Shipping & delivery

A driveway gate is a big, heavy, made-to-order object, and shipping one well is half the job. Here is exactly how it works from the moment you pay to the moment the pallet is in your driveway — and what to do in the five minutes that matter most, when the driver hands you the receipt.

How freight is charged

Gates and fence panels travel by LTL freight on a pallet. Checkout charges the shipping amount shown on the product page — a flat figure for that gate's crate — and when we book the truck we bill the carrier's actual charge for your address: any difference from what you paid is settled on your order page before the gate ships, in either direction. Either way you pay the carrier's exact amount — no markup and no handling fee — which is why we never advertise "free shipping": the cost is real, and we would rather show it than hide it in the gate price. Smaller items such as openers and hardware ship by parcel carrier and may arrive separately.

Where we ship. We deliver to all 50 US states, Alaska and Hawaii included; we do not ship internationally for now. Remote or hard-to-reach addresses cost more to serve; if you would like the freight confirmed before you order, ask us with the address and the gate size. Most gates travel with TForce Freight.

Insured for full value, at our expense. A carrier's default liability is a few cents per pound. Every GateFrames shipment moves with cargo coverage for the full declared value of the goods instead. We hold that coverage in our own name so that if something goes wrong in transit, we fix it — you never chase a carrier.

Lead times

Every gate is fabricated after you order, so the clock has two parts: production, then transit. Each product page shows its production lead time and an estimated ship date that updates as you look at it, plus an estimated delivery window. Transit by LTL freight typically runs 3–8 business days after the gate leaves San Jose; parcel items run 2–5. These are estimates, not promises — a carrier can be a day late — and we cannot commit to a specific delivery date or time. Your order page and, if you opted in, our text messages tell you when the gate actually ships.

Delivery day

• The carrier calls first. Residential LTL deliveries are booked by appointment; the freight dispatcher contacts you to arrange a window on the day.
• Someone must be there. The driver needs an adult to receive and sign, and gates are heavy — plan on two people to move panels once they are off the truck.
• Getting it off the truck. A lift-gate lowers the pallet to the ground and can be added at checkout. Without one you need a forklift, a loading dock or enough people to lift the crate down. Very large gates may exceed what a lift-gate can handle; the assistant can tell you for your exact gate.
• Access. A 53-foot trailer needs room to stop and turn. If your street is narrow, gated, unpaved or otherwise hard for a truck, tell us before the gate ships so we can plan; extra charges a carrier demands for limited access are the buyer's.
• Inspect before you sign. This is the step that protects you — see below.

If a shipment arrives damaged

Freight damage is never a return you pay for. We repair or replace the affected part or panel at no cost — but the claim depends on one piece of paper: the delivery receipt.

1. Unwrap and look before you sign. Check the crate, the packaging and the gate itself. Do not sign a clean receipt for a shipment you have not inspected.
2. Write every problem on the receipt — visible damage, a crushed corner, a torn wrap that might hide damage, a missing box. "Subject to inspection" is better than nothing. A signed clean receipt is what a carrier treats as proof the goods arrived intact.
3. Photograph it — the damage, the packaging and the pallet.
4. Report it within 48 hours of delivery. The fastest way is the assistant: attach your photos and it opens a damage report with the team. You can also send a damage report with your order number.
5. Keep everything — the gate, the packaging and the pallet — until we tell you the claim is settled. Do not repair or dispose of anything before then.

We file the claim, we are paid on it, and we make you whole with the repair or replacement; the legal detail is in the Terms of Sale. A manufacturing defect found after delivery is handled the same way under the warranty.

Will-call pickup

If you are near San Jose, you can skip freight altogether and collect a finished gate at the factory (23 Las Colinas Ln #109, San Jose). Email or call once you have ordered and we will schedule a pickup time; bring a vehicle or trailer that can carry the panels flat and a second person to load. You will see your gate, and the shop that built it, before it goes home.