Article · 2026-05-12
How long do electric gates last? The honest, component-level answer
A well-specified, serviced electric gate installation lasts 15–25 years as a system, but its components age at different rates: gate leaves 30–40 years, hydraulic motors 15–25, electromechanical motors 10–15, control boards 8–12, batteries 2–4 and remotes 3–5. Servicing is the variable — neglected systems fail in half the time, almost always at the hinges first.
Lifespan by component
| Component | Serviced lifespan | What keeps it there |
|---|---|---|
| Iron/steel leaves (zinc + powder coat) | 30 – 40+ yrs | Coating renewal ~yr 12–15 |
| Aluminium leaves | 25 – 40 yrs | Wash only; hardware checks |
| Timber leaves (hardwood, maintained) | 20 – 30 yrs | Finish renewal 1–6 yrs by system |
| Hinges (sealed bearing, greased) | 15 – 25 yrs | Grease at every service — the whole game |
| Hydraulic operators | 15 – 25 yrs | Seals/oil at yr 8–12 |
| Electromechanical 24V operators | 10 – 15 yrs | Drivetrain checks; don't let hinges load them |
| Control boards | 8 – 12 yrs | Dry enclosure = the lifespan; wet = 3 yrs |
| Photocells | 5 – 8 yrs | Alignment & lens cleaning |
| Safety edges | 5 – 8 yrs | Replace at first perishing, not failure |
| Backup batteries | 2 – 4 yrs | Load-test annually; they fail silently |
The failure cascade: how neglect actually kills a system
Systems rarely die of one cause. The typical cascade we reconstruct on repairs: hinges lose lubrication (year 2–3) → friction rises → the motor works harder every cycle → force limits drift upward past legal thresholds → drivetrain or motor fails prematurely (year 5–7) → owner replaces the motor but not the hinges → the new motor dies faster. Total spend exceeds the cost of a decade of servicing before year eight. Breaking the cascade costs one greased hinge visit a year — the arithmetic is on our servicing cost page.
When to repair, when to replace
Our rule of thumb from the repair van: if the leaves and posts are sound, everything else is economically replaceable — a full re-automation on good gates (£2,800–£6,000, see gate automation) resets the clock for another 10–15 years at a third of full replacement cost. Replace outright when leaves are structurally corroded, posts have moved beyond adjustment, or the system's geometry was wrong from day one. A one-off inspection gives you that verdict with numbers rather than guesswork.
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Frequently asked questions
Do electric gates last longer than manual gates?
The leaves last the same; automation adds components with shorter lives. But automated gates are usually better specified (hinges especially), so serviced automated installations frequently outlast cheap manual ones.
What's the first thing to fail on most electric gates?
Backup batteries by age, photocell alignment by accident, and hinges by neglect — with hinges being the failure that takes the motor down with it.