What to Expect Between Site Visit and Install
The expectation is a gate in a week. The usual result is several weeks, because steel is cut, welded, finished and cured in an order that cannot be rushed, and metal gates georgetown three word wednesday sets that order deliberately for work in Georgetown, TX. Each step has its own wait, and the finish usually takes the longest.
What happens at the site visit?
The site visit is the measuring appointment: opening widths, post condition, grade along the swing, power for an operator and the style of the existing fence. It runs under an hour on a simple opening. Photographs and a sketch go back to the shop, and the visit ends with a list of anything that has to be fixed before a gate can hang.
How long do drawings take?
Drawings take a few days for a standard single swing and up to two weeks for a custom design with scrollwork or a curved top. The drawing shows the frame, picket spacing, hinge positions and finish. Changes after approval restart the clock, so the drawing is checked carefully against the measure sheet.
What does fabrication involve?
Fabrication is cutting steel tubing to length, fitting the frame, welding the joints and adding pickets or panels. A simple frame takes a day or two of shop time, and an ornamental gate takes a week or more. Welds are ground smooth so the finish covers an even surface, and the frame is checked for square on a flat table before it leaves the shop.
Why does finishing take so long?
Finishing takes the longest because every coat has to cure. Powder coat is baked in an oven and needs a booking slot, and galvanizing is done at an outside plant that batches its work. Primer and paint need dry time between coats, and humid weather stretches it. A week or two for finish is normal and often the slowest step in the whole job.
What happens on installation day?
Installation day starts with posts and footings if they are new, which then need several days to cure before the gate hangs. The leaf is set on the hinges, the latch is aligned, the swing is checked end to end and an operator is mounted and tested if there is one. A gate on existing posts in good condition can be hung in a single morning.
What causes delays?
Delays come from rain that keeps footings from curing, finish slots that are booked out, changes after the drawing is approved and posts found to be unsound after the visit. Material lead time on tubing, hinges and operators can add days when stock runs out. A job that waits on a utility locate for the post holes also stalls until the marks are in.