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How to Build a Cheap Farm Gate

| Updated October 17, 2017

Things You'll Need

  • 5-foot lodge pole fence posts (diameter shouldn't be less than 3 inches)

  • Barbwire

  • U-nails

  • Hammer

  • Fencing pliers

  • Leather work gloves

As long as a farm gate does its job, the cheaper the better. Farm gates allow farmers to open and close off certain areas of a farm. The gates should be wide enough to allow farm machinery and implements to fit through them. The best placement for a farm gate is in the corner of a lot or field. This will allow you to herd livestock out of the area easier than if you put the gate in the middle of a fence line.

Lay out as many 5-foot-tall lodge pole pine posts as you'll need to build your gate. Lay these posts flat on the ground, parallel to one another. Space the posts every 3 feet. If your gate is 15 feet, you should have a total of six posts. A 12-foot gate would require five posts. An 18-foot gate would require seven posts.

Lay four strands of barbwire over the posts perpendicularly. Space them 10 inches apart. The bottom strand should be 10 inches above the bottom of the posts. The second strand should be 10 inches from the bottom strand. The third strand should be 10 inches above the second and the fourth; 10 inches above the third. Each strand must be 2 feet longer than the overall length of the gate. A 12-foot gate should have 14-foot strands. A 15-foot gate should have 17-foot strands, and an 18-foot gate should have 20-foot strands.

Overhang each of the four strands of barbwire by 1 foot at each end of the gate.

Nail each of the barbwire strands to the pine posts with U-nails. Hammer the U-nails in.

Wrap the overhanging foot of wire around the end posts and back to themselves. The gate is now complete.

Stand the fence post gate upright with the help of a friend.

Attach one end of the gate to your fence line post by wrapping a piece of barbed wire around the fixed fence post and the gate post every 10 inches.

Go to the other side of the gate and attach a piece of wire to the top and bottom of the fixed fence post. Wrap the pieces around the post to create a large open loop. Wire the pieces back to themselves.

Set the bottom of the fence gate post into the bottom loop. Pull the top of the fence post gate up to the top loop and slide the loop down over it to hold the gate upright.

Tips

  • Use fencing pliers to cut the barbwire.

Warnings

  • Wear leather gloves to protect hands from the sharp barbwire.