless self-closing hinges.
Plate · A recent commission

A recent entry commission.

Problem
A Yountville property wanted a garden pathway gate that would frame an existing rose garden without feeling rustic, western, or out of place against the home's tailored Mediterranean architecture.
Solution
We designed a curved-top Sapele hardwood gate with hand-forged blackened-steel strap hardware, a solid-brass thumb latch from Sun Valley Bronze, and a self-closing hinge package. Stain was matched to the home's front door, and a kick plate of matching Sapele was added at the base to protect the wood from drip irrigation.
Materials
Sapele hardwood, hand-forged blackened steel straps, solid brass thumb latch, stainless self-closing hinges.
Timeline
5 weeks; 1 day on-site.
Result
Featured in the homeowner's landscape designer's portfolio and on a Napa garden tour the following spring.
What's Included

What every commission includes.

5-Star Reviews

Homeowners who chose Heartwood.

5.0 average · 16 verified reviews
  • "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."
    M. & J. Caldwell · Northgate, Walnut Creek, CA
  • "Our driveway is steep and narrow. Jon's team came out three times to measure and rendered two options. The bi-parting Sapele gate they built clears the slope perfectly."
    The Okonkwo family · Happy Valley, Lafayette, CA
  • "We compared three builders. Heartwood was the only one who showed up with a 3D rendering and a finish sample we could leave outside for a week. Three years in and the gate still looks new."
    Dr. R. Patel · Orinda Downs, Orinda, CA
  • "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."
    The Whitfield estate · Upper Piedmont, Piedmont, CA
  • "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."
    S. Lindqvist · North Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

    Reflects a legacy commission prior to standardizing on Sapele and premium hardwoods.

Frequently Asked

Common questions.

Simple side-yard or service gates start around $4,500 installed. A typical front-entry pedestrian gate runs $6,500–$10,000. Elaborate arched courtyard entries with custom metalwork can reach $18,000 or more.
Typically a single day for a standard pedestrian or courtyard install. Pool-enclosure gates and gates with smart locks are still usually same-day. Custom stone or masonry post integration can stretch to two days.
Service Areas

Where we build these.

We design and install custom entry, pedestrian & garden gates throughout Northern California. Browse a dedicated page for your city:

Don't see your city? See our full Bay Area service map — we travel 150 miles from our Concord workshop.

From the Journal

From the journal.

Read the full Heartwood Gates journal for materials, joinery, and design deep-dives.

Continue Reading
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