Sagging Fence Gate Repair — Gate Rebuilt, Post Reset, Latch Lined Up
The gate drags a groove in the grass, you have to lift it to close it, and the latch has not caught since last winter.
Sagging fence gate repair starts with finding what moved: the hinge post leaning, the gate frame racking out of square, or the hinges pulling out of soft wood. JMB Builders resets or replaces the gate post, rebuilds the frame with a diagonal brace running the right way, hangs it on heavier hinges and lines up the latch, across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per gate, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per gate
- Post reset, frame rebuilt, brace set right
- Single walk gates and double drive gates
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
A wood gate hangs its full weight off two hinges on one post, and it gets opened and slammed every day. Over a few Minnesota winters the hinge post leans, the frame racks into a parallelogram, and the screws work loose in wet wood. The latch side drops, the bottom drags, and the latch stops lining up.
Adjusting the latch or adding a wheel hides it for a season. A lasting fix deals with each cause: the hinge post is plumbed and reset in the ground or replaced, the gate is squared and rebuilt with a diagonal brace running from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner, and it is hung on heavier hinges with longer screws or through-bolts. Wide or double gates get a steel anti-sag cable or a cane bolt as well.
When the gate boards are rotted or the gate does not match a new fence, a new gate is built to match the fence.
What you supply
- Photos of the gate closed and open, the hinge post, and the latch side
- Gate width, and whether it is a single walk gate or a double drive gate
- Any hardware you want used, like a specific latch or lockable hardware
- Whether the fence or gate will be stained afterward
What JMB supplies
- Hinge post plumbed and reset below the frost line, or replaced
- Gate frame squared and rebuilt with a diagonal compression brace
- Rotted pickets and rails replaced to match, or a new gate built to match the fence
- Heavy-duty hinges with through-bolts or long structural screws
- Latch lined up, plus a gate stop so the gate does not swing past
- Anti-sag cable kit or cane bolt on wide and double gates
- Staining or sealing quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Single walk gate vs. double drive gate
- Hinge post reset vs. a new post set in concrete
- Repair of the existing gate vs. a new gate built to match
- Gate height and width, and the weight of the boards
- Hardware: standard hinges and latch vs. heavy or lockable hardware
- Staining or sealing, as its own line
A photo of the gap at the latch side with the gate closed, and one looking down the hinge post, shows what moved.
How long it takes
Most single gates: half a day. A new hinge post set in concrete or a double gate: a day, with the gate hung once the post is set.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Reset the hinge post
When the gate is square but the post leans, the post is dug out, plumbed and reset in concrete or compacted gravel, or replaced if it is rotted at the ground.
Rebuild the gate frame
When the gate itself has racked, it is taken down, squared, and rebuilt with a diagonal brace from the bottom hinge corner to the top latch corner so the brace carries the weight.
New gate to match the fence
When the gate boards are rotted or broken, a new gate frame is built and boarded to match the fence, then hung on new hinges and a new latch.
Sagging Fence Gate Repair — Gate Rebuilt, Post Reset, Latch Lined Up: questions, answered
Why does my fence gate sag?
A gate sags when its hinge post leans, its frame racks out of square, or its hinges pull loose from soft wood. Often it is all three. Frost heave and daily use move the post; a brace set the wrong way or no brace at all lets the frame drop at the latch side.
Which way should the diagonal brace go on a gate?
The brace runs from the bottom corner on the hinge side up to the top corner on the latch side. That way it is pushed on, not pulled, and carries the weight of the latch side back down to the bottom hinge. A brace running the other way does almost nothing.
Do anti-sag gate kits work?
A steel cable and turnbuckle kit works well on a gate that is already square, and it is good insurance on wide or heavy gates. It will not fix a leaning hinge post. The post is plumbed or reset first, then the kit keeps the gate square.
Can a sagging gate be fixed or does it need to be replaced?
Most sagging gates can be fixed by resetting the post, squaring the frame and adding a proper brace and heavier hinges. A gate with rotted rails or broken pickets is often faster to rebuild to match. The quote from your photos says which one makes sense.
How do you fix a double driveway gate that sags in the middle?
Both hinge posts are checked and reset if they lean, each leaf is squared and braced, and the leaves are hung on heavy hinges. A cane bolt dropped into the ground holds one leaf closed and gives the other something to latch to. Anti-sag cables are added on wide leaves.
Why won't my fence gate latch anymore?
Usually the gate has dropped on the latch side, so the latch bar now sits below the catch. Moving the catch down works for a while, but the gate keeps dropping. Fixing the post and the frame so the gate hangs square is what keeps it latching.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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