Gate system
Cantilever gates: sliding performance with no ground track
A cantilever gate slides on carriages hidden inside the boundary, suspending the leaf so it floats across the opening with no ground track at all. That makes it the definitive choice for gravel drives, uneven or listed thresholds, and entrances that must never jam on debris or ice. Expect £10,000–£18,000 installed.
How a cantilever gate works
The leaf is built roughly 30–50% longer than the opening. The extra length — the counterbalance tail — runs on two ground-mounted carriage assemblies set inside the boundary. The leaf hangs from these carriages and projects across the opening unsupported, like a diving board. Nothing touches the ground across the drive: no rail to set into the surface, nothing to sweep, nothing to freeze.
This is why we specify cantilever almost by default on the gravel drives common across the Surrey Hills and estate properties around Guildford, Cranleigh and Haslemere — a tracked slider in gravel migrates stones onto the rail weekly.
Cantilever vs tracked sliding: the honest trade-offs
| Factor | Tracked slider | Cantilever |
|---|---|---|
| Ground preparation | Level rail across the full opening | Two carriage foundations only — opening surface untouched |
| Run-off space needed | Opening + ~0.5m | Opening + 30–50% (counterbalance) |
| Debris/ice tolerance | Rail must be kept clear | Effectively immune |
| Suits gravel / resin / listed surfaces | Poorly | Perfectly |
| Typical cost delta | Baseline | +£1,500–£3,500 |
The counterbalance requirement is the one genuine constraint: a 4m opening wants ~6m of clear boundary. Where that's missing, a telescopic tracked slider is the fallback — covered on the sliding gates page.
Engineering points that separate good cantilevers from sagging ones
- Beam section. The bottom beam does all the structural work; undersized beams sag at the nose within two years. We size from span, leaf weight and infill wind load.
- Carriage spacing. Wider carriage centres reduce nose deflection; we design the tail around this rather than squeezing carriages to save foundation cost.
- Nose wheel and receiver. A guided nose entering a receiver post takes wind lock-out loads off the carriages when closed.
- Adjustability. Carriages must allow vertical and lateral adjustment, because even good foundations move a few millimetres over Surrey clay's seasonal cycle.
Automation mirrors tracked sliders — rack-driven BFT or Nice operators with edges and photocells per BS EN 12453.
Free site survey & fixed quotation
Get a precise price for a cantilever gate
Tell us the opening width, whether power is nearby and the style you have in mind. We measure on site, confirm a fixed price in writing, and never sell door-to-door.
Prefer to talk? Call 01483 000 000.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose a cantilever gate over a normal sliding gate?
Because nothing crosses the driveway surface: no rail to lay, keep clear or trip over. On gravel, resin-bound or heritage surfaces, and on entrances that must work through winter without sweeping, cantilever is the reliable option.
How much extra space does the counterbalance need?
Plan for the opening width plus 30–50%. A 4m opening typically needs about 6m of clear, straight boundary inside the property.
Can cantilever gates be large?
Yes — single leaves to 10m+ are routine commercially. Residential leaves of 4–6m are comfortably within standard engineering.
Do cantilever gates sag over time?
A correctly sized beam with properly spaced carriages should show only millimetres of nose deflection, taken up by the receiver. Sagging indicates an undersized beam or failed carriage bearings — both repairable, and something our repair team sees often on budget imports.