Driveway Gates in North Vancouver
Custom steel and aluminum driveway gates built in our Francisco Court shop and installed across the North Shore — measured to your opening and your slope.
Our shop is in North Vancouver, so this is the work we do most and the ground we know best. We design, weld, finish and install driveway gates across the North Shore — from the flatter lots in Lower Lonsdale and the Central Lonsdale streets up through Edgemont, Lynn Valley, Deep Cove and the Upper Levels.
The North Shore problem: slope and rain
Two things shape almost every gate we build here. The first is grade. North Vancouver runs uphill from the water, and a large share of driveways climb steeply from the road. A swing gate on a rising drive will catch before it is fully open unless the swing is planned around the slope — so the answer is often a rising hinge, a raised bottom rail, or a slide instead of a swing.
The second is water. This is one of the wettest parts of the region, and a gate lives outdoors in all of it. Water sitting in a bottom rail or trapped inside a hollow section is what eventually destroys a steel gate, so we seal or drain sections and dress welds where water would otherwise pool, rather than relying on the coating alone.
Gate types we build here
Swing gates where the driveway is flat enough and there is depth to open into. Slide and cantilever gates for steep approaches and short setbacks, which on the North Shore is common. Bi-fold gates where the opening is wide but the run-up is short. And vehicle gates paired with a matching pedestrian gate, so the whole entry reads as one piece of work.
Forged and decorative gates
Some of our most involved North Vancouver work is hand-forged: tapered and bent pickets, scrollwork, and motif panels made at the forge rather than cut from sheet. It costs more and takes longer than a fabricated gate, and on the right house it is the difference between a gate and a piece of the architecture. We are happy either way — a clean modern slat gate is often the better answer on a contemporary build.
Posts, footings and what the gate hangs on
Most failed gates did not fail at the gate — they failed at the post. A double driveway gate is a long lever working its post every single day. On hillside lots the post often has to go into a retaining wall, a masonry pier or engineered fill rather than undisturbed ground, and that changes what is needed. We look at what is already there before deciding whether it can carry the gate or whether a new footing is the honest answer.
Finish for a coastal climate
We build in steel, aluminum and stainless. Steel is strongest and most economical for a large leaf and needs a proper coating system. Aluminum will not rust and is lighter, which matters on a wide leaf or an automated gate. Closer to the inlet, salt in the air pushes the specification further. Finishes are hot-dip galvanizing, powder coat, or a paint system chosen for the exposure — not by default.
Automation
If the gate will be automated, decide before it is built. An operator changes hinge loading, how the leaf is braced and where conduit runs. We build the gate, posts and hardware to suit the operator and coordinate with your automation and electrical trades. We fabricate and install the metalwork; the operator itself is supplied and commissioned by the automation specialist.
Permits, bylaws and approvals
Height limits, setbacks and whether a permit is required depend on the property, the zoning and the scope of work, and they come from the District or City of North Vancouver as the authority having jurisdiction — the two are separate jurisdictions with their own requirements. We raise this at the enquiry and recommend confirming with the right department, or a professional review, before anything is fabricated.
Local, in the literal sense
Being five minutes away changes the job. We can come and measure without making a day of it, come back if something on site has changed, and return afterwards if a hinge needs adjusting once the gate has settled. Our wider North Vancouver work is on our metal fabrication in North Vancouver page.
Repairing an existing gate
A gate that sags, drags or will not latch is usually a hinge or post problem and can be repaired — see metal gate repair. Where the frame has corroded through, a new gate is normally better value, and we will tell you which one you are looking at.
Browse the gate design catalogue
The catalogue holds thirty-nine designs you can filter by style, material and operation, which is the quickest way to see what a North Shore steel gate can look like before we talk about slope and hardware: see the gate design catalogue. If salt air is a factor, filter to weathering steel or powder-coated steel and we will handle the corrosion spec from there.
Gates elsewhere in Metro Vancouver
We also build driveway gates in West Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam. For gate types, hardware and design detail, start at custom metal gates.
We also build driveway gates in Surrey, including South Surrey and Cloverdale, where wider frontages often make a sliding gate the better answer.
Get a price on your North Vancouver gate
Send the opening width, a photo from the street and a note on how steep the driveway is. Request a quote or call (778) 805-5333. Budget ranges are in our gate cost guide.