My wood gate sags and drags on the ground. How do I fix it?
Short answer
A sagging gate is almost always one of three things: a hinge post that has leaned, hinges that are too light or have pulled their screws, or a gate frame with no diagonal brace. Check the post first by holding a level on it. If the post is plumb, look at the hinges and the frame. A turnbuckle cable kit or a properly oriented wood brace squares the frame, and heavy strap or ball-bearing hinges with long screws into solid wood keep it there.
Find the real cause before buying anything
Most homeowners reach for a new latch when a gate drags, because the latch is where you feel the problem. The latch is never the cause. Close the gate and look at the gap between the gate and the latch post from top to bottom. A gap that is wide at the top and tight at the bottom means the gate has racked out of square or the hinge post has leaned toward the opening.
Hold a four-foot level against the hinge post. If the post is out of plumb, no amount of hardware will fix the gate until the post is dealt with. If the post is plumb, the problem is in the gate itself or its hinges.
Fixing a leaning hinge post
A gate hangs its full weight off one post, every day, and swings it like a lever. Hinge posts are the first fence posts to lean. If the post is sound but has shifted, it can sometimes be dug around, pushed plumb, and re-set with fresh concrete. If it is rotted at grade, it needs replacement with a heavier post set deeper than the rest of the fence, and ideally tied to the adjacent post with a top rail so the two share the load.
For wide or heavy gates a steel post sleeved in wood is worth considering at the hinge side. It will not rot and it will not creep.
Squaring the gate frame
A gate frame without a diagonal is a parallelogram waiting to happen. The classic fix is a wood brace running from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner. That direction matters: the brace works in compression, pushing the latch corner up, so it must start low at the hinges and rise toward the latch. Braces installed the other way look fine and do nothing.
A steel cable and turnbuckle kit does the same job in tension, running the opposite diagonal from the top hinge corner down to the bottom latch corner. Tighten the turnbuckle until the gate is square and the latch lines up. Cable kits are a good retrofit on an existing gate that has no room for a wood brace.
- Wood brace: bottom of hinge side to top of latch side.
- Cable and turnbuckle: top of hinge side to bottom of latch side.
- Check for square by measuring both diagonals of the frame; they should match.
Choosing gate hardware that holds
Light decorative hinges bought with the pickets are the most common hardware failure we see. A gate wants heavy strap or T-hinges sized to its width and weight, or ball-bearing butt hinges on a finished gate, with screws long enough to reach the frame and the post, not just the picket. Three hinges on a tall gate spread the load and resist twist.
Near the coast, choose stainless steel or heavily coated hardware. Plain zinc hinges rust through their pins within a few seasons of salt air, and a seized pin is what tears screws out of the post. For latches, a gravity latch with a stop block is simple and reliable; a spring-loaded self-closing hinge helps a gate on a pool or dog yard stay shut.
Add a gate stop or a drop rod on double gates so the latch is not the only thing resisting a slam. A gate that bangs against its own latch will loosen every screw in it.
When the gate should be rebuilt
If the frame joints have opened up, the bottom rail is soft, or the gate was built from pickets with no real frame at all, bracing it is a short-term patch. A new gate built with a mortised or screwed frame and a proper brace will outlast the fence around it. We cover how to build a wood gate that will not sag in a separate answer.
Related questions
Why does my gate sag in winter and swing fine in summer?
Wood swells when it is wet. A gate hung with a tight gap in dry summer wood can pick up enough width in a damp winter to rub the latch post. Plane the latch side a little, and seal the end grain and edges so the gate takes on less moisture.
Can I just add a wheel to the bottom of the gate?
A gate wheel holds a heavy gate up and is useful on a wide driveway gate, but on a yard gate it usually hides a leaning post or an unbraced frame. Fix the cause first; add a wheel only if the gate is genuinely too heavy for its hinges.
How many hinges does a gate need?
Two heavy hinges carry most yard gates up to about four feet wide. Taller gates, wider gates, or gates built from thick lumber are better with three, with the third placed near the top where the pull is greatest.