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Are you considering having electric gates fitted to your property but are worried about how much they will cost?
This article provides all the information you need.
You can use our form to contact us if you need specific help.
The largest physical components of any electric gate system are the gates themselves. The most significant effect on the price of gates is down to how they look and what they’re made of. Ornate gate designs will always be more expensive than simpler designs and non-standard finishes and colours will add to the cost of new gates.
The material used to make the gates also affects the cost. Timber gates made from softwood are cheaper than hardwood gates but require significantly more maintenance and don’t last as long. This means that they cost more to own and they will need replacing sooner than an equivalent hardwood gate.
Unfortunately, even hardwood gates will eventually deteriorate even if carefully maintained. They expand as they soak up water and shrink when they dry out. This causes bolts and screws to work loose and joints to open up. Eventually, as water penetrates the wood more and more, rot develops.
The cost of aluminium gates is close to hardwood gates and they don’t require any maintenance other than occasional cleaning. They don’t absorb water and are protected from the elements by a surface coating that gives them their wood-effect finish or colour. As aluminium gates are designed to look like wooden gates, they provide the perfect alternative to wood without any of the drawbacks.
Aluminium gates range in cost from a few hundred pounds for pedestrian gates up to a £2000 to £4000 for bespoke, contemporary or classically designed driveway gates.
Ornate iron gates are usually the most expensive. As iron oxidises when exposed to water and oxygen to form iron oxide (rust), iron gates also need careful maintenance. Stainless steel gates are corrosion resistant but expensive, heavy and time-consuming to manufacture.
Swing gates can be more expensive than sliding gates because there are two of them instead of a single sliding gate which needs a single gate motor. However, sliding gates require more groundwork than most electric swing gate systems (except underground gate automation).
Some homeowners prefer the look of a single sliding gate and others like a pair of swing gates. If swing gates are not feasible because of space issues, two swing gates can be joined in the middle to make a single sliding gate.
This looks like two swing gates but slides open across the driveway entrance. In this instance, two swing gates made into a single sliding gate may cost a little more than the equivalent standard sliding gate.
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Gate motors physically open and close gates and can be called external gate closers or gate openers, electric gate operators or gate automation motors. Gate motors range in price from a few hundred pounds for low intensity articulated arm motors used on lightweight gates, up to more than £1000 for a pair of underground motors and their foundation boxes. Commercial gate motors with high work cycles used to automate gates big enough to allow commercial vehicles like articulated lorries to pass through may cost substantially more.
As an indication of price differences, gate automation motors generally increase in price as follows:
A sliding gate (also known as rolling gates) only uses a single motor, and one external gate closer nearly always costs less than two. The type and size of the motor will be determined by the size and weight of the gate and how often it will be opened and closed. A heavier gate operated frequently will need a more expensive motor than one used to operate a lighter gate a few times a day.
These gate operators use a jointed arm between the motor and gate. They are relatively simple and tolerate slightly less precise installation.
Although ram and linear screw gate motors are relatively simple, they need careful alignment on installation.
Underground gate automation requires careful installation and groundworks to provide adequate drainage for these subterranean motors. Underground motors are usually one of the most expensive options in gate automation.
In-post motors have a highly compact design that allows them to be mounted inside specially made gate posts. They are another expensive gate automation option.
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Looking for a trusted and qualified installer but not sure where to start?
Call our local rate number now to get a free quote.
Electric gate installation costs are determined by the extent of any groundworks, the type of gates, their automation and your geographical location. Groundworks include pillars, posts and underground motor installation and drainage provision, plus the cost of providing a certified electrical supply to the gate.
Installing sliding gates sounds like it should be the cheapest as there is only one gate and one motor. However, track needs to be laid for the gate to move along and this can require digging up the driveway and laying a suitable foundation that is twice the length of the gate. Subsequently, the groundworks can make these simpler systems just as expensive to install as swing gates.
With swing gates, underground motors require careful alignment as the motor housing forms the bottom gate hinge. They also require holes to be dug for the motor housings and drainage. Without provision for sufficient water drainage, underground motors can remain submerged which will cause them to fail.
The cost to install electric gates can also be an indication of the quality of the installation company chosen. As the gate engineer you choose will be responsible for the creation and installation of a safe electric gate system tailored to your unique needs, cutting corners to save money is not recommended.
Electric gates don’t cost much to operate, and their running costs will depend on how much they are used. In standby, an electric gate system will use about 100 watts per day. With electricity costing around 15p per KWh this translates to 1.5p per day.
When the gates are operating, they will use up to about 700W, but this is only for about 20 seconds in each direction. This adds up to about 0.2p for each complete opening and closing cycle of the gates. An average set of domestic gates operates to 15 times a day which works out to be about 3p per day based on the above prices.
So, over an entire year the electricity cost for gates operating up to 15 times a day (which is quite a lot) will be in the region of £15.
Costs for gate maintenance visits will vary depending on your gate system and how far away your chosen gate engineer is. Sufficient maintenance to ensure reliable operation and a long life for your electric gates is likely to be around £150 - £300 per year.
Some companies will offer just a basic cost for a maintenance visit to check the system and then quote for any remedial works as required. Other companies may offer a comprehensive maintenance/guarantee contract which would include replacement parts, but these could be more expensive.
Most electric gate system manufacturers offer a guarantee on their equipment from new. This encourages you to use installers who buy from reputable sources in the UK so that these guarantees are honoured.
When you check this with your gate engineer, also check that their installation is included as part of the guarantee they give you.
Repair costs for gate automation issues and breakdowns are determined by the amount of time it takes to diagnose and fix the problem, plus the costs of any replacement parts.
This could range in scope from a few pounds to diagnose and replace old batteries in remote transmitters, up to thousands of pounds to replace failed underground motors left submerged in badly drained foundation boxes.
While these costs can be widely variable, you should always know what the gate automation engineer’s call out rate is and what fees they will charge when on site.
A great way to avoid costly and unexpected bills for electric gate breakdowns is to ensure your automatic gate system is regularly serviced.
Gate Automation Supplies is expert in the supply of gate automation equipment and providing technical and troubleshooting support for gate installers.
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