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Our Projects

Carlsbad Metal Gates Group is coastal North County's premier specialist in finished gate and fence projects, specializing in community entry gates, equestrian drive gates, and stainless cable view railings. We offer Cor-Ten slat fences and powder-coated aluminum pool barriers.

Case Studies From the Shop

Our team provides phased installs that keep an entry open, delivering gates that suit the house for homes and uninterrupted access for both residential and commercial projects. Backed by 14 years in business and a 2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel, we've completed over 1,326 projects, from a 42-foot deck railing to two-lane community entries.

From the first slope reading to the logged entrapment test at handover, our team handles every detail. Serving Carlsbad and neighboring Fairbanks Ranch, Bonsall, Del Mar and Harmony Grove, we keep a written record of every job, and the four below are told in full.

Request a free estimate, and we will show you the project closest to yours, with its estimated numbers.

Four Detailed Gate Projects

Black steel swing gate between stone pillars at a gated community entry, flower-planted median and eucalyptus trees behind

Rebecca, North gated community entry, Fairbanks Ranch

HOA and Gated Community Entry Systems

Material
hot-dip galvanized steel, bronze powder coat
Size
Entry and exit lanes, two dual swing gates
Est. investment
$11,500 to $15,200
Est. duration
4 to 6 days

A community board replacing 1980s entry gates whose hinges had sagged and whose operators failed safety checks

What we recommended: Two new dual swing gates on ball-bearing hinges with continuous-duty operators, safety edges and a Knox key switch, phased one lane at a time so residents always had a way in

The result: Both lanes back in daily service with monitored entrapment protection and no full closure of the entry

Black steel single swing drive gate with an operator on the hinge post, white ranch rail fence and oaks at sunset

Jenna, horse property with paddocks, Bonsall

Equestrian and Ranch Property Gates

Material
galvanized steel, black powder coat
Size
Drive gate plus arena gate, both 16 ft
Est. investment
$6,200 to $8,900
Est. duration
3 to 4 days

A horse property where the trailer had to stop on the road while someone opened the drive gate

What we recommended: A 16 ft automated single swing drive gate sized for a truck and trailer turn, plus a matching arena gate with a horse-safe latch

The result: The rig pulls straight in, and the arena gate closes with nothing for a horse to catch on

Horizontal stainless cable railing on dark steel posts along an upper deck facing the ocean, two outdoor chairs

Sophie, ocean-view home with an upper deck, Del Mar

Cable and Glass View Railings

Material
316 stainless cable with dark steel posts
Size
56 linear feet of deck railing
Est. investment
$7,800 to $11,600
Est. duration
2 to 3 days

An upper deck whose solid wood railing blocked the ocean view from the living room

What we recommended: Stainless cable railing on dark powder-coated steel posts, tensioned and checked for deflection

The result: The ocean view is back from the sofa, with a railing that only needs a rinse

Horizontal Cor-Ten steel slat fence and matching walk gate stepping along a gravel path, hills and eucalyptus behind

Megan, 2010s master-planned home, Harmony Grove

Horizontal Slat Gates and Fences

Material
Cor-Ten weathering steel slats
Size
48 linear feet of slat fence and a matching gate
Est. investment
$4,600 to $6,700
Est. duration
3 to 5 days

A newer home with a bare side yard and a front court that wanted privacy without a solid wall

What we recommended: Horizontal Cor-Ten slat fence with tight gaps and a matching walk gate, set level along a gentle grade

The result: A private side yard and a modern facade that ages to an even rust patina

Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.

Rebecca's community entry, Fairbanks Ranch

Rebecca's board was replacing 1980s entry gates whose hinges had sagged and whose operators failed safety checks at the North gated community entry. The scope was entry and exit lanes, two dual swing gates in hot-dip galvanized steel, bronze powder coat. We recommended two new dual swing gates on ball-bearing hinges with continuous-duty operators, safety edges and a Knox key switch, phased one lane at a time so residents always had a way in. The work was an estimated $11,500 to $15,200 over an estimated 4 to 6 days. Both lanes are back in daily service with monitored entrapment protection, and the entry never fully closed.

Jenna's drive and arena gates, Bonsall

Jenna owns a horse property with paddocks, and her trailer had to stop on the road while someone opened the drive gate by hand. She needed a drive gate plus arena gate, both 16 ft, in galvanized steel with a black finish. Our advice was a 16 ft automated single swing drive gate sized for a truck and trailer turn, plus a matching arena gate with a horse-safe latch. Her project came in at an estimated $6,200 to $8,900 and took an estimated 3 to 4 days. Now the rig pulls straight in, and the arena gate closes with nothing for a horse to catch on.

Sophie's view railing, Del Mar

Sophie's ocean-view home with an upper deck had a solid wood railing that blocked the ocean view from the living room. The job was 56 linear feet of deck railing in 316 stainless cable with dark steel posts. We suggested stainless cable railing on dark powder-coated steel posts, tensioned and checked for deflection. That railing was estimated at $7,800 to $11,600 and typically needs an estimated 2 to 3 days. The ocean view is back from the sofa, and the railing only needs a rinse.

Megan's slat fence and gate, Harmony Grove

Megan's 2010s master-planned home had a bare side yard and a front court that wanted privacy without a solid wall. She chose Cor-Ten weathering steel slats for 48 linear feet of slat fence and a matching gate. We set horizontal Cor-Ten slats with tight gaps and a matching walk gate, kept level along a gentle grade. The fence was an estimated $4,600 to $6,700 job over an estimated 3 to 5 days. She has a private side yard and a modern facade that ages to an even rust patina.

More Projects Across North County

The rest of our recent work, grouped by city, shows how much the coast, the slope and the buyer change a job.

Carlsbad

Dale's business-park truck entrance got a 28 ft cantilever that never touches the ground, an estimated $7,200 to $9,600 commercial job. In La Costa, Rachel traded a sagging wood gate for a 14 ft dual swing driveway gate, roughly $5,200 to $7,400 and an estimated 2 to 3 days. Laura's Aviara home with a roof deck gained a 6 ft diameter exterior spiral stair to a roof deck with wood treads, typically $4,200 to $5,900 over an estimated 5 to 9 days.

Coastal cities

Olivia's Tudor Revival cottage with a walled courtyard in Del Mar received two arched walk gates, front courtyard and side yard, with a scroll taken from her window grilles, an estimated $1,900 to $2,800. On a bluff-top home with a two-level deck in Solana Beach, Ethan's rusting railings became 42 linear feet of stair and balcony railing in galvanized steel, typically 1 to 2 days of work. Paul's narrow coastal lot, also in Solana Beach, swapped a rusted steel fence for 70 linear feet of fence with a matching walk gate in powder-coated aluminum, estimated at $3,200 to $4,900. Daniel's Olivenhain modern farmhouse in Encinitas got a 5 ft wide steel and glass pivot entry door, roughly $9,500 to $14,000 installed. In Leucadia, Greg's hand-opened swing gate received an opener retrofit on a 12 ft swing gate with battery backup, an estimated 6 to 8 hours of work.

Estate and gated communities

Catherine's arched estate gate in Rancho Santa Fe was drawn to her house's ironwork and approved under The Covenant, typically $5,600 to $7,800. Amanda's equestrian estate, also in Rancho Santa Fe, needed 110 linear feet of forged fence to match the house, an estimated $10,200 to $13,900 over 4 to 6 days. At a South gated community estate in Fairbanks Ranch, Steven's mixed fence styles became 180 linear feet of front and side fencing racked to the grade, roughly $10,800 to $14,600.

Inland foothills

Nora's steep chaparral-edge driveway in Elfin Forest now has a 20 ft cantilever gate on a sloped drive with a battery-backed operator. Brian's acreage with a long gravel drive, also in Elfin Forest, replaced a chain with a 16 ft ranch-style drive gate and an emergency key switch, typically $3,400 to $4,600. In Harmony Grove, Hannah's home with an existing automated gate added a cellular video intercom and keypad, an estimated $2,400 to $3,900 over 6 to 8 hours. Tyler's rural lot near the river valley in Bonsall took an 18 ft ground-track slide gate that opens in its own footprint, typically 2 to 3 days.

Poway and Lake San Marcos

Victor's multifamily community on a large inland lot in Poway runs two 22 ft slide gates, resident and visitor lanes, installed one lane at a time for an estimated $6,400 to $9,200. Mark's light-industrial yard, also in Poway, traded climbable chain link for 320 linear feet of perimeter fence in six-foot ornamental steel, roughly $18,400 to $25,600. Linda's association in a planned development beside the lake books monthly service on 4 automated gates, an estimated $360 to $450 a visit. Kevin's family, in a home with a backyard pool in Lake San Marcos, now has 110 linear feet of pool fence with a self-closing gate, estimated at $3,600 to $4,800.

Black steel stair and balcony railings with close square balusters on a bluff-top home, ocean at sunset beyond

What These Projects Cost, Job by Job

Most projects on this page fell inside the estimated job ranges below, and the size of the opening, the material and the slope moved each one.

Job typeEst. investmentEst. duration on site
Custom dual swing driveway gate with operatorEst. $4,000 to $8,000 per complete systemEst. 2 to 3 days
Single swing driveway or ranch gate with operatorEst. $2,500 to $5,000 per complete systemEst. 1 to 2 days
Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gateEst. $6,000 to $10,000 per complete systemEst. 2 to 4 days
Ornamental steel fenceEst. $50 to $85 per linear footEst. 2 to 4 days
Stainless cable railingEst. $75 to $260 per linear footEst. 1 to 3 days
Pool safety fence and self-closing gateEst. $30 to $45 per linear footEst. 1 to 3 days

A community or apartment entry is priced per lane, which is why Rebecca's two-lane entry and Victor's two slide gates cost more than a single home gate.

Prices on this page are estimates for Carlsbad and nearby cities and are subject to change. The written quote after your site visit sets the final price and the install schedule, and it depends on the opening, the material and the slope of your property.

Why Owners Trust Our Project Record

A project record with names, cities and estimated numbers is easier to trust than a page of adjectives. Every gate here was measured before it was drawn, welded in our own shop, and covered by our 2-year workmanship warranty, and every automated one passed its entrapment test before handover. Our owner lays out each custom gate on the shop table, and you can meet the team who built these projects.

Black steel cantilever slide gate closed across a business park truck entrance, gray operator box on a concrete pad and a keypad post beside the drive

Project Galleries by Service

Our galleries group the finished photos by the service behind them, so you can point at the look you want. Browse custom driveway gates, estate gate entries, equestrian and ranch gates, stainless cable and glass view railings, modern horizontal slat gates and community entry gate systems.

Project Service Areas

We take on projects across a 40-mile radius of the shop, from Carlsbad metal gates to Fairbanks Ranch entries, Bonsall horse property gates, Del Mar railings and Harmony Grove fences. Every other city we serve is on our service area list.

Tall black steel and glass pivot entry door standing open on a white board-and-batten modern farmhouse

Questions About Our Gate Projects

Are the prices in these case studies what I will pay?

No, each figure is an estimated range for that job, and your written quote after the site visit sets the final price.

How long did a typical gate project take?

Most driveway gates here took an estimated 2 to 3 days on site, while longer fence runs and community entries ran an estimated 4 to 6 days.

Do you take on association and apartment projects?

Yes, Rebecca's community entry and Victor's apartment slide gates were both phased one lane at a time.

Can I see a project like mine before I decide?

Yes, we can show you the gallery for your service and photos of the closest project at your estimate.

Why did some coastal projects use aluminum instead of steel?

Aluminum does not rust in salt air, which is why Paul's Solana Beach fence went aluminum.

Do you build projects on sloped lots?

Yes, Nora's Elfin Forest cantilever and Steven's racked Fairbanks Ranch fence were both built for the grade.

Start Your Own Gate Project

Call today, and we will measure your opening and send a free written, itemized quote for the gate you choose.

Free estimate

Ready to Talk About a Project Like These?

Call us or send the form, and we will book a site measure and a written estimate.

Call (760) 281-4798

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Call (760) 281-4798