Driveway Gates by the Numbers: Widths, Clearances and Prices

Driveway gates are made to measure, so there is no single price or size. But a handful of figures explain most of the difference between one quote and another, and charting them makes it much easier to plan a gate and compare quotes like for like.

Opening widths

• Single hung gate: best for openings under about 3m
• Pair of hung gates: typically 2.4m to 4.5m across
• Over about 4.5m: heavier posts and hinges, or a sliding design

Width is the biggest single factor in cost, because it sets the size of the frame, the number of boards and the strength of the posts and hinges.

Space needed beside the opening

• Hung gates: enough room for each leaf to swing clear, allowing for any slope
• Sliding gate on a track: a clear, level run at least as long as the gate
• Cantilever gate: a clear run of around 1.5 times the opening

A specialist in made-to-measure driveway gates will measure post to post at both the top and bottom, because piers are rarely perfectly parallel, and check how much the ground falls across the opening.

Typical prices

• Single pedestrian gate: around £900 to £1,500 fabricated and fitted
• Driveway gates: from around £1,800, rising to £5,000 or more for wide or highly specified openings

Locks, arched tops, screen toppers, finials, new concreted posts and automation-ready preparation all add to the price.

Prices in different cities

Charting quotes from different areas shows that the specification matters far more than the postcode. In the West Midlands, for example, Birmingham driveway gates are priced on the same factors as anywhere else: width, style, infill and the condition of the piers. In the North West, where a drive slopes up from the road, a quote for a Manchester composite gate may include raking the gate or switching to a sliding design.

Four figures worth charting

1. Price per metre of opening: to compare quotes for different widths.
2. Hung versus sliding cost: for the same opening, to see what the extra space or track adds.
3. Extras as a share of the total: how much toppers, locks and posts add.
4. Weeks from order to fitting: since manufacture usually takes longer than the one-day installation.

A few simple figures turn a confusing set of quotes into a clear choice. For more on charting manufacturing and fabrication, see our manufacturing category.