Gate Installation Cost

How Much Does Fitting a New Gate Cost?

The gate is the front door to the garden so it’s the first thing visitors will see. A well designed gate can look great and offer good security, plus nowadays there are many automated options if required. Gates vary tremendously in size, type and style, everything from a small DIY garden gate made from timber offcuts, to a £10,000 automated, wrought iron, custom designed driveway gate. This article is designed to help you decide on the right gate and to avoid overpaying for the privilege!

There are many companies selling cheap standard-sized gates, but how many driveways are "standard size"? In reality, there are few, if any, standard sized driveways, so made to measure gates designed for your specific needs offer you that little extra piece of mind. You know that when you come to install made to measure gates, everything will fit perfectly and will look great.

Trying to make a standard set of gates for your property is just extra hassle you can do without! You should probably avoid mass produced wooden gates in any case, as you can never be sure how long they have been stored and whether they have been protected from the elements. The woodwork and craftsmanship may be excellent, but if they were made outside the UK and stored outdoors for months without staining or painting, before being shipped to the UK, then they may already be starting to twist or warp before you even hang them! So buy locally sourced made to measure gates if at all possible.

Most problems with gates are caused by lack of maintenance or by bad installation. Automated gate system problems are often down to bad positioning of the gate which means poor tracking which will force the gate into positions it wasn’t designed to go. With automated gate systems, if there are problems they will usually surface within the first few months, whereas with conventional gates, it can take years for the UK weather and gravity to gradually weaken the materials.

50%

Materials
£375

50%

Tradesmen
£375

0%

Waste Removal
£0

FAQs

Which is better, wooden or metal gates?

Metal gates can look great but they don't offer a lot of privacy (unless solid metal sheets which would be incredibly expensive). Wooden gates can easily be close-boarded which offer high levels of privacy, but they do need regular maintenance to avoid rotting, twisting and warping. But privacy aside, it really all comes down to personal preference and budget. A wooden gate may be preferable to a decorative metal gate in a rural garden, as timber manufacturers often sell gates to match their fences for a continuous run. But if your garden boundaries are brick, stone or hedges, then both metalwork and wooden gates will look fine.

Is it worth paying extra for automated gates?

Automated gates are a sensible option for homeowners who expect to use them regularly or have lots of visitors. They are of course much more convenient, and can improve security. But the automation technology is expensive and can also be just another item to break down meaning further costs.

Sliding or swinging gates?

Swinging kits are cheaper if you have a pair of gates, as if you want both to slide open you’ll need two sets of sliding mechanisms, which adds to the cost. However, if you have a sloping driveway, swinging gates may not have the room to open, whereas with sliding gates you need at least the same opening to the side as the gate itself.

How much maintenance do wooden gates require?

The choice of wood will make a big difference to the lifespan of the gate, but even the toughest timber will not be maintenance free. Hardwoods are not automatically better than softwoods and all types will require regular maintenance in the form of a stain or paint finish reapplied ideally twice a year to keep the moisture content in the timber as low as possible.

Do I need planning permission for adding or replacing gates?

If your proposed gate is taller than 1m then you could need planning permission if your gate is adjacent to a road or footpath. But in most cases, with the exception of listed properties, planning permission is not required. However, gates higher than 2m will pretty much always need permission regardless of position.

Which timber is best for gates?

The timber you decide on really depends a lot on what you want to do with them in terms of finish. For example, do you want to paint, stain or leave a natural finish? Although many like the look of natural wood weathering over time, this is not recommended as without protection against UV damage, the timber will split. Softwood gates are much cheaper than hardwood, but in most cases, softwood is not as durable (but there are exceptions to this rule). You will still get many years of life from a softwood gate if maintained properly, but a hardwood gate will usually last much longer so is often worth the extra initial cost.