Custom dual swing driveway gate with operator
- Est. investment
- $4,000 to $8,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 3 days
Galvanized steel, powder coat, ball-bearing hinges, photo eyes
Apartment and Multifamily Gate Access in Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Metal Gates Group is North County's apartment gate access contractor, working with apartment owners, asset managers and property managers on resident vehicle gates, visitor intercom lanes, and self-closing pedestrian gates. We handle communities from a single 22 ft vehicle gate to properties with 2 vehicle lanes and 4 pedestrian gates on one access system.
Gate Access Built for Apartment Communities
Our crews work occupied apartment communities, phasing each gate around tenants, move-ins and delivery peaks so residents can still drive in and the leasing office keeps showing units. Backed by 14 years in business, we have completed more than 1,326 gate and fence projects, from one pedestrian gate closer to a full vehicle and pedestrian access package, and asset manager references are available on request.
From the credential audit and lane layout to the fire access test and tenant roll-out, our team handles the parts of an apartment gate job that decide whether it finishes on schedule. Serving Carlsbad and neighboring Poway, Encinitas and Lake San Marcos, we hold the owner's schedule, work early mornings and weekends where traffic is lightest, and hand over each lane tested before tenants rely on it.
Request a bid with your unit count, gate count and current entry system, and we will walk the property with your manager.
What you can hold us to
The Shop Behind Every Gate
14 yearsDrawing, welding and hanging gates from our Carlsbad shop
1,326Gates, fences, railings and entry systems completed
2-year2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel
40 milesFrom the Carlsbad coast to Poway, Bonsall and Elfin Forest
Tenants, Deliveries and Emergency Crews
An apartment gate has three users who all need in: tenants every day, carriers and food delivery many times a day, and fire and medical crews without warning. Victor's multifamily community on a large inland lot in Poway solved the first two with resident RFID readers on one lane and a visitor intercom on the other. The third is a Knox key switch, Opticom strobe sensor or siren responder, as the fire district requires, wired so a crew opens the gate without calling anyone.
Credentials a Manager Can Control
Turnover makes credential management the real product on an apartment gate, because a fob that still works after move-out is an open gate. The access systems we install give the manager a web or app dashboard, so a tenant is added at lease signing and removed at move-out without a site visit. Cellular or Wi-Fi 1080p video intercom, backlit keypad, RFID readers and smartphone app entry all report to the same account on the properties we wire in Encinitas and Poway.
Apartment Gate Pricing
Apartment gate access is typically budgeted per lane plus per pedestrian gate, and a Ground-track slide gate runs an estimated $1,500 to $5,000 per complete system before readers. Victor's two resident and visitor lanes came in at an estimated $6,400 to $9,200 with the RFID readers and intercom included. A Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate, typically an estimated $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system, replaces a slide gate where gravel, leaves or a slope would foul a ground track.
Apartment Gate Job Types and Pricing
Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate
- Est. investment
- $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 4 days
For slopes, debris and commercial entrances
Ground-track slide gate
- Est. investment
- $1,500 to $5,000 per complete system
- Est. duration
- 2 to 3 days
For flat drives with no swing room
Opener retrofit on an existing gate
- Est. investment
- $1,800 to $3,800 per operator system
- Est. duration
- 4 to 8 hours
Motor, photo eyes, battery backup, remotes
Video intercom, keypad or app entry
- Est. investment
- $1,200 to $4,500 per system
- Est. duration
- 4 to 8 hours
Added to a new or existing automated gate
Ornamental steel fence
- Est. investment
- $50 to $85 per linear foot
- Est. duration
- 2 to 4 days
4 to 6 ft galvanized and powder coated
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
| Job type | Est. investment | Est. duration on site |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-track slide gate | Est. $1,500 to $5,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 3 days |
| Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate | Est. $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 4 days |
| Video intercom, keypad or app entry | Est. $2,400 to $4,500 per system | Est. 4 to 8 hours |
| Self-closing pedestrian walk gate | Est. $600 to $1,500 per gate | Est. 4 to 8 hours |
Every apartment figure here is a budgetary estimate for North County properties and is subject to change. Your written quote, confirmed on bid after the property walk and the credential count, sets the final price and the install schedule, and it depends on lane width, how many pedestrian gates share the system and how far data runs from the leasing office.
Apartment Project: Two Slide Gates in Poway
Victor, multifamily community on a large inland lot, Poway
Apartment and Multifamily Gate Access
- Material
- galvanized steel, black powder coat
- Size
- Two 22 ft slide gates, resident and visitor lanes
- Est. investment
- $6,400 to $9,200
- Est. duration
- 4 to 5 days
An apartment owner whose swing gates hit parked cars and stood open half the day
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
Victor, an apartment owner in Poway, had swing gates that hit parked cars and stood open half the day. We recommended two ground-track slide gates with resident RFID readers and a visitor intercom lane, installed one lane at a time. The two 22 ft slide gates, resident and visitor lanes, in galvanized steel, black powder coat, came in at an estimated $6,400 to $9,200 over an estimated 4 to 5 days. His multifamily community on a large inland lot now has gates that close behind every car and a lane that never shuts for move-ins.
Pedestrian Gates That Close Every Time
Pedestrian gates fail more often than vehicle gates on apartment properties, because tenants prop them, kick them and let them slam hundreds of times a week. We hang them on ball-bearing barrel or greaseable weld-on hinges rated for 500 to 1,500 lbs per pair, then add a hydraulic closer and a latch built for that abuse. A Custom Decorative Pedestrian Walk Gate typically runs an estimated $600 to $1,500 per gate and an estimated 4 to 8 hours to hang at a Lake San Marcos or Carlsbad property.
Apartment Gate Specifications
- Steel tubing gauge
- 16-gauge pickets, 14-gauge rails and 11-gauge to 3/16-inch posts on every steel gate and fence
- Coastal finish
- Hot-dip galvanized steel first, then a zinc-phosphate prime and a TGIC polyester powder coat 3 to 5 mils thick
- Corrosion protection
- G90 hot-dip galvanizing inside and out, so hollow tube does not rust from the inside
- Post footings
- 24 to 36 inch deep bell footings, 10 to 12 inches across, in 3,000 to 4,000 PSI concrete
- Hinges
- Ball-bearing barrel or greaseable weld-on hinges rated for 500 to 1,500 lbs per pair
- Operators
- 24V DC brushless continuous-duty motors: linear or articulated arm on swing gates, rack-and-pinion on slide gates
- Entrapment protection
- UL 325 and ASTM F2200: monitored photo eyes (Type B1) plus safety edges (Type B2) on every automated gate
- Emergency access
- Knox key switch, Opticom strobe sensor or siren responder, as the fire district requires
- Pool and pet gaps
- Under 4 inches between pickets, with 1.5 to 2 inch puppy pickets at the bottom on request
- Ground clearance
- 2 to 3 inches over lawn and 1 to 2 inches over a paved driveway apron
- Smart entry
- Cellular or Wi-Fi 1080p video intercom, backlit keypad, RFID readers and smartphone app entry
- Travel stops
- Post-mounted gate catchers, positive travel stops and guide roller shields on slide and cantilever gates
Apartment Bid Process
An apartment bid follows the same five steps on every property, from Solana Beach condos to Poway garden apartments.
- Property walk: lanes, pedestrian gates, parking layout, delivery and fire access points.
- Credential count: units, current fobs and the entry system the manager wants.
- Written bid by gate, with operator cut sheets and the reader layout.
- Fabrication and finish in our shop, then lane-by-lane install.
- Tenant roll-out: credentials loaded, fire access tested, manager trained.
Working Around Tenants
Occupied communities keep one vehicle lane open for the whole job, the way Victor's resident lane stayed live while the visitor lane was rebuilt. Tenants get a dated notice, new credentials are loaded before the cutover, and old fobs are switched off on the same day.
Why Choose Us
Apartment owners choose us because one crew builds the gate, sets the operator and loads the credentials, so there is no finger-pointing between a fence company and an access vendor. Every apartment gate carries our 2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel, and operators add the maker's parts warranty, typically 1 to 5 years on motors and electronics.
Apartment Service Areas
We bid apartment and multifamily gate work across a 40-mile radius, from Carlsbad and Encinitas complexes near the coast to Poway communities inland. Solana Beach and Del Mar condominium associations, Lake San Marcos planned developments, Bonsall rental properties and Harmony Grove villages are all inside that radius.
Related Commercial Gate Services
Apartment owners often need more than the entry: see the full commercial gate system menu, keep gates cycling with preventive gate maintenance agreements, compare community entry systems for HOA boards, or secure the lot edge with security fencing for commercial perimeters.
Apartment Gate Questions
Which UL 325 class does an apartment gate need?
A multifamily entrance with five or more units is a Class II gate under UL 325, the same class as a hotel or retail garage.
How do tenants get in when they forget a fob?
Tenants open the gate from a smartphone app or a keypad code, and visitors call the tenant through the video intercom, the setup on Victor's two 22 ft slide gates, resident and visitor lanes.
How does a manager remove a tenant's access?
The manager switches off that tenant's fob, code and app credential from the dashboard at move-out, with no site visit needed, whether the property is in Del Mar, Solana Beach or Elfin Forest.
How do fire crews get through?
Fire crews use a Knox key switch, Opticom strobe sensor or siren responder, whichever the fire district requires for that property, from Rancho Santa Fe to Fairbanks Ranch.
How long does a two-lane apartment entry take?
Two lanes typically take an estimated 4 to 5 days on site, as on the Poway job, with one lane open throughout.
What does apartment gate access cost?
A slide gate lane typically runs an estimated $1,500 to $5,000 before readers, and your written quote sets the final figure.
Do you service apartment gates after install?
Yes, apartment gates cycle all day, so most owners move onto a monthly service visit, like the monthly service on 4 automated gates we run in Lake San Marcos.
Request a Bid for Your Apartment Gates
Request a bid with your unit count, vehicle and pedestrian gate count, current entry system and timeline, and we will schedule the property walk.
Gates, Fences and Finishes
Start to finish
From Site Measure to the Final Safety Test
Site measure
We measure the opening, the grade and the swing or slide path before anything is drawn.
Drawings and approval
You approve a scaled drawing, the metal, the finish and the operator before steel is cut.
Shop fabrication
The gate is welded in our shop, then galvanized and powder coated for the salt air.
Install and safety test
We set the posts, hang the gate, wire the operator and test every photo eye and safety edge with you.
Where we work
Where We Install It
Request a bid
Ready to Talk About Apartment and Multifamily Gate Access?
Call us or send a site plan, photos or a gate count, and we will set a site walk and return a written bid.
Calls only, we do not receive text messages.