When a homeowner builds a custom residence on the Lake Huron shoreline in Sarnia — steps from one of the area's busiest beaches — the front gate becomes more than a gate. It's the line between a public, high-traffic area and private family space. This client wanted to control exactly who reaches the front door, see and speak to anyone standing at the entrance, and still let trusted visitors or delivery drivers in when nobody's home. They brought us in to design and install a complete gate intercom and access control system — built right into the custom steel-and-concrete gate their fabricator was already constructing.
A System Designed Before the Gate Was Built
This wasn't a retrofit onto an existing gate, and that worked in everyone's favour. Because the gate was still being fabricated, we got a rare opportunity: design the access hardware first, then have the gate built to suit it. We worked directly with the client's fabrication company, supplying exact dimensions and cut-outs so the intercom, the magnetic lock, and the exit hardware would sit clean and flush in the finished concrete pillar and steel frame — no surface-mounted boxes, no exposed conduit, nothing that looks like an afterthought.
What We Installed
The whole system runs on Ubiquiti's UniFi platform, so it ties straight into the home's network and cameras rather than living as a separate island of hardware:
- UniFi G3 Intercom — a video intercom with a touchscreen, keypad, built-in camera, and NFC reader, mounted into the gate pillar.
- UniFi Door Hub Mini — the access controller that drives the lock and brings the intercom into UniFi Access.
- 1,200 lb magnetic lock — recessed into the gate frame to hold the gate securely closed.
- Request-to-exit button — on the inside of the gate, so anyone leaving can release it with a single touch.
One of each, sized exactly for this single entry — a clean, purpose-built system with no parts that aren't earning their place.
How It Works for the Homeowner
From the street side, a visitor presses the bell to call the house, or unlocks with a PIN or an NFC tap if they've been given access. From the home's side, the system does the real work. The intercom carries full two-way talk and records high-quality video straight to the home's NVR, so there's always a clear record of who came to the gate and when.
The homeowner can answer the gate and unlock it remotely from anywhere through the UniFi Access app, and can issue mobile credentials or one-time PINs to family, guests, cleaners, or contractors without ever cutting a key. And because the home is already running Control4, we integrated the intercom so it rings through to the in-home Control4 touchscreens — answer the gate, see the video, and let someone in from the same screens that run the rest of the house.
The Result
The homeowner ended up with real peace of mind around the main entrance to the property — a secure, recorded, controllable front gate on a busy stretch near the lake. Just as important, it's convenient: they can let visitors in when they're away, and securely receive deliveries instead of leaving packages exposed at a public entrance. The security and the day-to-day ease come from the same system.
Typical investment: $4,000 – $5,000. A complete gate entry system like this — UniFi G3 Intercom, Door Hub Mini, a 1,200 lb mag lock and request-to-exit, wired back to the home's NVR and integrated with Control4. Final cost depends on cabling runs and integration complexity.