The right gate for your specific opening — walk, single-drive, double-drive, or sliding — sized, welded, and hung to match the use case. RKC is the Kansas City fence contractor that builds every gate on a welded steel frame (never bolted), hangs it on heavy-duty strap hinges rated for the gate weight, adds a diagonal cross-brace on every swing gate, and sets every hinge post 42 inches deep in poured concrete — below the KC frost line. 4.9★ from 77+ Google reviews, 400+ fences and gates installed.
A gate is a small thing you touch every day — so it should feel right every time. Built on a welded steel frame, hung plumb, cross-braced, and sized to your actual opening. The kind of gate you stop noticing because it just works.
You slow to the driveway, the gate swings open, you keep rolling. Groceries in the back seat, kids in car seats, rain on the windshield — you never have to get out. That's what the right gate and opener feel like from the seat of your car.
You let the dog out, walk back inside, and the walk gate catches on its own. Self-closing hinge, drop-rod latch lined up to the millimeter. No more running back across the yard because the gate drifted open behind you.
The boat trailer clears the opening on the first try. The landscape trailer, the utility trailer, the camper. Every double-drive gate we build is sized to the actual vehicle you're pulling through — not a default 10-foot guess.
A year in, the gate still lines up. No second-hinge droop, no quarter-inch latch shift, no "we'll come back and adjust it." Welded steel frame, diagonal cross-brace, hinge post 42 inches deep in poured concrete — the build that holds its geometry.
GATE USE CASES
The most common misstep on gate projects is treating every gate the same. A 4-foot walk gate and a 14-foot drive gate look superficially similar — they both swing, they both latch, they both live on a fence line. But the hardware, the post depth, the bracing, and the wind-load engineering are not the same conversation. Start by matching the gate to the actual opening. Here are the four we install most often across the KC metro.
3–4 ft wide · 4–6 ft tall · single post-mounted hinge
The most common gate we install — a single-leaf walk gate matched to a privacy or picket fence line, sized for a homeowner carrying a laundry basket, a trash bin, or a kid on a hip. Frame welded (not bolted). Heavy-duty strap hinges (not residential screw hinges). Self-closing where dogs or pools are involved.
Typical hardware: Welded square-tube frame, 2-point strap hinges, gravity latch or drop-rod, optional self-closing hinge pair.
$285–$750 installed
10–14 ft wide · 4–6 ft tall · opener-ready or manual swing
A common misstep on driveway gates is treating them like a taller walk gate — they aren't. A 12-foot swing gate is a sail with a 300-pound lever arm on every hinge. We weld the frame at the corners, add a diagonal cross-brace from the lower hinge corner to the upper latch corner, and set the hinge post 42 inches deep in a bell-bottom concrete footing to handle the wind load and weight.
Typical hardware: Welded steel frame, heavy-duty J-bolt strap hinges or ball-bearing pivot, drop rod, cane bolt, opener-ready mounting plate.
$650–$1,800 installed
14–20 ft total · two leaves meet in the middle · drop rod at center
Double-drive gates split the span into two leaves that swing from opposite posts — cuts the lever arm in half and reduces wind load on any single hinge. Standard on wider residential driveways and estate entries. Both hinge posts set 42 inches deep, both leaves cross-braced, both meet at a center drop rod that locks into a ground-set receiver. Matched finials and top rails make them look like a single piece.
Typical hardware: Two welded leaves, mirrored cross-bracing, 4-strap-hinge pair, center drop rod + ground receiver, optional dual-swing opener pair.
$950–$2,800 installed
10–20 ft travel · sits on V-track or cantilever · no swing radius required
When the driveway is narrow, the approach grade is steep, or the opening is along a retaining wall — a swing gate has nowhere to go. A sliding gate rides a V-track or cantilevers on rollers to the side, needs zero swing clearance, and installs cleanly against a sloped approach. Great for KC hillside lots where a swing would catch on rising pavement.
Typical hardware: Cantilever rollers or V-track, guide posts, nylon guide wheels, slide opener-ready, optional keypad integration.
+$400–$900 over equivalent swing gate for sliding hardware
KC-specific note. Johnson County suburban driveways typically clear 12 feet. Older KCMO lots (Brookside, Waldo) run narrower at 9–10 feet. Northland new construction averages 14–16 feet. We measure the actual opening at estimate — openings are almost never what the homeowner remembers.
Gate Catalog
Vinyl walk gates, ornamental estate drive gates, commercial chain-link — plus custom cedar and wood-clad steel for matched-fence builds. Browse the gate catalog below. Every option we stock installs to the same welded-frame, heavy-hinge, 42-inch-post standard.
Select a style above to see colors and details
INSTALLATION STANDARDS
Every gate RKC installs follows the same six standards — walk, drive, swing, slide, residential, commercial. These aren't upgrades. They're the baseline. A gate that skips any of them sags by year 5, drags the latch by year 7, and gets replaced by year 10. Ours don't.
Every gate frame we build is welded at every corner joint. Bolted frames rack and sag under their own weight within two years. A welded 2x2 or 2x3 steel square-tube frame stays square for the life of the gate. Powder-coated to match ornamental panels, or left raw for cedar-clad residential walk gates.
We spec every hinge to the actual weight of the gate plus a 50% safety factor. Residential walk gates get strap hinges rated to 100 lbs per hinge. Driveway gates get J-bolt strap hinges or ball-bearing pivots rated to 400+ lbs. The hinge brand we don't use: the screw-in residential variety that ships with big-box kits — they pull out within a season.
Gravity pulls a gate down toward the latch corner. A diagonal cross-brace running from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner turns gravity into compression load on the brace (which steel handles fine) instead of a shear load on the latch corner (which it doesn't). Every single-drive and double-drive gate RKC installs carries this brace. It's the single biggest reason our gates don't sag at 5 years.
Standard fence posts at RKC go 36 inches deep in poured concrete, below the KC frost line. Gate hinge posts go 42 inches — 6 more inches of anchor to hold the gate weight, the wind-sail moment, and the repeated daily swing stress. Every gate post sits in a bell-bottom footing set in concrete. Standard on every gate install. A gate post that heaves is a gate that drags the latch through the catch.
Zinc-plated hardware rusts out in Kansas City within 18 months — we've replaced plenty of it on repair calls. Every hinge, latch, drop rod, and fastener we install is either hot-dip galvanized, 304 stainless, or powder-coated over zinc. Costs 15–20% more. Lasts 10x longer. No rust staining down the cedar picket on your walk gate.
Before we take final payment, we swing the gate open and closed 10 times, latch it 10 times, and watch every hinge under load. Any drag, any scrape, any latch miss — we adjust on the spot. Then, because new gate posts settle slightly in the first month, we come back at 30 days for a free adjustment pass. Every gate install includes it.
RKC installs and repairs every type of fence and every type of gate — wood, vinyl, chain link, ornamental iron, aluminum, and commercial security — plus automatic openers and in-house staining. The six standards above apply to every gate install we do. Gate repair standards are covered on the gate repair page; opener standards on automatic gates.
GATE MATERIAL COMPARISON
Every material works in Kansas City. Every material demands 42-inch hinge posts and a welded frame. They differ on weight, maintenance, look, and cost. Here's how each performs across the factors that matter — so you can match the material to your opening, not the contractor's margin.
| Factor | Wood (Cedar / PT) | Vinyl | Aluminum | Iron / Steel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk gate cost installed | $285–$500 | $400–$650 | $450–$850 | $550–$950 |
| Single-drive cost installed | $650–$1,100 | $900–$1,400 | $1,200–$1,700 | $1,400–$1,800 |
| Maintenance cadence | Re-stain every 2–3 yrs | Occasional wash | None | Touch-up paint 5–7 yrs |
| Expected lifespan | 15–20 yrs | 25–30 yrs | Lifetime | 30–lifetime |
| Weight (affects hinge spec) | Medium (35–90 lb) | Light (25–65 lb) | Light (20–60 lb) | Heavy (80–250+ lb) |
| Best for use case | Privacy walk + drive, cottage feel | Low-maintenance walk, HOA clean look | Ornamental walk, pool, view-through | Security drive, estate entry, commercial |
| Opener-friendly | Possible on drive gates | Possible on drive gates | Excellent | Excellent (standard) |
GATE INSTALLATION PRICING
Typical installed prices for walk, single-drive, double-drive, and sliding gates — materials, welding, heavy-duty hinges, concrete footings, and permits included. Ranges assume standard openings, no automation, no site demo. Add openers and keypad entry from our automatic gates page.
$285–$850 installed
Included: Welded frame, strap hinges, gravity latch or drop rod, 36" hinge post in poured concrete
Changes price: Material (cedar vs vinyl vs ornamental), self-closing hinges, keypad/keyed latch
$650–$1,800 installed
Included: Welded frame, diagonal cross-brace, heavy-duty hinges, drop rod, 42" hinge post, opener-ready mount
Changes price: Iron vs aluminum vs wood, opener pre-wiring, cane bolt, custom finials
$950–$2,800 installed
Included: Two welded leaves, mirrored bracing, 4 heavy-duty hinges, center drop rod + ground receiver, two 42" hinge posts
Changes price: Material, decorative top rail, automation pre-wire, width over 20 ft
+$400–$900 over swing
Included: Cantilever rollers or V-track, guide posts, nylon guides, slide-opener mounting
Changes price: Track length, grade slope, opener selection (separate line)
HOW IT WORKS
Walk gates install in a day. Drive gates in one to two. The full timeline runs 2–4 weeks from estimate approval, driven mostly by fabrication and concrete cure. Here's the sequence we follow on every gate install — including the 30-day return visit that catches the small shifts after posts settle.
We come out, measure the actual opening (openings are almost never what the homeowner thinks), and walk through the use case — walk vs drive, manual vs automated, swing vs slide. Response typically same business day.
Every estimate lists the frame material, the hinge brand and rating, the latch, the post depth, and whether the gate is opener-ready. No "we'll figure out the hardware on install day."
Walk gates ship from the manufacturer or get fabricated in 1–2 weeks for custom. Drive gates typically 2–3 weeks. Installation is a 1-day job for walk gates, 1–2 days for drive gates including concrete cure.
We swing/slide the gate 10 times before final payment. At 30 days, after the posts have fully settled, we return for a free adjustment pass — realign the latch, tighten any hinge drift, confirm self-close timing.
WHAT GATE CUSTOMERS SAY
Nine gate-specific reviews from across the metro — walk gates, drive gates, sliding gates, and matched-fence walk gates. These customers felt the welded-frame, heavy-hinge, deep-post difference directly. Full archive on Google.
“Josh built a double-drive gate for our driveway and welded every corner. Two years in, zero sag, still swings square. You can tell the difference from the bolted gates everyone else installs.”Double-Drive Gate
“We had a walk gate that sagged from day one with the last contractor. RKC pulled the post, set it deeper in concrete, and built us a new welded gate with strap hinges. Closes perfectly every time.”Walk Gate Install
“They installed a 12-foot iron single-drive gate with a cross-brace and heavy-duty hinges, set the hinge post 42 inches deep. Two winters in, still plumb. The last guy set our old gate at 24 inches and it lasted 11 months.”Iron Drive Gate
“Our lot has a steep driveway grade so swing gates wouldn't work — RKC spec'd a cantilever sliding gate instead. Runs smooth on the rollers, clears the slope with no drag. They knew exactly how to solve this.”Sliding Gate
“We needed matching walk gates on both sides of the house to match our cedar privacy fence. RKC built them in-house to the exact picket pattern. Self-closing hinges for the kids. Looks like the fence grew a gate.”Cedar Walk Gate
“They replaced our sagging wood drive gate with a welded steel frame clad in cedar. Looks identical to the old one, weighs the same, but it stays square. Best decision we made on the whole project.”Steel-Core Wood Gate
“RKC put in a vinyl walk gate that matches our privacy fence exactly. Drop-rod latch, aluminum-reinforced frame, the whole thing. Two years no warp, no rust, nothing. Works perfectly.”Vinyl Walk Gate
“Commercial client — we needed a 16-foot chain-link double-drive gate with a padlock setup for our yard. RKC installed it in a day, welded the frames, added the drop rod. Opens clean every morning.”Chain Link Drive Gate
“Our HOA required an ornamental walk gate with specific hardware. RKC handled the architectural review committee submission and installed the exact gate on the spec. One less hassle for us.”HOA Ornamental Walk Gate
RECENT GATE INSTALLS
Every photo below is a real RKC gate install. Cedar walk gates, ornamental iron double-drives, chain-link commercial drives, and matched-fence gates from Olathe to Lee's Summit. Click through for the full gallery.
OUR SERVICE AREA
We install gates in 56 cities across the KC metro, both sides of the state line. From Johnson County HOA neighborhoods to KCMO driveway installs to commercial yard gates on the MO side, we handle permits, opening measurements, and every material.
Johnson County is home base. Bonner Springs , Gardner , Leawood , Lenexa , Mission , Olathe , Overland Park , Prairie Village , Shawnee , Spring Hill . We handle permit applications, HOA architectural review, and opening measurements in every city.
Northland through the southern suburbs. Belton , Blue Springs , Grain Valley , Grandview , Greenwood , Independence , Kansas City , Lee's Summit , Liberty , Oak Grove , Peculiar , Pleasant Hill , Raymore , Smithville . We handle KCMO's CompassKC portal and varying gate-height rules across Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties.
Recent Installs Across KC
GATE INSTALLATION QUESTIONS
Common gate questions that come up most often on estimate calls. If yours isn't here, call (913) 286-1091.
Ready when you are
