An automatic gate changes how you arrive home. You press a button, the gate opens, and you drive through without getting out in the rain or snow. It also changes who arrives: deliveries, visitors and strangers stop at the gate instead of pulling up to your front door. At 76 FENCE Main Line, we install automatic driveway gates for homes, estates and businesses across the Main Line and nearby Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County communities, and we help you plan the details that make them work reliably.
Swing Gate or Slide Gate?
Swing gates
Single or double leaves that swing open on hinges. They’re classic and elegant, and they’re the right fit for level drives with room for the gate to swing without hitting a slope, wall or parked car.
Slide gates
A single panel rolls sideways along the fence line. Slide gates suit sloped driveways, tight spaces and drives close to the road, and they handle wind better than wide swing leaves.
During the walkthrough, we look at the grade of the drive, the space on either side, how close the gate sits to the road and how cars will queue while it opens. Those details usually make the choice clear.
Gate Materials and Styles
Ornamental steel is the most common choice for automatic gates because it’s strong, formal and pairs well with stone homes and estate properties. Aluminum is lighter, which is easier on the operator, and resists rust. Wood and steel-framed gates combine the warmth of cedar or composite with a rigid metal frame, and horizontal slat designs match modern homes and horizontal fences.
Solid gates give privacy; open picket gates keep the view. See our steel and ornamental and aluminum pages for more.
Access Options
- Remotes for household vehicles.
- Keypads at the entrance for family, guests and service providers, with codes you can change.
- Intercom and phone-based systems so you can see or talk to visitors and open the gate remotely.
- Free-exit sensors that open the gate automatically for vehicles leaving the property.
- Manual release so the gate can be opened during a power outage.
Safety Comes First
Automatic gates are heavy moving equipment, and safety features are not optional. Modern operators include obstacle detection that stops or reverses the gate, and systems can add photo-eye sensors and edge sensors to protect people, pets and cars in the gate’s path. We plan sensor placement around how your family and visitors actually use the driveway, and we show you how the safety features and manual release work before we leave.
Power, Foundations and Weather
Automatic gates need power at the gate, either by running electrical service to the operator or with a solar-powered setup where running a line isn’t practical. Gate posts and operator mounts need solid foundations set below the frost line, typically 30″–36″ deep in our area (local code governs), because a post that shifts even slightly will throw the gate out of alignment.
Our weather is part of the plan too: freeze-thaw cycles, heavy spring rain and nor’easter snow can all affect gates, tracks and sensors. We design for drainage and snow clearance so the gate keeps working in February.
Utilities, Permits and HOAs
Driveway gate installations often involve digging for foundations and running power or control wiring, so we submit the PA One Call (811) locate request before any digging. Rules for driveway gates vary by municipality, HOA and historic district, including setbacks from the road. We check the rules for you and handle the permit and HOA approval. For businesses, see our commercial fencing page.
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Book a free, no-pressure estimate. Zero dispatch fees — and we handle permits, HOA paperwork and the 811 call.
Planning Your Automatic Gate
An automatic gate is a bigger investment than a standard fence gate, and it’s worth getting right. Andrew Taylor, our General Manager, meets most customers on site to walk the driveway and talk through swing versus slide, style, access options and power. Estimates are free, with no dispatch fees. We offer and honor manufacturer warranty coverage on every fence we install, and financing through our partner Wisetack lets you check your options online in minutes. You can also read about manual gates or our pricing guide.
Call or text 484-779-6307 or book your free estimate to start planning your automatic gate.