Made-to-Measure Garden Gates vs Off-the-Shelf

You can buy a garden gate from a shed for under a hundred pounds, or commission one made to measure for several times that. Both have their place. The trick is knowing which situation you are in before the gate is swinging on its hinges.

When off-the-shelf is genuinely fine

Standard gates work well when the opening is a standard width, the posts are new and square, and the gate is a straightforward side gate doing a simple job. Buy a decent treated softwood one rather than the cheapest in the pile, check it for twist before it leaves the shop, and it will give years of service.

When made-to-measure earns its keep

• Openings between existing walls or posts that are never quite a standard size, and rarely square
• Driveway gates, where the span and the daily use punish anything flimsy
• Sloping ground, where the gate has to be built to rise with the hill
• Anything visible from the house, where the gate is part of how the place looks
• Period properties where a modern shed gate jars with everything around it

What a bespoke gate actually involves

A made-to-measure gate starts with the opening measured properly, including how out-of-square it is and what the ground does. The frame is mortise and tenoned rather than nailed, braces run the right way so the gate cannot sag, and the timber is chosen for the job: treated softwood for painted work, hardwood or cedar where looks and longevity matter. Hinges, latches and drop bolts are sized for the gate's weight, not whatever came in the pack.

The fit is the point

The real difference shows up a year later. A bespoke gate still closes with one finger because it was built square for that opening and hung on hardware that suits its weight. A forced-fit standard gate has usually sagged onto its latch or been planed into a wedge shape by then.

Posts and hanging matter as much as the gate

The best gate on tired posts is a short-term fix. Posts need to be sound, set deep enough, and sized for the weight they carry. We always look at the whole job: posts, hinges, ground levels and the gate together. Gates are a regular part of our exterior carpentry work across Hampshire. Call 07983 630628 for a free quote.