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
Commercial Gate and Access Systems in Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Metal Gates Group is North County's commercial gate and access contractor, working with property managers, general contractors and business-park owners on cantilever truck gates, rack-and-pinion slide operators, and tenant access control pedestals. We handle projects from a single 20 ft gate across a light-industrial yard to 4-lane entries that pair vehicle gates, pedestrian gates and card readers on one schedule.
A Commercial Gate Contractor for Business Parks and Yards
Our crews work occupied business parks, warehouse yards and office lots, phasing each gate swap around deliveries and business hours so trucks keep moving and tenants keep their access. Backed by 14 years in business, we have completed over 1,326 projects, from a single operator swap to full perimeter gate packages, and property manager references are available on request.
From the site walk and component takeoff to the entrapment test and closeout binder, our team handles the parts of a commercial gate job that decide whether it finishes on schedule. Serving Carlsbad and neighboring Encinitas, Poway and Lake San Marcos, we hold the GC's schedule, work nights and weekends when a property needs its entrance open by day, and turn every gate over ready for inspection.
Request a bid with your site plan, gate count and target dates, and we will set up a site walk.
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
What a Commercial Gate System Includes
A commercial gate system is the gate, the operator, the safety devices, the access control and the fire department override, specified and bid as one package. On Dale's business park off the coastal corridor, that meant a 28 ft cantilever across a truck entrance, a commercial operator, photo eyes on both sides and a keypad pedestal for tenants. Rebecca's north gated community entry in Fairbanks Ranch needed the same five parts, just arranged around residents instead of trucks.
Commercial Gate Scope and Project Size
Our commercial gate work runs from one truck entrance to multi-gate packages across a business park, a light-industrial yard or an apartment community. Most truck entrances use a Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate, typically an estimated $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system before access control is added. Victor's two 22 ft slide gates, resident and visitor lanes, in Poway show the multifamily end of the range, and larger Bonsall and Poway yards are phased gate by gate.
| Scope | Typical system | Est. investment per system |
|---|---|---|
| Truck or delivery entrance | Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate | Est. $6,000 to $10,000 |
| Flat office or retail lot | Ground-track slide gate | Est. $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Existing gate brought up to commercial duty | Opener retrofit on an existing gate | Est. $1,800 to $3,800 |
| Tenant keypad, card reader or video pedestal | Video intercom, keypad or app entry | Est. $2,400 to $4,500 |
Commercial Gate Pricing
Commercial gate systems are typically budgeted per entrance, and a trackless cantilever system in Carlsbad lands at an estimated $6,000 to $10,000 before access control. Gate length, the operator duty rating, the trenching run for power and the number of readers move the number most. A Ground-track slide gate is the lower-cost option at an estimated $1,500 to $5,000, but only where a Solana Beach or Del Mar lot is flat and kept clear of gravel and leaves.
Commercial Gate Job Types and Estimated 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy-duty trackless cantilever gate | Est. $6,000 to $10,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 4 days |
| Ground-track slide gate | Est. $1,500 to $5,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 3 days |
| Custom dual swing driveway gate with operator | Est. $4,000 to $8,000 per complete system | Est. 2 to 3 days |
| Opener retrofit on an existing gate | Est. $1,800 to $3,800 per operator system | Est. 4 to 8 hours |
These figures are budgetary estimates for commercial properties around Carlsbad and are subject to change. Your written quote, confirmed on bid from the site plan, the specification and the site walk, sets the final price and the install schedule, and it depends on gate length, operator class and how far power and data must be trenched.
Commercial Project: A Truck Gate That Stopped Jamming in Carlsbad
Dale, business park off the coastal corridor, Carlsbad
Commercial Gate and Access Systems
- Material
- galvanized steel, black powder coat
- Size
- 28 ft cantilever across a truck entrance
- Est. investment
- $7,200 to $9,600
- Est. duration
- 3 to 4 days
A tenant-shared truck entrance whose old ground-track slide gate jammed on debris and blocked deliveries twice a month
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
Dale's tenant-shared truck entrance in a Carlsbad business park off the coastal corridor had an old ground-track slide gate that jammed on debris and blocked deliveries twice a month. We recommended a trackless cantilever gate with a rack-and-pinion commercial operator, photo eyes both sides and a keypad pedestal for tenants. The 28 ft cantilever across a truck entrance, in galvanized steel, black powder coat, came in at an estimated $7,200 to $9,600 over an estimated 3 to 4 days on site. Deliveries now run through a gate that never touches the ground, with no track left to clog.
Duty Class, Safety Devices and Fire Access
Duty class comes first on a commercial gate, because UL 325 sorts operators by who uses the gate. A lot open to the public, a multifamily entrance or a retail garage falls in Class II, a loading dock or yard not serving the public in Class III, and a guarded site in Class IV. Every automated gate we hand over from Encinitas to Elfin Forest carries UL 325 and ASTM F2200: monitored photo eyes (Type B1) plus safety edges (Type B2) on every automated gate. Fire access is drawn in on day one with a Knox key switch, Opticom strobe sensor or siren responder, as the fire district requires, the way Rebecca's Fairbanks Ranch entry lanes were specified.
Commercial 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
Access Control for Staff, Visitors and Deliveries
Access control decides who opens the gate, and on a commercial lot staff, visitors, carriers and emergency crews each need a different way in. Victor's multifamily community on a large inland lot in Poway runs resident RFID readers on one lane and a visitor intercom on the other. Access control pedestals typically run an estimated $2,400 to $4,500 per system, depending on video, cellular service and reader count.
How a Commercial Gate Bid Is Built
A commercial gate bid is built from a site walk and a written scope that lists every component. The process runs in six steps on business-park, yard and apartment jobs across Carlsbad and Poway.
- Site walk: opening width, grade, traffic count, power and data location.
- Component takeoff: gate, operator, safety devices, readers, fire override.
- Written bid with shop drawings and operator cut sheets.
- Fabrication, galvanizing and powder coat in our shop.
- Install, typically an estimated 2 to 4 days per cantilever entrance.
- Entrapment test, owner walkthrough and closeout binder.
Working Around Tenants and Deliveries
Occupied properties get phased gate work, with the old gate kept running until the new one is hung and tested. The cantilever on Dale's entrance was set beside the failing slide gate, then cut over in an evening so no delivery was turned away. Rebecca's board had both entry lanes rebuilt one at a time, an estimated 4 to 6 days in all, so Fairbanks Ranch residents always had a way in.
Why Choose Us
Property managers and GCs choose us because one shop fabricates the gate, mounts the operator and wires the safety devices, so one contractor answers for the whole entrance. Every commercial gate carries our 2-year workmanship warranty on welds, hinge alignment, gate sag and gate travel, plus the operator maker's parts warranty, typically 1 to 5 years on motors and electronics.
Commercial Service Areas
We bid commercial gate work across a 40-mile radius of the shop, from Carlsbad business parks to Mark's light-industrial yard in Poway. Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar office and retail lots, Lake San Marcos and Bonsall properties, and the gated estates of Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch all sit inside that radius. Owners of a single home gate can start on our Carlsbad metal gate home page.
Related Commercial Gate Services
Each commercial buyer has a page built for its property: association boards plan HOA and gated community entry systems, apartment owners compare apartment and multifamily gate access, managers with several automated gates set up gate maintenance and service agreements, and yard owners fence the whole line with commercial security and perimeter fencing.
Commercial Gate Questions
What is the smallest commercial gate job you take?
Our smallest commercial jobs are a single Opener retrofit on an existing gate, typically an estimated $1,800 to $3,800, and the largest are multi-entrance packages for a business park.
Do you bid from plans?
Yes, we bid from site plans and specifications, then confirm every opening, grade and power location on the site walk, as we did before drawing Rebecca's two dual swing gates.
Which UL 325 class does my gate need?
A gate that serves the public, an apartment community or a retail lot is Class II, a yard or dock not open to the public is Class III, and a guarded site is Class IV.
How long does a commercial gate take to install?
Most cantilever entrances take an estimated 2 to 4 days on site once the gate is fabricated, and a Ground-track slide gate typically 2 to 3 days.
How do fire crews get through an automated gate?
Fire crews open it with a Knox key switch, an Opticom strobe sensor or a siren responder, whichever the local fire district requires.
Who supervises the job on site?
A lead installer runs each crew, our gate automation technician wires and tests the operator, and our estimator stays the contact from bid to closeout.
Do you service the gates after installation?
Yes, most of our commercial clients move onto a monthly visit, like the monthly service on 4 automated gates we run for Linda's association.
Request a Bid for Your Commercial Gate in Carlsbad
Request a bid with your property type, gate count, opening widths, timeline and whether plans exist, and we will schedule the site 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 Commercial Gate and Access Systems?
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.