Arched double swing gate near Fern Prairie, WA

Steel is stronger and stiffer, which matters for wide spans, security applications, and anything that takes abuse. Aluminum won't rust, weighs far less, and is often the better call for long swing gates and wet sites, which describes most of the Portland and Vancouver area. Weight also affects automation: a lighter gate lets you use a smaller operator and reduces wear on hinges and rollers.

Slope decides first. A swing gate needs level ground through its whole arc, so a driveway that rises behind the gate usually pushes you to a slider or to up-swing hinge hardware. Space decides next: a swing leaf needs room to travel without hitting a parked car or the garage, while a slider needs a clear run along the fence line roughly as long as the opening itself. Surface matters too: track sliders collect trouble on gravel, which is why we usually spec cantilever sliders on gravel drives; a cantilever also rides out our occasional ice storms better, since there's no ground track to freeze or fill with debris. On cost, a single swing gate is generally the simplest install, sliders add track or cantilever hardware, and bi-parting setups mean two operators. We measure your driveway and tell you which one won't fight you for the next decade.

Most gates run on power trenched from the house or a nearby panel, and modern operators use low-voltage systems with battery backup so the gate still works through an outage. Solar is realistic for low-traffic gates, such as a rural or acreage entry that cycles a handful of times a day, but Northwest winters are dark and wet, so the panel and battery bank have to be sized honestly for December, not July. Lines like Nice/Apollo and Mighty Mule offer solar-ready operators, and we will tell you straight whether your usage fits or whether trenching power is the smarter spend.