I was recommended but it may be out me league

[Martin870]

I've removed concrete gate posts before (think iceberg)

Iceberg As in there’s a lot more under the surface than you think?

The trick is to remove the grey post without touching the white post

 

[Martin870]

I've removed concrete gate posts before (think iceberg)

Iceberg As in there’s a lot more under the surface than you think?

The trick is to remove the grey post without touching the white post

 

[F.J.]

I wouldn’t turn the job down as once completed it will be another string to your bow.

As others have said, get a ground worker to remove / install the new posts but keep their costs included in your estimate. It’ll look to the client that you are in control of the project rather than getting them to sort it.

One thing though is to inform the client that it is very likely the drive way will need cutting away due to the size of the ball of concrete the post will be sunk in but get the ground worker to confirm this first.

 

[pjk]

I would try and convince him to leave the concrete post where it is (of course only if it is rock solid). I would put in a similar size steel post on the other side and paint both to match. Screw gate hinges into concrete post and have similar looking hinges welded to new steel post. Try and dig carefully next to and a bit under the asphalt going down 70cm. Make the bottom of the hole bigger/wider than the hole at the top. Fill with concrete and set post.
This is a bit surgical, but probably worth the screwing around so that you don't have to bring in the asphalt guys- and you can ask for more money for your effort.

 

[Pete.]

You're not going to dig a hole alongside that white post without hitting the concrete it was set in with. Might be more than half a metre down then what you going to do? If the council catch you digging the pavement you could get fined for doing unlicensed street works. If you hit a utility that fine will be the least of your worries. If the guy who planted that post dug a hole and found a service whilst digging he would have worked around it then concreted it in. I've seen cables concreted into footings many times.

Just be careful. 99% of the time it'll go without drama, but a simple job like this can go wrong in ways you can't imagine.

 

[Hitch]

Do the gates and posts on a supply only basis.

 

[Martin870]

Do the gates and posts on a supply only basis.

Yeah I thought about this
Il make it an option for them

 

[Lazurus]

What about a bi-fold style gate hung on just one post leaving the other well alone, my late father did a similar thing on his driveway and it worked a treat and due to the bi fold only took up the same opening space as one of a more traditional double gate. Good design and a novbel approach, saves digging into the unknown.

 

[Yamhon]

What about a bi-fold style gate hung on just one post leaving the other well alone, my late father did a similar thing on his driveway and it worked a treat and due to the bi fold only took up the same opening space as one of a more traditional double gate. Good design and a novbel approach, saves digging into the unknown.

We have one; hinged on one post and bolts onto the other post when fully closed. A family friend made it, great design; allows us to open just one side or open the whole thing easily. Great when it's only a motorbike getting out and we're trying to keep the dog in.

 

[Climber]

Get some public liability insurance if you haven't already got it.

 

[rikrobson]

tell him you just make gates and he'll need to get new posts fitted and you can makes the gates to fit.
The other option is to get him to have plates fitted to bolt the posts. If you are not a ground worker it's going to be more hassle than it's worth.

 

[Martin870]

How do other gate installers go about it? I always thought they would make the gate and install it and if posts where needed, install them too? It is a challenging one for my first post job and I've a few options to think about IL be sending a quote off tomorrow along with a few post options for him to think about

I could put a 50x10 mm flat bar on the concrete post and swing off that if the post is solid enough, I could bolt a 80x40 box to the concrete post to make it find of match the 80x80 box post id fit on the left or get a ground worker involved to remove the contrete post and fit a pair of steel posts

 

[Bill Edwards]

Don’t do any of the digging work yourself, too easy for it to go wrong on a job like this and it probably requires knowledge/experience that you won’t have.

Get a suitable builder to install the new posts (either working for you or directly for the customer) then do your bit with the gates.

If it puts the price above what they’ll pay walk away, you need to let a specialist do this and to take the blame if they get it wrong.

 

[Martin870]

So to get someone to fit the posts What trade will it come under so I can look for a reputable one?
Landscape Gardner
Driveway installer
Fence installer

Builder to me covers a whole range of trades
I would call a builder a bricky... But that's just me

 

[wyn]

Could you cut the concrete post off just below ground level.
Level it off a bit and use a base plate on the post to bolt it to the existing concrete.

From google street view it looks like you should miss any services.

 

[Martin870]

That's another option yeah make a concrete pad for the base plate of the post to sit on

 

[Climber]

You are over complicating it. It's not a difficult job to do. Worst case scenario is you hit a gas pipe and that doesn't really matter. Just dig some holes and get the posts sunk deep in the ground. I wouldn't mess about with bolting stuff down, gates have got a lot of leverage on the post, especially if someone climbs over them.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

If the existing post has steel reinforcing bars then cutting it will let water in....and in a few years it'll all fall apart.

 

[Turbo]

I wouldn't try to hang a gate off that existing concrete post, you've no idea how strong it is & in my experience they are easy to break. Maybe ok for a 2' gate not a long gate.
That's something you could consider, make a short pedestrian gate to hang on the concrete post & a long one to hang on a new post on the left.

 

[Nomad]

Be very careful !
I've holed a gas pipe in the past digging a trench 6ins deep for a row of soldier bricks, services should be deep by often aren't.
I've also fitted a single-span driveway gate hung from a box section steel post. The hole for the post was at least 2ft deep then backfilled with concrete. Picture that - now guess what's holding up the concrete post in your photo.