How to Use the Online Gate Designer to Brief a Brisbane Installer

Most gate quotes start with a phone call that goes something like this: you want an automatic gate, you are not sure what style, and the opening is "about four metres". The installer then visits, measures, talks through options, and goes away to price it. That works, but it is slow, and it is easy for the quote to miss what you actually had in mind.

Our online gate designer is meant to shortcut that. You choose sliding or swing, a slat style, a colour and a size, then send that design along with your enquiry. The installer starts with a picture of what you want instead of a vague description. Here is how to get the most from it.

Step 1: Measure before you design

The designer asks for a size, so measure first. You need:

• Opening width, post to post or pier to pier, at the height where the gate will sit
• Gate height you want, bearing in mind council rules and any estate guidelines
• Side run along the fence, if you are thinking about a sliding gate. As a rough guide you need clear run about equal to the gate width, plus room for the motor.
• Depth behind the gate, if you are thinking about a swing gate. Each leaf needs clear driveway to swing into.

Write these down. They go in your enquiry message as well as the design.

Step 2: Choose sliding or swing

The designer lets you pick either, but your block often makes the choice for you:

• Short, steep or tight driveway? Sliding usually wins. See automatic sliding gates.
• Wide, level frontage with plenty of depth, or an acreage entry? Swing can suit. See automatic swing gates.

If you are not sure, design both and say so. The installer will confirm on site.

Step 3: Pick a slat style

Slat style changes the look more than anything else. A few practical points:

• Gaps matter in storms. A fully solid gate catches wind. Small gaps between slats let air through, which reduces load on the motor and track in a summer storm.
• Privacy versus visibility. Tighter slats give more privacy. Wider gaps let you see who is at the gate and keep the street feeling open.
• Character streets. If you are in Brisbane's Traditional building character overlay, a more open, traditional pattern may suit better. Read character overlay front fences and gates.

Step 4: Pick a colour

Charcoal and black are popular because they suit most modern facades and hide dirt. Lighter colours stay cooler in the sun. If your house has a distinct trim or roof colour, matching it usually looks more considered than a default.

Step 5: Send it, with the details a design cannot show

The designer shows the gate. It cannot show your site. When you send your design, add:

• Suburb, so we can pass it to an installer who works in your area
• Driveway slope, both along the boundary and up or down behind the gate
• Power, whether there is a power point near the gate, and how far it is to the switchboard
• How you want to open it: remotes, keypad, intercom or phone. See intercom and remote access.
• Daily use, roughly how many times a day the gate will open
• Anything unusual, such as a retaining wall, a shared driveway, a drainage channel or a low spot that floods

Two photos help a lot: one from the street looking at the opening, and one from the driveway looking out.

About the price the designer shows

The designer shows an indicative price as you build. Treat it as a starting point for your own planning, not a quote. The installer's quote depends on what they find on site: ground conditions, slope, power, access and any approvals. That is why every installer we connect you with looks at the site before quoting.

What happens next

We pass your design and details to an independent local installer who works in your area. They are a separate business, and they quote and carry out the work under their own licences and insurance. A site visit lets them confirm the design suits your block, suggest changes if it does not, and give you a quote for the gate, motor and access you want.

If running power to the gate looks expensive, ask about solar. Our solar gate automation page explains when it makes sense.

A few common design mistakes

• Designing to the full opening on a sliding gate without checking side run. The gate needs somewhere to go.
• Choosing a very tall gate without checking approvals. In Brisbane, fences over 2 metres above natural ground generally need building approval, counting retaining walls.
• Forgetting the pedestrian gate. If people walk in and out, a separate matching pedestrian gate is often worth designing at the same time.
• Ignoring the motor. It has to sit somewhere, and on a narrow boundary that space is not always obvious.

Ready to start?

Open the online gate designer, build your gate and send it through. If you would rather talk it through first, use the contact page instead.