Posts and footings
- Footings below the 1.2 m frost line
- Sized for the leaf weight and lever arm
- Set plumb and cured before hanging
- Conduit run at the same time where automation is planned
Where gates actually fail.
Driveway gates and gate automation.
FOUR40 builds and installs aluminum, steel and wrought-iron driveway gates across the GTA — swing and sliding, with footings below the frost line and automation installed through a licensed electrical contractor. Free on-site estimates.
Based in
Whitchurch-Stouffville
Estimates
Free & on-site
Before we start
Written scope
On site
Same crew throughout
What's included
The gate is the easy part.
Gates fail at the posts, not the panels. A leaning post is a footing that was not deep enough, and no amount of adjustment at the hinge fixes it afterwards.
The gate
- Aluminum, steel or wrought iron
- Swing or sliding
- Powder-coated finish
- Matching side and garden gates
- Matched to fence and railing where wanted
Automation
- Operator sized to the gate
- Keypad, remote and phone app
- Safety sensors and reversing
- Intercom integration
- Power and hookup by a Licensed Electrical Contractor
The gate is ours. Energising it is theirs, under their ESA licence.
What it costs
What moves the number.
Typical range
Ask for a figure
We publish real numbers rather than "it depends" — but only once they're ours to publish. Our written ranges are being finalised; call and we'll give you one over the phone in a minute. What moves the number:
- Opening width and gate weight
- Swing versus sliding — sliding needs a track run and more hardware
- Material and finish
- Automation, and what the operator has to move
- Ground conditions for the footings
- Whether power already reaches the gate position
- Matching fence or railing tied into the same job
Working with us
Five steps, no surprises.
01
Site visit
We measure, check drainage and grade, and talk through what you actually want. Free, and no pressure to sign anything.
02
Written quote
Scope, materials, base depth and price in writing. You'll know exactly what's included before a shovel moves.
03
Schedule & locates
Ontario One Call locates booked, materials ordered, start date confirmed. A realistic window, not an optimistic one.
04
Build
Excavation, base, compaction, install. Site cleaned at the end of each day — you still have to live there.
05
Walkthrough
We walk it together before final payment. Anything on your list gets fixed, then we're back if settling shows up.
Questions
Questions, answered.
Swing or sliding?
Swing gates suit level driveways with room for the leaves to open — they are simpler, cheaper and quieter. Sliding gates suit sloped driveways, short driveways where a car would block a swing, and anywhere you cannot give up the swing arc. The slope of your driveway usually makes the decision for you.
Do gates need power?
Automated ones do, and the feed and operator hookup is electrical work — so it goes to a Licensed Electrical Contractor with the ESA notification under their licence. The gate itself, the posts and the footings are our work. Manual gates need no power at all.
What holds a gate up?
Footings, dug below the frost line, and they are the whole job. A gate is a heavy lever on a post — a post set too shallow will lean within a season, and once it leans the gate stops closing cleanly. Everything visible about a gate is downstream of the holes it stands in.
Aluminum or steel?
Aluminum will not rust, is lighter on the operator and the hinges, and comes powder-coated. Wrought iron and steel give weight and a traditional look, cost more, and need the finish maintained. For an automated gate the lighter option is usually kinder to the mechanism.
Do I need a permit for a driveway gate?
Often not for the gate itself, but height limits, setbacks and sight-line rules at the property line differ by municipality, and anything that affects the boulevard or curb does need approval. We confirm before quoting.
Service area
Across the GTA, based in Stouffville.
Close enough to come back if something needs attention — which matters more than it sounds.
MarkhamStouffvilleRichmond HillAuroraNewmarketVaughanUxbridgePickeringAjaxScarboroughNorth YorkKing City
Elsewhere in the GTA? Call and ask — we travel for the right project.
Related
Other things we build.
Free estimate
Tell us about the project.
Fill this in and we'll get back to you to book a site visit — usually the same day.
Or call directly(647) 473-3454