A pedestrian gate looks like the simplest thing on a fence line, and it is the part people most often have to order twice. The gate leaf is made to a standard width, the posts are a separate purchase, the hinges and latch may or may not be included, and the opening you measured is not the width of the gate you need. This guide walks the whole order, in the sizes and prices FY makes at Slacks Creek.
The quick answer
The standard aluminium pedestrian gate is 1000mm wide, in 1200mm or 1800mm heights.
Prices run $295 for horizontal slat, $399 for vertical picket and $569 for welded vertical blade.
Side posts are not included with the gate, and only the picket and blade gates come with a handle lock.
The gate leaf is narrower than the opening. Allow for the hinge gap and the latch gap before you order.
The standard size, and why it is 1000mm
Every pedestrian gate FY makes starts from a 1000mm wide leaf in either a 1200mm or an 1800mm height. That width is not arbitrary. A metre is comfortable for a wheelie bin, a mower or a wheelbarrow, it stays light enough that two hinges carry it without sagging, and it matches the post spacing a fence line already uses.
The 1200mm height is the usual front boundary gate and the 1800mm the side and rear gate, matching the same two heights that fence panels are made in. Ordering the gate in the same height as the fence beside it is what keeps the top line straight.
The gate leaf is not the size of your opening
This is the single most common ordering mistake. The 1000mm figure is the gate itself. Once it is hung you also need a gap at the hinge side so it can swing, and a gap at the latch side so it can close without binding. Between two 65mm posts, a 1000mm leaf wants a finished opening of roughly 1030mm to 1040mm measured post face to post face, depending on the hinge you use.
Measure the clear opening you actually have first, between the two things the gate has to sit between: a house wall and a fence post, two posts, a post and a brick pier. Then work backwards. If the opening is fixed and cannot move, the gate is made to suit it rather than the other way around, which is what made to order means here.
The measurement to send us
The clear width between the two fixed points, the height you want, and a note on what is on each side: fence post, house wall, brick pier or nothing yet. That is enough for us to price the gate, the posts and the hardware together.
The three gates, compared
The gate is made in the same three profiles as the fence, so the entry matches the run it sits in. The difference between them is not only the look. It is whether the frame is welded, and whether a lock is built in.
| Gate | Price from | Lock | Best with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal slat gate | $295 | No lock fitted | A horizontal slat fence, where privacy matters more than a keyed entry |
| Vertical picket gate | $399 | Metal handle lock included | A picket front boundary, where the gate is the street entry |
| Welded vertical blade gate | $569 | Metal handle lock included | A blade fence, high traffic, or any gate that has to take a knock |
The slat gate is the cheapest because it is supplied as a leaf without a lock, which suits a side gate that only ever needs a latch. The blade gate costs more because the frame is fully welded rather than bolted, which is what you want on a gate that gets used every day.
Posts: the part that is not in the box
A gate is only ever as good as what it hangs on. Side posts are not supplied with the gate, and a gate post is not the same as a fence post. A fence post carries a static panel. A gate post carries a swinging load that tries to pull it out of the ground every time somebody opens it.
65 x 65mm in-ground post, from $61.99. The standard fence post, and enough for a 1200mm gate in a sheltered spot.
Flange post, 1900mm, from $41.99. Bolts to concrete or a slab where digging is not an option.
Heavy duty 100 x 100 x 3000mm post, $199. The 3mm wall post we recommend on the hinge side of an 1800mm gate, on a double gate, or anywhere the gate will be used constantly.
If you only upgrade one thing on a gate order, upgrade the hinge post. A latch post can be the same as the fence posts. The hinge post is the one that decides whether the gate still closes properly in two years.
Hinges, latches and self-closing hardware
The slat gate arrives without hardware, and the picket and blade gates arrive with a handle lock but still need hinges. What you add depends on how the gate is used.
Self-closing hinges, $38. Close a gate up to 30kg on their own, with the tension adjustable from either end.
Heavy duty self-closing hinges, $60. The same for a gate up to 70kg, which covers the 1800mm leaves and the welded blade gate.
D&D Technologies gate latch lock, $79. Operates and locks from both sides, with dual six-pin locks that can be rekeyed to match your house keys.
D&D magnetic push and pull lock, $99. Latches magnetically, with nothing visible on the outside face.
Polymer and stainless hardware is worth the difference on a coastal or western sun boundary: it will not rust, bind or stain the panel below it. For the full run-through of what suits a swing gate against a sliding gate, see the aluminium gate hardware guide.
Which way should it swing, and which side should it latch
Three practical rules settle most gates. Swing it into the property rather than out over a footpath or a driveway. Hang it on the side where the ground is highest, so the leaf does not catch as it opens across a fall. And put the latch on the side you walk from, not the side the gate opens to, so you are not reaching around it in the dark.
On a sloping block the gate has one more constraint than the fence does. A fence can be stepped or raked to follow the ground, but a gate leaf is a rectangle that has to clear the ground through its entire swing. Where the fall is steep, the usual answer is a shorter gate hung higher, with the gap under it closed by the ground rather than by the gate. The same thinking applies to the fence itself, covered in raked against stepped fencing.
Ordering one from the Slacks Creek yard
Gates are made to order in Black, Monument and White, the same three powder-coated Colorbond colours as the panels, so a gate ordered later still matches the fence it joins. Custom widths and heights are made to your measurements rather than cut down from a stock leaf, and many custom orders are ready for collection the next day.
You can buy the gate supply only and hang it yourself, or have it measured, made and installed. Installation work is led by our founder and director, Kejin Yang, who holds an active QBCC trade contractor licence (no. 15027695) with classes including Structural Landscaping. Pickup from the yard is free and delivery across South East Queensland is quoted per suburb.
If the gate is going into a new fence line rather than an existing one, price them together. The posts, the brackets and the gate hardware come off the same parts list, and the fencing range is made in the same three profiles. For driveway gates, which are quoted individually rather than priced off the shelf, start with the gates overview.
Frequently asked questions
How wide is a standard aluminium pedestrian gate?
1000mm wide, in a 1200mm or an 1800mm height. That is the gate leaf itself, so the finished opening between posts needs to be roughly 1030mm to 1040mm to leave room for the hinge gap and the latch gap. Custom widths are made to order if your opening is fixed.
Does the gate come with hinges, posts and a lock?
Posts and hinges are sold separately on all three gates. The vertical picket and welded vertical blade gates include a metal handle lock. The horizontal slat gate is supplied without a lock, which suits a side gate that only needs a latch. Self-closing hinges start at $38 and latch locks at $79.
What does an aluminium pedestrian gate cost?
The gate leaf starts at $295 for horizontal slat, $399 for vertical picket with a handle lock and $569 for the welded vertical blade with a handle lock. Budget for two posts, from $41.99 each, plus hinges and a latch. Quotes are free, valid for 30 days, and we beat any lower advertised price for the same product and service by 5%.
Can a pedestrian gate be made to a custom size?
Yes. Every gate is made to order at Slacks Creek, so the width and height are built to your opening rather than trimmed on site. Send the clear opening measurement and what sits on either side of it, and the gate, posts and hardware are quoted as one list.
Which side should a gate be hinged?
Hang it on the high side of any fall so the leaf clears the ground through its full swing, and swing it into the property rather than out over a footpath or driveway. Put the latch on the side you approach from. If the gate sits against a house wall, hinge it on the wall side so the open leaf lies flat against the wall.
Do you supply pool gates?
No. We do not supply pool-safety barriers, and our gates and fencing are not sold or certified as pool-compliant. A pool gate has to meet the Queensland pool safety standard, including specific self-closing and self-latching requirements, and that is a different product from a garden or boundary gate. For every other side, front and rear gate, we can help.
How quickly can I get one?
Custom orders can often be ordered today and picked up tomorrow, and standard products are quoted the same day. Pickup from the Slacks Creek yard is free, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm. Delivery across South East Queensland is available at a charge quoted per suburb.
General guidance only. Gaps, hardware and post requirements vary with the gate, the ground and the fence it joins. Confirm your opening with us before ordering.
Working out what your fence line needs? Tell us the run and the height and we will quote it, supply-only or installed.
- Brisbane-based supplier
- Aluminium fencing & gates
- Supply or installed