Determine the Size and Placement of the Gate

• 1). Measure the width of the space where your gate will go. These instructions are for a gate 33 inches wide and 36 inches high. You can adjust the numbers to fit. The gate must be slightly smaller than the space it will go into. If it is the same width, it will jam when you try to swing it open.
  
  
• 2). Allow for an inch of space between the bottom of the gate and the ground. Orient the gate so that it swings into a space where the ground doesn't rise and there are no obstacles.
  
  
• 3). Reinforce the fence post that the gate will be attached to, if you are at all unsure about its strength.
  
  

Build the Gate

• 1). Lay out the seven pickets on a flat surface. Leave the top ends square, or cut them to a classic picket shape or a decorative shape. It will be easier to cut them before assembly.
  
  
• 2). Square up the pickets so that their bottom edges are even. Lay a cross piece across the pickets, 4 inches from the bottom. Screw the cross piece to the pickets. Use two screws for each picket to help prevent the gate from going out of alignment ("racking"). Do the same for the top cross piece.
  
  
• 3). Lay the diagonal brace from the upper right corner to the lower left corner, between the horizontal braces. Mark where it overlaps the braces and cut on these lines so that it sits between them, the three braces creating a Z shape. Screw the diagonal brace to the pickets.
  
  

Mount the Gate

• 1). Attach the hinges to the ends of the two horizontal braces. The hinges must be mounted on the side of the gate where the diagonal brace is at the top. This will help to prevent the gate from sagging under its own weight.
  
  
• 2). Place two 1-inch blocks on the ground in the space where the gate is going. Set the gate on top of these blocks and position it. Mark where the hinges will go on the fence post. Open the gate and, preferably with an assistant to support the gate, screw the hinges to the fence post.
  
  
• 3). Attach the latch catch to the opposite fence post from the one with the hinges. Attach the latch onto the gate so that it will engage with the latch catch when the gate is closed.