Quick answer: Yes, a gate can be made to match a fence you already have. A custom gate is fabricated to the exact width of your opening, in the same style as the fence beside it, then powder coated to match the colour. You do not need to replace the fence, and you are not limited to standard gate sizes. Two recent projects from our Deception Bay workshop show how it works.
Most people who ask us about a gate are not starting from scratch. The fence is already there. So are the pillars, the driveway and a gap that is never quite a standard width. The question is whether a new gate can be made to look like it was always part of the fence, and the answer is nearly always yes.
Here are two recent jobs where that was the whole brief.
Project 1: A Spear Top Sliding Gate Made to Fit the Gap
A residential complex needed a sliding gate across its driveway. The front boundary already had black spear top fence panels, so the gate had to do two things: fit the opening exactly, and match what was beside it.
We made a custom Zeus aluminium sliding gate for it:
- The frame was CNC routed to suit the opening, so the gate was built for that gap and not adapted from a stock size.
- 25mm square pickets with pressed spear tops were welded in, so the gate lines up with the spear top fence panels on either side.
- The finished gate was powder coated in black to match the existing fence panels on site.
Because the gate is welded and coated as one piece, the frame stays square and the finish is even across the whole gate.
Project 2: A Sliding Gate and Pedestrian Gate Made as a Pair
This frontage had stone and rendered pillars already in place and two openings to fill: a wide driveway and a separate pedestrian entry. The customer wanted both to read as one design.
We made a RAD batten sliding driveway gate and a matching pedestrian gate:
- 40x40 aluminium battens on 40x40 rails, giving a crisp, uniform line across the full width of the driveway.
- The pedestrian gate made to the same batten spacing, so the two gates look like one piece between the stone pillars.
- Both powder coated in Surfmist (off white) in the same finish.
A sliding gate suited this driveway because a swing gate would have needed clear space to open into. We sized the gate, track and hardware to the actual opening.
What Makes a Gate Match
Looking at the two jobs together, three things do the work.
Width. Openings between existing posts, pillars and walls are rarely a round number. A gate made to your measurements closes the gap properly. A stock gate leaves you packing out one side or cutting into something that was fine as it was.
Style and spacing. Pickets, battens or slats in the gate need to follow the same pattern as the fence. That is why the spear top gate used pressed spear pickets, and why the pedestrian gate was made to the same batten spacing as the sliding gate.
Colour. A gate that is one shade off is the first thing you notice from the street. Powder coated aluminium can be finished to match what is already there. Bring a photo or an offcut of the existing fence and we will match it before you order.
Sliding or Swing?
Both of these projects are sliding gates, and that is not a coincidence. On most driveways the choice is made by the site before style comes into it: a slope, a short driveway where cars park close to the gate, or no room for a swing arc. If there is space beside the opening for the gate to run back into, sliding is usually the practical answer. Our sliding gate vs swing gate guide goes through the decision in detail.
What We Need to Quote a Matching Gate
- The width of the opening, post to post or pillar to pillar
- The height of the fence beside it
- Whether the ground is level or sloping across the opening
- A photo of the existing fence, so we can see the style and the colour
Send those through our quote form and we will tell you what we can make. One thing to know about how we work: we manufacture and supply, we do not install. The gate is made at our Deception Bay workshop, and if you need someone to fit it we can point you to local installers who work with our gates regularly.
You can see more recent gate work on our gates page, and custom frames and repairs on our welding and metal fabrication page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make a gate to match my existing fence?
Yes. We fabricate gates to your measurements in the same style as the fence, and powder coat them to match the colour. Bring a photo or an offcut of the existing fence so we can match it before you order.
My opening is not a standard width. Is that a problem?
No. A custom gate is made for the opening you have. Both projects on this page were made to fit existing gaps between fence panels and pillars.
Do I have to replace my fence to add a gate?
No. A gate can be added to a fence that is already there, as long as there is a suitable opening and, for a sliding gate, room beside it for the gate to run back.
Do you install the gate?
No. We manufacture and supply. We can refer you to local installers who work with our gates regularly.
Can a pedestrian gate be made to match a driveway gate?
Yes. In the second project above, the pedestrian gate was made to the same batten spacing and finish as the sliding driveway gate, so the two read as one design.
Have a fence that needs a gate? Send us the opening width, the fence height and a photo through our quote form.
