Determine the type of hardware that best suits the fence material. There are different styles of hardware available that may be better suited for a gate’s material and weight.

Shop for hardware that suits your gate needs. Buy hardware depending on privacy, security or simple use.

Determine the direction the gate is to open before drilling any holes.

Use the hardware as a template for any drilling holes, if you are reusing hardware from an old gate.

Install hinges on the front side or exterior side of the gate. Drill seven inches from the gate post to avoid drilling into any dowels or posts. The height of the hinge is a personal preference.

Choose the style of closure for the lock. Most styles are either gravity latches, thumb latches or slide bolts.

Install the latch on the opposite side of the hinges. Use the latch hardware as a template to mark each piece so they fit together smoothly.

Spray the hardware with a lubricant if the pieces are stiff or make noise after installation.

Remove the existing gate. Use a manual screwdriver or electric drill to unscrew the gate’s hinges from the fence post. Secure the gate as you detach the hinges to ensure that the gate does not fall on you. If the gate is large or heavy, detach the bottom hinges first while supporting the gate from the bottom with wood blocks or bricks. Unscrew the top hinges from the fence post and lower the gate gently to the ground.

Buy or build a new gate. hardware stores such as Home Depot carry preconstructed fence gates, as well as the materials for making wood or metal gates from scratch. If you build a gate, remember to allow one to two inches of space between the gate and fence posts to provide room for the hinges, fittings, locks and handles.

Install the hardware on the new gate. Use the old gate as a template regarding where to attach the hinges, fittings and handles. Measure the distance from the top, bottom and sides of the old gate to the locations of the hinges and handles. Mark the corresponding points on the new gate and attach the hardware to the gate at those points.

Attach the new gate to the fence post. Line up the holes in the hinges with the holes on the post that were used to attach the previous gate. Attach the top hinges first, followed by the bottom hinges, while continuously steadying the gate from the bottom. Use new screws that are slightly longer than the depth of the existing hole in the fence post. If your fence is metal, attach the fittings in any order at the desired height.

Test the gate by opening and closing it several times. If the gate requires too much effort to close or makes too much noise, lubricate the hinges with a small amount of WD-40 or a similar lubricant.

Once you pinpoint what repairs must be made, find out what part you can do yourself. If you know exactly, surf over to youtube.com and check out the do-it-yourself repair videos. There are over 1,000 available to walk you through different repairs.

Get an estimate on what home repairs you need. Once you have the estimate, give your contractor a call and ask for a discount. Most of the contractors build in a good profit. If you ask for a discount, you very well may get 10-15% further discount.

Don’t pick the first contractor who offers you an estimate. Consider several contractors and the options they present before making a final decision.

See if you can combine repairs of the house into one big swoop. Each time you have a contractor come to the house to work, you have to pay. However, if you have the contractor come once and do three repairs, you pay substantially less.