Fence Gate Sizes: Clear Opening, Leaf Width and Hardware

List what must pass through: people, bins, garden equipment or vehicles. Measure the widest item including handles and mirrors where relevant, then assess turning approach and site clearance. Required passage width is a project input, not a universal residential gate dimension.

Ask the manufacturer for clear opening, hinge and latch allowances, leaf width, swing area and post-centre layout. A double gate introduces a meeting stile, latches or drop rods and may have a different opening convention. An automated gate needs its own applicable safety and installation design.

A 20 ft straight run with a 4 ft gate beginning 8 ft from the start has 8 ft of infill on either side. At an 8 ft maximum spacing it has two infill bays and four physical posts: two ends and two gate posts. Counting the full run as three uninterrupted bays would conceal the gate geometry.

At a run boundary, the gate post can share a terminal or corner identity. The graph classifies that physical node as a gate post so gate hardware is not omitted. Supply the manufacturer with the complete corner-gate detail.

Gate loads and movement can require different posts or footings from the fence line. Confirm leaf weight, hardware, stops, ground clearance and future adjustment provisions. Walk through the swing path on the sketch and note slopes or obstructions. The calculator deducts the opening and counts gate nodes; it does not size hinges, predict sag or certify automated-gate safety.