Make A Deck Gate, step by step

Today we are going to show you how we constructed an straightforward Hands-on deck gate to assist keep our dog Burger from escaping. He loves laying in the sun out there, but we hoped an affordable and attractive way to stop him from running off after a squirrel or something. We also have a newborn and a toddler, so the gate will assist with them too. And the whole thing only took a couple of hours and cost us less than $30!

Chihuahua Dog Laying In Sun On Deck Next To Completed Hands-on Deck Gate

We do not have a fence on our property, and he has gotten more brazen lately and may even wander into the neighbor’s yard. So far our solution has been this quite classy plywood boards we have been leaning against the opening. It works surprisingly well, but it is flimsy and ugly.

Wood Board Scrap Placed In Front Of Deck Railing To Keep Dog From Running Away

And while we could’ve picked up a premade, freestanding gate. We hoped something that was integrated into the deck itself.

Material & Supply List

I read a couple of walkthroughs online that were particularly helpful (this one), then I took some measurements, sketched out a game plan (I modified the plan), and hit up Home Depot. Here is what I came home with:

2×4″ pressure-treated boards
2×2″ pressure-treated balusters
Gate hinge and latch set
Miter saw
Screwdriver
2″ deck screws
Measuring tape
Clamps
Pocket hole jig (optional)
Carpenter square (optional)

Wood Materials Laid Out For Construction of Deck Gate | 2x4 Pressure Treated Boards | 2x2 Balusters

You can see the basic arrangement of the deck gate build above. I was able to save money by purchasing some longer 10′ boards that they cut down in store to fit in my car (that is what you see above). I was building too gates, so my materials were double what you see in that photo.

Step 1: Measure & Cut Your Wood

The width of each gate should be 1″ shorter than the width of the opening. This leaves room for it to swing easily once wrapped up. The height should match your existing deck railing. This particular gate was 44″ wide and 29″ tall. We also chose to miter the corners of our gate for a cleaner look, but that is up to you.

Marking Angle Cuts On 2x4 Board For Miter Cuts

Using a carpenter’s square to mark your 45° cuts is recommended to get the most precise cut. We also suggest cutting your boards in pairs: the top & bottom boards together, and the two sides together. This ensures that the pairs were identical lengths and will assist keep your gate square in the end.

Using Miter Saw To Cut 2x4 Pressure Treated Boards

You can see we clamped the board together as we cut to keep them lined up as we cut them on the miter saw.

Step 2: Screw Your Gate Frame Together

To join my deck gate together, I used my Kreg Jig to create two pocket holes on cut end of the 2 vertical boards (you could do the horizontal boards instead, but there is no need to do all 4). These are holes I will later fill with wood putty.

Using Kreg Jig To Create Pocket Holes In Pressure Treated Wood

If you do not own a pocket hole jib, you could also simply use long screws right through the sides of the boards. We simply find the pocket hole system is a tighter, more precise system. Here is my frame after everything was screwed together using 2″ deck screws.

Rectangular Frame Constructed Out Of 2x4 Pressure Treated Boards For Deck Gate

Step 3: Add Balusters To Your Gate

Next we attached 2×2″vertical balusters to mimic the look of the rest of the deck’s railing. We measured the spacing between the existing balusters and determined I’d have space for five of them on my gate. So after cutting them to length, I attached the first one at the center point of my gate on both the top and the bottom using two 2″ decking screws.

2x2 Balusters Brought in To Deck Gate Frame Using Scrap Wood Spacer

To make this task easier, we recommend creating a spacer out of scrap wood to make sure your balusters are evenly spaced. You can see ours in the photo above.

Step 4: Hang Using A Gate Hardware Kit

With the gate constructed, we simply needed to attach it. Home Depot sold a $15 kit that included two T-hinges and a latch. Your hinge should stretch about 1/5th the length of your gate, so these 8″ hinges were simply about ideal for our project.

Deck Gate Hardware Kit With Hinges And Latch

To hang the gate, I used some scrap wood to prop it in place and (with Sherry’s assist) determined the best spots to attach all of the hardware with the provided screws. We could not center the top hinge (it ran into the existing deck railing) so it rides a little low. But once the light wood is stained to match the rest of the deck we hope it will not be too noticeable.

Deck Gate Installed Across Opening In Deck Railing Stairs using Level and Scrap Wood To Hold Into Place

Then we simply attached the latching mechanism to the other side, and we were in business.

Wrapped up Hands-on Deck Gate Brought in To Fence With Raw Wood Pressure Treated Pine

Some people also choose to install an anti-sag kit on their gates to keep them square over time. We opted not to at this point because we preferrred the cleaner look. It is consistently something we could add later, but luckily our gates are not quite big or heavy.

Second Deck Gate Brought in To Other Side Of Deck

The gate above was a bit challenging because it was attached at a corner of the deck. Since we could not screw into the post, we had to use the horizontal rails instead. The hinge was too tall to fit entirely on each rail so we screwd in some blocks (the initial mitered corners that I had sawed off) to give the hinge a place to attach.

Blocks Of Scrap Wood Brought in To Railing To Give Secure Place to Add Hinges

Once everything is stained, the blocks should blend right in with everything else.

Step 5: Stain And/Or Seal Your Gate

Depending on the look you want, you will likely want to seal or stain your new deck gate. Simply be sure to wait about 2-3 weeks to let your pressure-treated wood dry out first. If you seal it too swiftly, some of the pressure treatment chemicals can cause bubblnig or peeling. We used the same stain we’d used months prior to stain and seal our whole deck. You can see one of the wrapped up gates in the background of this photo.

Covered sunroom patio with stained deck gate in background

It took simply about three hours to make both deck gates and my total cost was $53 ($23 for the wood and $30 for the hardware). And it is been LARGE assist in keeping Burger on the deck. Sure, he could squeeze his little chihuahua body through the gate if he truly hoped, but he’s simply not that adventurous. Remember: this is the same dog that was stopped by a small plywood sheet before.

And even though our kids do not play out here unsupervised at this point, we know thes gates on the deck will be extremely helpful in preventing falls down the stairs. Especially once our newborn reaches the learning-to-walk age.