Written ByLeo Gkikas Last updated

Whether you’re looking for your very first automatic gate, or it’s time to replace one that’s served you well through the years, knowing how the process works upfront means no surprises on cost, timing, or how the finished gate will look.

Leo, Alpha Gate Automation founder, and owner beside a decorative white metal gate with an intricate leaf cutout pattern, set between concrete pillars with tropical plants behind.
Leo with another completed installation

Hi, I’m Leo, founder and owner of Alpha Gate Automation, and below I’m sharing our process with you, from your first call to your finished gate. You’ll see what happens when you get in touch, what we’ll need from you, what I’ll be looking at when I visit, and what to expect at every stage after that.

But first, a quick word on what makes us a little different.

Every gate we build is designed for one property

Alpha Gate Automation is a custom gate company. We don’t hold stock sizes, sell gate kits, or sell parts over the counter. We never have.

A gate bought off a shelf has to fit a driveway it was never measured for. You end up looking at the compromises every day: a gap at one end, a gate that doesn’t line up with the fence, a colour that’s only “nearly right”.

Custom does cost more up front, but it’s the difference between a gate that finishes your property and one that just sits on it.

“The gate is exactly what we wanted and it works beautifully; we are very happy with it and our neighbours are all jealous.”

Marc & Miranda

Let’s get started…

What happens when you first get in touch

When you get in touch, you’ll most likely be talking to me. If I’m onsite at an install when you call, whoever answers will take your details and pass them straight on, so nothing gets lost. From there, I’m the one who comes out, reads your site, and designs your gate, so you’re not repeating yourself to three different people.

To get the ball rolling, I’ll just need three things from you:

  • Where the property is. Coastal, canal-front, acreage, and hillside sites all have their own characteristics, so I need to know which one I’m dealing with.
  • What you’re picturing. A style, a colour, a photo of something you liked, or just “something that suits the house”. A rough idea is fine.
  • Roughly how wide the opening is. A quick check with a tape measure is plenty. I’ll take the real measurements myself.

That’s all I need to get started. You don’t need exact measurements, and you don’t need to have decided between a sliding or swing gate. Working that out together is what I’m there for.

If you’ve got photos, feel free to send them through, as they help me come prepared. If not, no problem at all, I’ll see everything on the visit.

Why I come to your property, and why it costs you nothing

I visit every site before I quote, and there’s no charge for it, ever.

Some companies will quote from a form and ask you to measure your own driveway, and I understand the appeal, as it’s quicker for everyone. But I’ve seen plenty of gates specified by someone who never saw the site, and the problems usually only show up once the gate’s been installed.

When I’m standing in your driveway, these are the things I’m looking at:

  • The fall of the ground. Sloping and cambered driveways are common across the Gold Coast and the Hinterland, and they decide whether a sliding gate, a swing gate, or something else entirely is the right answer.
  • Where the gate can go. If there’s no run for a slider and no swing clearance, there are still options: telescopic, cantilever, or a gate that turns the corner and runs down the fence line.
  • Power and sun. Whether there’s a supply near the gate, and if not, whether the aspect suits solar. Plenty of rural and acreage sites run beautifully on solar.
  • How you’ll actually use it. Cars, caravans, trailers, tradespeople, deliveries, kids coming home. A gate that suits a single car doesn’t suit a property with a boat on a trailer.
  • What it needs to keep out, or in. Security, privacy, pets, and kids all change the brief. So this is when I’ll suggest any extras, like keypads, intercoms, or access control, that are best included from the start.
  • The house itself. Colour, materials, roofline, the fence you already have or the one you’re about to build.

Can you put a manual gate in now and automate it later? How much width should you leave if you’re building the fence yourself? Will a design you’ve seen online work on your block? These are the kinds of questions to ask me while I’m there, as that’s exactly what the visit is for. If you’d like a head start, here are the questions to ask any installer.

“I was told by 2 other contractors ‘you can’t have a sliding gate’ but Alpha made it possible through sheer patience & excellence in engineering.”

Michelle D., Google
Alpha Gate Automation service van parked onsite at a residential property in Terranora.
Look out for us installing another automatic gate at a site near you!

Your quote, within three to five business days

You’ll have a written quote within three to five business days of the site visit.

It’s itemised, so you can see what you’re paying for, and covers the gate, the automation, the hardware, and the installation itself. Things like track concreting and running power to the gate location sit outside the gate quote and are arranged separately.

Warranty terms are in writing too, with the gate build and the automation components covered separately. There’s no obligation attached to the quote and no charge for supplying it.

If you want to change something, like a colour, a design detail, or adding a pedestrian access gate, let me know and I’ll revise it. Plenty of people make a tweak or two, and that’s all part of getting it right.

Four to eight weeks from deposit to installed

Once you’ve accepted the quote and paid the deposit, allow four to eight weeks from that point to a gate operating in your driveway.

Here’s what’s happening during that time:

  1. Final measure. I’ll come back and take exact measurements before anything is cut, which makes sure your gate fits as it should.
  2. Fabrication. Your gate is built to those measurements, then powder-coated in your chosen colour.
  3. Installation. We confirm the date in advance to install your new gate and supporting automation.
  4. Handover. You’ll get your remote controls, your manual release keys, and a proper walk-through of how the system works, including how to open the gate when there’s a power outage.

If anything shifts along the way, you’ll hear it from me before you have to ask. Christmas shutdowns, powder-coating queues, and weather all exist, and I’d rather tell you early than let a date slip.

Here’s one of our builds, from start to finish:

After we hand over the remotes

We look after the gates we install, for as long as you own them. It’s our own work, and we stand behind it. Here are a few tips to keep your gate running well after the install:

  • Ants are one of the most common causes of gate faults on the Coast. They nest in warm, dry control boxes and motor housings, and they’re worse after heavy rain. A quick annual look inside prevents most of it.
  • Salt air is hard on hardware. If you’re near the water, moving parts like hinges, rollers, and tracks need to be cleaned and checked more often than they would do inland.
  • Listen to it. A gate that’s started moving slower, sounding rougher, or stopping short is telling you something. It’s always easier to sort out early, so give us a call at the first sign rather than waiting until it stops altogether.

If something isn’t right with a gate we installed, just give us a call. It really is that simple.

“Leo arrived when he said he would, and on completion of the installation of the gate, he took time to show how it all works, and even sprinkled ant dust around the posts and working parts.”

Irene, Canungra

And once the job’s done, I’d genuinely like to hear how we went. If you’ve got a minute to leave us a Google review, it helps other locals work out who to trust, and it tells me what we’re getting right.

What we take on, and what we’ll point you elsewhere for

Alpha Gate Automation designs, builds, and installs complete custom gate systems, and that’s where my focus stays. That means we don’t take on motor repairs, DIY troubleshooting, or call-outs for gates we didn’t install.

When a motor gives up. Once a motor starts failing towards the end of its lifespan, repairs tend to only buy you a few months until your next breakdown. If the gate it’s driving is showing its age too, that’s usually the point where a new custom gate with properly specified automation starts to make more sense. If you’re weighing up whether it’s worth repairing or replacing, that’s a conversation I’m happy to help with.

Storm and impact damage. Gates come off their tracks after a vehicle hits them, and Gold Coast storms take gates down every summer. Where the gate needs rebuilding or replacing, that’s something we can take care of.

For everything else. If you need a control board repaired, spare parts, or phone support on a gate motor we didn’t install, there are local specialists who do that work well, and I’m always happy to point you in their direction so you can get it sorted quickly.

Keeping our focus on what we do best means I’m available for the jobs where we can really help.

“Leo doesn’t work with my model motor, but was still willing to provide alternate contacts to help me solve my problem. That’s great customer service.”

Ophet P., Google

Gates for body corporates, builders, and commercial sites

Alpha Gate Automation works with body corporates, building managers, builders, and commercial operators, and we quote to the documentation those projects require.

We’re QBCC licensed (#1194934) and can provide licence details, public liability and workers’ compensation certificates, and an Electrical Certificate of Safety on completion. Quotes come itemised, with lead times and warranty terms set out in writing, which is usually what a committee needs before it can put anything to a vote.

We’ve worked on apartment complexes, industrial sites, aged care facilities, and hotels, including boom gates, intercom and access control integration, and timed opening schedules. If your site needs Gold Coast City Council approval, let me know early on and I’ll factor it into the project’s time frame.

If you’re a builder or fencing contractor and need a gate fabricated to fit work you’re already doing, that’s easy to organise. Just get in touch with your dimensions and timeline.

A crane lifts an custom automatic gate into place at an install on McIntosh Ilsand on the Gold Coast
Our McIntosh Island signature project in progress, working with a local Gold Coast builder

Let’s look at your driveway

If you’re thinking about a gate, even if you’re months away and only half sure what you want, tell me about your property and I’ll come and look at it. No charge for the visit, no obligation, and no pressure from me either way.

Leo Gkikas taking a selfie with a brown horse through a wire fence in a grassy paddock with trees and buildings visible in the background.

Hi, I’m Leo, founder and owner of Alpha Gate Automation, the custom gate company. Along with my team, I’ve been designing, manufacturing, and installing custom gates and intercom systems for residential, commercial, and rural properties across the Gold Coast, Tweed Shire and South East QLD, for over 16 years.