Core product
Driveway gates designed to the house, not from a catalogue
Guildford Gates supplies bespoke driveway gates across Surrey in wrought iron, steel, aluminium and hardwood — manual from around £2,500 installed, automated from £6,500. Every gate is designed to the property's architecture and opening, fabricated to order, and installed on foundations engineered for Surrey clay.
Choosing the material: a decision framework, not a sales pitch
| Material | Choose it for | Maintenance reality | Cost band | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrought iron / steel | Presence, security, period authenticity | Coating renewal every 10–15 yrs | £££ | Iron detail |
| Aluminium | Zero rust, light (kind to motors), crisp modern lines | Wash-down only | ££–£££ | Aluminium detail |
| Hardwood (iroko/oak) | Warmth, privacy, cottage & Arts-and-Crafts character | Re-oil/re-coat 2–4 yrs; seasonal movement | ££–£££ | Timber detail |
| Steel-framed timber | Timber face, steel stability — no drop or twist | As timber, minus adjustment | £££ | Hybrid detail |
Rule of thumb from a decade of Surrey installs: period property + visibility from the road → iron. Modern build or coastal-style low maintenance → aluminium. Privacy on a lane → steel-framed timber. Budget manual gate that must still look right → hardwood.
Manual or automated?
Automation roughly doubles the installed price but changes how the gates get used: manual gates on a busy household are open by February and stay open, which defeats the purpose. Honest guidance:
- Automate if the gates are your daily vehicle entrance, security or dog/child containment matters, or the opening faces a fast road where stopping to open gates is unpleasant.
- Stay manual for secondary entrances, rarely used field gates, or where budget is better spent on the ironwork itself — automation can be retrofitted later if we prepare ducting now (a £150 decision that saves £900 later).
Retrofit detail on the gate automation page.
Sizing, ground and the survey checklist
Bring these five measurements to a phone consultation and we can give a meaningful estimate before visiting:
- Opening width between piers/posts at the narrowest point.
- Rise or fall of the drive across the first 3m inside the gate line.
- Distance from gate line to where cars park.
- Clear boundary length either side (for sliding options).
- Distance to the nearest mains power point.
On survey we add soil assessment, pier condition (existing brick piers frequently need new foundations to carry gate loads), and BS EN 12453 entrapment mapping if automating.
Free site survey & fixed quotation
Get a precise price for driveway gates
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
What do driveway gates cost in Surrey?
How wide should a driveway gate opening be?
3.0–3.6m suits single-vehicle access; 3.6–4.5m allows comfortable entry with a delivery van or turning approach; estate entrances typically run 4.5–6m.
Can you hang gates on my existing brick piers?
Only after checking them. Piers built as garden features often lack the foundation and internal steel to carry a 150kg+ leaf on hinges. We test and, where needed, sleeve a steel post inside or rebuild the pier.
Which gates add most value to a property?
Agents in the Guildford area consistently cite gated entrances as a saleability feature on £1m+ homes; our property value article covers the evidence and the caveats.