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Gate weight calculator

Free tool by the GateOpenerLab editorial team. Last updated . No sign-up; your answers stay in the page address so you can share the result.

Quick answer

Pick your gate's material and infill, then enter its height and length. The calculator adds up the frame and infill from each member's size and the material's density, and gives a range that allows for hinges and decoration. Then check it with a bathroom scale under the free end, doubled.

ft
ft

For a double gate, enter one leaf.

Member sizes (edit to match your gate)

These start at typical sizes for the material. They are our assumptions, so change them if yours differ.

in
in
in
in
in
rails
in

Used only to show openers that can carry this weight.

Openers that fit

Learn more: How to weigh your gate

How the calculator works

It builds your gate out of simple parts and weighs each one: length of the part × its cross-section area × the density of the material. Then it adds them up.

  • Frame: two end posts (stiles) as tall as the gate, plus three full-length rails (top, middle, bottom). Wood gates also get one diagonal brace.
  • Pickets: as many as fit at your spacing, each as tall as the gate.
  • Horizontal rails: extra full-length rails, same size as the frame (ranch and tube gates).
  • Solid panel: a sheet or boards covering the whole face.
  • Chain link mesh: 2 inch diamonds woven from the wire size you pick.

The formulas

weight (lb) = length (in) × area (in²) × density (lb/in³)

Square tube area: size² − (size − 2 × wall)². Round pipe: π/4 × (OD² − ID²). Solid bar: size².

Chain link: with right-angle diamonds, the wire length per square inch is 2 ÷ (mesh + wire diameter), so the mesh weighs 144 × 2 ÷ (mesh + d) × π/4 × d² × steel density per square foot. For 9 gauge, 2 inch mesh that is about 0.65 lb per square foot.

Densities: steel 7,850 kg/m³ (0.284 lb/in³), aluminum 6061 2,720 kg/m³ (0.098 lb/in³), wood by species from 380 to 770 kg/m³, seasoned and dry. The high end of the range adds 25% for hinges, latches, welds, caps and decoration. That allowance is our own judgment, not a measured figure.

How to weigh your gate for real

  1. Close the gate so it hangs freely on its hinges. Unlatch it.
  2. Set a bathroom scale on a flat block under the free (latch) end, right below the end post.
  3. Lower the gate onto the scale, or shim the scale up, until the gate sits level and its end rests on the scale, not on the latch or the ground.
  4. Read the scale. The hinges hold the other end, so for an even gate the scale carries about half the weight. Double the reading.
  5. Repeat two or three times and use the highest result. For a sliding gate, weigh each end on its wheels the same way and add the two.

Why doubling works: the gate's weight acts at its middle, halfway between the hinge post and the scale, so the load splits about evenly. If one end is heavier (a big end post, a lock box), the split shifts and the doubled reading is only a guide.

Limits of this tool

  • Ornamental scrolls, finials, kick plates, motor brackets and thick paint or galvanizing are only covered by the 25% allowance.
  • Wet or pressure-treated wood weighs more than the dry densities we use.
  • We assume full-height pickets and full-length rails. Real gates often have shorter pickets or a curved top.
  • For a double gate, enter one leaf. Each swing operator only moves its own leaf.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 12 ft steel driveway gate weigh?

It depends on the tube sizes and infill. A 12 by 5 ft gate in 2 inch square tube with 3/4 inch tube pickets comes out around 180 to 220 lb in this calculator. Solid steel bar pickets or a solid sheet can push it well past 300 lb.

How do I weigh my gate with a bathroom scale?

Close the gate, put a bathroom scale under the free end on a flat block, and lift or shim until the gate sits level with its weight on the scale. For an even gate the scale carries about half the weight, so double the reading.

Why does the calculator give a range instead of one number?

Hinges, latches, welds, caps and decoration add weight that depends on your gate. The low end counts only the frame and infill; the high end adds 25 percent for those parts. Use the high end when you pick an opener.

Does a wet or pressure-treated wood gate weigh more?

Yes. The wood densities we use are for seasoned, dry wood. Fresh pressure-treated lumber holds a lot of water and weighs more until it dries, so weigh a wood gate if you can.

What weight should I use for a double gate?

Weigh or estimate each leaf. Each swing operator moves one leaf, so it needs to be rated for that leaf’s weight and length, not the total.

Sources for the numbers