How to Plan a Steel Fence That Matches Your Driveway Gate

A steel fence that matches your driveway gate is a short list of decisions: how tall, how wide each panel runs, what the pickets and infill look like, and how many posts the whole run needs. Get those right and the fence reads as part of the gate instead of an add-on. This guide walks the plan in order, with the post math worked out.

What makes a steel fence match a driveway gate?

Four things decide whether a fence and gate look like one design: height, picket pattern, infill and color. Everything else is invisible from the street.

• Height. Set the fence panel to the same height as the gate. Fence panels are built from 36 to 96 inches tall.
• Pickets. The panel offers None, Single, Puppy or Double pickets, spaced 4 inches on center (7.25 inches when ironwood infill is added). Pick the same pattern your gate uses.
• Infill. Ironwood can run vertical or horizontal, or you can leave it off or plan to add your own later (DIY).
• Color and finish. Black, white or a custom color, in a satin powder coat over an anti-gassing primer, the same finish as the Driveway Gate.

Optional details carry across too. An arch (12 inches of rise, available on panels 100 inches wide or more) and finials echo a decorative gate top.

How do you measure the fence run?

Measure the line the fence will follow from one end to the other, then note every place it turns, ends at a wall, or meets the gate. Panels are made to any width from 24 to 288 inches (2 to 24 feet) and any height from 36 to 96 inches, so you size them to the run instead of cutting to fit on site.

If you have not measured the gate opening yet, start with how to measure for a driveway gate, then measure the fence from the gate post outward.

How many posts does a steel fence run need?

The rule is simple. The first panel in a run needs 2 posts. Every panel you add after it needs 1 more post. A panel that meets a gate post needs only 1 post of its own, because the gate post is already there. At a corner, the two runs share one post.

The posts are 4 inch square steel, with a 0.120 inch wall and caps. The panel option lets you order 2 posts, 1 post, or none, so you only buy the posts you do not already have.

What if I already have posts?

Choose the panel with no posts. The panel mounts between 4 inch square posts, whether they are ours, ones already in the ground, or a GateFrames gate post. If you are setting new posts, the posts and clearance guide covers footing depth and spacing.

How wide should each fence panel be?

Match the panel width to how the line is laid out, not to a standard size. A few useful numbers:

• A 92 inch panel plus a 4 inch post puts the posts 8 feet on center (96 inches).
• Panels wider than 94 inches ship as bolt-together sections so they fit on a freight truck and through a gate. A one-piece panel is available up to 120 inches.
• Longer panels mean fewer posts, which means a cleaner look and fewer footings to dig. Shorter panels follow a slope or a curve of the property more easily.

To see how wide panels sit next to a gate, compare against the driveway gate width guide.

How do you plan the fence around the gate?

1. Fix the gate opening first. The gate posts are the anchor of the whole layout.
2. Run a panel from each gate post. Each of those panels needs one new post at its far end, since the gate post is already counted.
3. Add panels toward corners and property lines, one post per added panel.
4. Turn corners on a shared post.
5. Check the finished layout against local rules before you order. The permits and codes guide lists what to ask your city or HOA, since fence height limits often differ from gate limits.

What does a steel fence panel cost?

Price depends on size, pickets, infill and posts. As an example in October 2026, a 92 by 72 inch panel with single pickets, vertical ironwood and 2 posts has a list price of $3,660.30. Contractors can open a trade account for project pricing. Your exact total updates live in the Luxury Fence Panel configurator.

How is the fence made and delivered?

Each panel is handmade to order in San Jose, California, with a build time of about 14 days. It then ships by LTL freight to all 50 states. When a fence and a gate are ordered together, they travel in the same crate. Every panel carries a lifetime limited structural warranty.

Ready to price your matching fence?

Start with your gate on the Driveway Gate page, then open the Luxury Fence Panel and choose the same height, pickets, ironwood and color.

Related reading: How to Measure for a Driveway Gate: The Numbers a Fabricator Needs and How to Get Them Right