# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Picket fence with sliding gate...

## trenyboy

Hi, 
Got a quote the other day for a front picket fence with sliding gate, approx 19m and it came back just under $7.5k, i nearly had a heart attack! 
So...i'm thinking of doing it myself, i figure I have to be able to do it for a hell of a lot less than this!  I've built a few fences before no worries, the question I have is how difficult is it for a DIYer to put in a sliding gate?  Not worried about an automatic gate at this stage (would like for it to be able to support one down the track) as it will only be closed when out the front with my kid and the dogs. 
Obviously I will need to get the gate frame/track/etc... built, anyone know of anywhere in SE Melb that can help with this? 
Cheers
TC

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## China

You may also want to shop around, I had a quote for my fence at $14.000.00, I ended up using my local Jims Fencing franchise exactly the same fence for $5.400.00

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## Twinadventurer

TC,
How have you got on with your fence/gate? Did you find someone to make up the gate/track or did you DIY?
Seems I am in a similar position and may be able to learn from your exercise!
Thanks
G

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## seriph1

Sounds like a Perry Bird Pickets price, but it really depends on a bunch of factors I guess  -  height of fence - material - site conditions - post size and type etc. 
I have only built three picket fences and found the hardest part was making sure the posts lined up correctly and the fully housed rails were in their mortises properly. The last one I did, I bought the pickets from a place that supplies the trade, in Fairfield. they were hopeless! In fact, the pickets were all meant to be 900 and they ranged from 870 - 920! how the bloody hell they could manage to get THAT wrong is beyond me and the idiots wanted to charge me for the replacements even though I travelled from Kilmore down to Melbourne to replace them. After all the hassle, I discovered I could've bought them from Bunnings cheaper and better quality. 
Annnnnnyway, to your issue  -  ELGATE's sliding gate stuff is very good and well supported by knowledgeable/helpful staff and a huge spare parts inventory. It's just a case of working out how to build it all to ensure it's stable when open and shut. From memory, there's an issue when trying to make the upper support invisible yet strong or something like that  -  others will have offer better insight on that one.  
We are going to be doing our front fence soon-ish  -  have opted for cast iron look driveway gates and a Victorian style steel pedestrian gate that leads into the property through a lytchgate  -  I will post pics shortly of the drawing I did if I can find it.

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## seriph1

Here you go  :Biggrin:

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