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I have just built a 6 foot fence all the way around my property. To finish it offI need to build a driveway gate. The gate will be 15 feet wide and have two swing gate sections. I have used 4x4x8 foot posts buried approximately 26" and cemented.

I was considering bolting two posts together and burying them at the same depth, but I am concerned that it still may not be enough support. The gates will have wheels on the bottom also.

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The rule of thumb I know that applies here tells me to use at least 6"x6" posts for wide gates concreted into a 3ft deep hole. By preference I'd go for a single larger post and go deeper than you suggest. You might get away with firmly bolting the two posts together, but I would be wary about compromising on the depth...

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What is the rule of thumb? – Sam Jun 5 '11 at 5:34
minimum 4"X4" if < 3ft wide gate, 3-6ft gate = 5"x5", >6ft = 6"x6" or greater if you can get them. In reality I tend toward the bigger is better school-of-thought... – bochgoch Jun 16 '11 at 8:30
Thanks. I ended up using a 6x6 for my gate which is 10' wide. It sags about 1/4" right now and I have a wheel on it. Still trying to figure out how to attach a tensioned cable to support it from the post side. – Sam Jun 20 '11 at 19:00
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Wheels help, but wooden gates are VERY HEAVY. I would definitely use 6x6.

Free tip: I had a fencing contractor build gates for me last year, and they are already warped because they only did diagonal bracing in one direction. Be sure to do an "X" configuration with the bracing.

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