The Best Lock for a Garden Gate (And How to Fit One)

Quickest answer: for most garden gates, a closed-shackle weatherproof padlock on a hasp and staple is plenty. For a gate that's the only thing between the street and a shed full of tools, step up to a proper morticed gate lock.

Quick answer

• Wooden gate, low risk (just keeping the dog in) — hasp, staple, decent padlock
• Wooden or metal gate guarding anything valuable — a morticed gate lock, not just a padlock
• Buy weatherproof, closed-shackle — cheap padlocks seize solid after one winter
• Fitting a hasp and staple is a twenty-minute DIY job. Fitting a proper gate lock into a warped or metal gate is not
• Lock change and fitting prices

Padlock, gate lock, or deadbolt — what's the actual difference

A padlock and hasp is a hinge-and-staple bracket you screw to the gate and post, with a padlock through the loop. Cheap, quick, and fine for low-risk gates — the weak point is usually the screws, not the padlock, so fit them where they can't be reached from outside.

A gate lock is a lock body morticed into the gate edge, the same principle as a front door mortice lock, with a keep fitted to the post. Sturdier, harder to force, and the better option for anything guarding real value.

A deadbolt-style gate lock adds a bolt that throws into the frame independently of the latch — worth it if the gate sees daily foot traffic and you want it to lock itself, not just latch.

(There is no fourth option involving a length of chain and hoping for the best. I've seen it tried. It doesn't work, and it looks like you've given up on the gate entirely.)

Best lock types for a garden gate — the honest trade-offs

| Option | Best for | Watch out for | |---|---|---| | Hasp + closed-shackle padlock | Low-risk side/back gate | Screws must be on the inside face | | Morticed gate lock | Gate guarding a shed, bikes, tools | Needs a gate solid enough to mortice into | | Keyed-alike gate lock | Matching your back door key | Costs more, needs a locksmith to key it correctly | | Digital/combination gate lock | Shared access (tradespeople, family) | Weatherproofing matters more than with a keyed lock |

How to fit a lock to a garden gate yourself

1. Check the gate can take it. A solid wooden gate rail can take a hasp or a morticed lock. A thin or rotting rail can't take either securely — fix the gate first.
2. Fit the hasp and staple across the gap between gate and post, with the hinged part on the gate side so the padlock sits flush when closed.
3. Screw from the inside wherever the design allows — a hasp with its screws exposed on the outside can be unscrewed by anyone with a screwdriver.
4. Test it closed and locked before you consider it done — gates settle and warp, and a lock that lined up perfectly in the shop doesn't always line up on a gate that's been hanging for ten years.

For a morticed gate lock, treat it like fitting a mortice lock to a door — same principle, smaller scale, and it's worth getting right the first time since re-chiselling a bigger mortice into a thin gate rail rarely ends well.

(Measure twice. The gate does not care about your confidence levels, and neither does the chisel.)

When to call a locksmith instead of DIY-ing it

Honestly, most hasp-and-padlock jobs don't need us — it's a drill, four screws, and ten minutes. Call if:

• The gate is metal and needs a lock body fitted or replaced, not just a padlock swap
• You want the gate lock keyed alike with your back door or garage
• The gate's warped or sagging enough that nothing lines up, and you need it rehung as well as locked
• It's a shared-access gate (Airbnb, multiple households) and you want a proper keying system rather than one key floating around

Sign-off

If the DIY route sounds fine for your gate, have at it — that's genuinely most gates. If it's turned into more of a project than you bargained for, call 020 3780 8827 and describe what you're working with. John will tell you honestly whether it's a locksmith job or a Saturday-afternoon job.