On this page
- How wide is a standard pedestrian gate?
- How tall should a pedestrian gate be?
- How much smaller than the opening should the gate be?
- How much gap should be under a pedestrian gate?
- What frame and post sizes suit each gate size?
- What does a standard 1000 x 1800 mm gate look like?
- How do you measure up for a pedestrian gate?
- Watch it done in CAD60
- Common questions
There is no single size every pedestrian gate has to be. But most side gates and front gates land on the same few numbers, because people, bins and wheelbarrows are the same size everywhere.
This guide gives you those numbers: widths, heights, the gaps around the leaf, the gap under it, and the frame and post sizes that go with each. Then it puts them together in one worked example you can copy.
What you need to know
- Common widths are 900, 1000 and 1100 mm. 1000 mm is the one most people want.
- Common heights are 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2100 mm. 1800 mm matches most side fences.
- Build the leaf 30 to 50 mm narrower than the opening for the hinge and latch gaps.
- Leave 50 to 100 mm between the bottom rail and the ground.
- A 1000 x 1800 mm aluminium gate hangs well on 65x65 posts set 600 mm deep.
How wide is a standard pedestrian gate?
Most residential pedestrian gates are 900, 1000 or 1100 mm wide. Go by what has to fit through it, not by the gap you happen to have.
| Leaf width | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 900 mm | One person | The tightest width that still feels like a gate. Snug with a backpack. |
| 1000 mm | Most homes | The usual pick for a new side gate. Fits a wheelie bin with room to spare. |
| 1100 mm | Wheelbarrows, mowers, two people | Worth it on any side path used for garden work. |
| 1200 to 1500 mm | Commercial and plant rooms | Trolleys and equipment. Past 1.5 m, treat it as a small driveway leaf. |
If you need wider than 1.5 m for a ride-on mower or a trailer, look at a single swing gate instead. The types of gates guide covers where each one fits.
How tall should a pedestrian gate be?
Match the gate to the fence it sits in. A gate that is taller or shorter than the fence beside it looks wrong from the street. The common heights are:
| Height | Typical use | Hinges per leaf |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 mm | Low front fence | 2 |
| 1500 mm | Garden and pet gates | 2 |
| 1800 mm | Side gates, the most common | 2 |
| 2100 mm | Security, rear lanes, yards | 3 |
Measure height from the finished ground. If the ground is not level, measure from the lowest side, then decide whether the top of the gate should run level or follow the fence.
How much smaller than the opening should the gate be?
A 1000 mm gate does not fit a 1000 mm opening. The leaf needs room to swing and to latch. Three things eat into the width:
- The hinge gap, about 10 to 30 mm, set by the hinge offset of the hinge you fit.
- The latch gap, about 10 to 20 mm, so the latch has room to work.
- Build tolerance, another 5 to 10 mm for the frame and the install.
Add those up and you get 25 to 60 mm. For a neat job in a 1000 mm clear opening, build a 970 mm leaf. For an easier install with more room for error, build 950 mm.
How much gap should be under a pedestrian gate?
Leave 50 to 100 mm of ground clearance between the bottom rail and the ground. Less than 50 mm and the gate catches leaves, mulch and the odd pebble. More than 100 mm and the gap looks unfinished and lets pets out.
Check the whole swing, not just the closed position. A path that rises inside the gate will eat the gap as the leaf opens. If it does, raise the leaf or plan for a stepped bottom rail.
A level path makes this easy. A sloped one needs left and right ground heights recorded separately when you measure up, which the steps further down cover.
What frame and post sizes suit each gate size?
These are good starting points for aluminium gates with batten or slat infill. A solid or heavy infill, a windy site or a post fixed to a weak wall needs a step up.
| Width x height | Frame | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 900 x 1200 to 1500 mm | 40x40x3 SHS | 50x50x3 SHS |
| 1000 x 1800 mm | 40x40x3 or 50x50x3 SHS | 65x65x3 SHS |
| 1100 x 1800 mm | 50x50x3 SHS | 65x65x3 SHS |
| 1000 x 2100 mm | 50x50x3 SHS or 65x35 RHS on edge | 75x75 to 100x100 SHS |
| 1200 to 1500 x 2100 mm | 75x50x3 RHS | 100x100 SHS |
For a concreted post, the usual footing is about 600 mm deep in a 300 mm diameter hole. A 2100 mm gate or a heavy leaf wants 750 to 900 mm deep in a 400 mm hole. On an existing slab, a footplate post bolted down saves digging.
Want the why behind these sizes? The RHS vs SHS guide shows how tube depth changes stiffness.
What does a standard 1000 x 1800 mm gate look like?
This is the most common pedestrian gate on a suburban side path. Here is the full spec, from posts to finish.
| Clear opening | 1000 mm between post faces |
| Leaf width | 970 mm (30 mm total for gaps) |
| Gate height | 1800 mm |
| Frame | 50x50x3 aluminium SHS, mitred corners |
| Mid rail | One, to stiffen the leaf and give the battens a fixing point |
| Infill | 12 battens at 65x16, about 17 mm gaps, across the face of the frame |
| Hinges | 2 weld-on hinges, top one with an anti-lift collar |
| Latch | Locinox lever-handle latch in a welded lockbox |
| Posts | 65x65x3 SHS, 600 mm deep in 300 mm concrete |
| Ground clearance | 75 mm |
| Finish | Powder coat, colour to suit the fence |
The hinges, latch and lockbox are where most of the choice is. The gate hinge types guide covers the options.
How do you measure up for a pedestrian gate?
Five minutes with a tape and a level saves a gate that does not fit. Do it in this order:
Measure the opening at three heights
Post face to post face, near the bottom, in the middle and at the top. Posts are rarely perfectly plumb. Use the smallest number.
Measure the ground on both sides
If the path slopes across the opening, write down the left and right ground heights. The bottom rail may need to follow the slope.
Note the hinge side and the swing
Stand outside facing in. Write down which post takes the hinges and which way the gate opens. Check the swing clears steps, taps and downpipes.
Check the posts for plumb
Put a level on two faces of each post. A leaning or bent post will pull the new gate out of line. Replace it before you hang anything.
The full site checklist is in how to measure up a gate job.
Watch it done in CAD60
Common questions
What size is a standard side gate?
Most side gates are about 1000 mm wide and 1800 mm tall, to match a 1.8 m side fence. The leaf itself is built 30 to 50 mm narrower than the opening for the hinge and latch gaps.
How wide should a gate be for a wheelbarrow or mower?
Go 1100 mm or wider. A wheelbarrow or push mower fits a 1000 mm gate, but only just, and you will scrape your knuckles. For a ride-on mower, look at a narrow single swing leaf instead.
How wide is a commercial pedestrian gate?
Usually 1200 to 1500 mm, so trolleys and equipment fit through. Sites that move pallets or forklifts use a separate wider gate, often 2400 mm or more.
How deep should the posts be for a pedestrian gate?
About 600 mm deep in a 300 mm diameter concrete footing for a typical 1.8 m gate. A 2.1 m or heavy gate wants 750 to 900 mm deep in a 400 mm hole. Soft or reactive ground needs more.
What hinges suit a 1.8 m pedestrian gate?
Two weld-on hinges with a 16 to 20 mm pin suit a standard 1000 x 1800 mm battened or slatted gate. A heavier leaf or a 2.1 m gate gets a third hinge. Adjustable bolt-on hinges cost more but let you lift the leaf later.
Can a pedestrian gate sit next to a driveway gate?
Yes, and it is often the best layout. The pedestrian gate gets its own posts and latch beside the driveway gate. Each gate is simpler to build and to adjust, and one sticking latch never locks you out of both.
Written by Harry Tolley
Harry builds CAD60 with his dad, who has run a fabrication business for 20 years. We write these guides from what goes wrong in a real shop.
