Custom Handcrafted Luxury Swing Gates

Single-swing gates work cleanly up to about 14 feet wide. Above that, sag becomes a long-term issue no matter how oversized the hinges. Single swing reads more residential, gives you one dramatic sweep, and is usually the right call for a side-driveway entry or a property where the gate sits at an angle to the street.

Double-swing gates split the load across two posts and two operators, handle wider openings (up to about 24 feet) without sag, and are almost always the right look for symmetrical drives or homes with a centered front entrance. We'll measure your opening with a laser and make a recommendation during the consultation.

A swing gate that sags or binds in February is a swing gate that wasn't engineered. We calculate the moment load at the hinge for the actual gate weight (Sapele plus steel sub-frame plus hardware — typically 250–650 lb per leaf), spec hinges rated 1.

5–2x that number, set posts deep enough to stay plumb through wet-season heave (36–60 inches in Bay Area clay), and engineer enough ground clearance to clear the driveway through full travel even on a sloped approach. We also account for wind load on solid panels — a fact most builders ignore until a winter storm.

Underground hydraulic operators — FAAC 770 — leave your gate looking entirely manual when it isn't moving. No visible arm, no above-ground motor, no compromise to the design. They're our default recommendation for any aesthetic-led project.

Above-ground articulated-arm operators (FAAC 415, BFT IGEA) are simpler, lower-cost, and a fine choice for working driveways where the gate's job is more practical than decorative. We help you choose based on aesthetics, budget, post-and-pier geometry, and how exposed the operators will be to weather.

The single most common reason a swing gate fails early is undersized hinges. We don't size hinges to the gate's weight — we size them to twice the gate's weight, with stainless or hot-dipped pins, sealed bearings on automated gates, and a hinge architecture that lets us re-shim plumb during a service visit instead of having to pull the gate.

The rest of the hardware — pulls, latches, mortise locks — is chosen to match the entry door of the home, from Emtek and Baldwin standards through hand-forged one-of-ones from our local Bay Area smith.