How Much Does an Automatic Driveway Gate Cost?

Common Range: $1,700 – $11,600, Installed

National Average: $6,550, Installed

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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Average Cost of a Driveway Gate Installation

The average cost to install an automatic driveway gate is $6,550. For that price, you’ll get a motorized 12’ double gate made of steel with a remote and sensors or a keypad for opening. Adding a camera and intercom raise the automatic driveway gate cost.

Costs are less for chain-link and some wooden fences – and cost can be significantly higher for a gate built with stone or brick stanchions, perhaps with an integrated brick mailbox, on either side plus a full range of accessories.

Many homeowners install a driveway gate when a driveway is installed, or when having fencing installed along the front of their property. This often leads to a small break on cost when the same general contractor is hired for multiple projects.

Average Costs

Average Do It Yourself cost
$1,900 / Gate
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$6,550 / Gate
Typical Cost Range
$1,700 – $10,400 / Gate

modern aluminum driveway gates

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Overview of Automatic Driveway Gates

An electric driveway gate, a term used synonymously with automatic driveway gate, improves home security and can boost your home’s market value. It adds a touch of distinction to curb appeal too.

You have a lot of material and design options for an automatic driveway gate. For materials, chain link, vinyl, wood of various types, aluminum, steel and wrought iron are all available in a range of sizes, heights and designs.

In terms of the opening mechanism, a single gate that slides open is the least expensive. Double gates with separate motors and the rarer overhead gates that lift like a garage door cost more.

The most expensive driveway double gates are supported on each side by stone or brick structures and may have an intercom communication system. The gate material could be steel, wrought iron or a quality wood privacy gate of various heights and design.

A remote opener, like a garage door opener, is a cost-effective choice. Keypad entry is more expensive. Accessories like an overhead steel arch and camera add cost to this outdoor project.

This Costimate, or cost estimate, discusses your options and their costs, total project cost factors, links to other sources for information and whether this is a good DIY project or whether you should hire a contractor for the work.

modern steel automatic driveway gate on tracks

Automatic Driveway Gate Cost Factors

It is difficult to narrow down automatic electric driveway gate prices because your options vary significantly. In this section, consider starting at the national average cost of about $5,900 for a 12-foot double gate (two 6-foot gates each attached to side posts) made of steel or midrange wood design.

Then, you can estimate your electric gate costs up or down based on the design you have in mind. Retail pricing for gates, motors and other components is found below along with sample costs for gates of various size and materials.

  • Gate Width – Single gates start at 8 feet wide. The largest sliding and double sliding and swinging gates are usually 18 feet wide, but it is possible to have a wider gate custom built to your specifications, potentially at a cost exceeding the range given above. As with most home improvement projects, there is a minimum cost but no firm maximum cost.
  • Gate Height – Your options range from 4’ to 12’, though most driveway gates are 6’ to 10’ high.
  • Decorative Gates – Gates with complex, decorative design often cost more than simple styles.
  • Privacy Gates – Vinyl and wood gates are produced in picket styles that offer little privacy and plank styles for improved privacy at a higher price.
  • Gate Material – Chain link fencing is the most affordable but has the least aesthetic appeal. Vinyl gates are affordable to average in cost. Wood gates cover the spectrum from low-cost pressure-treated pine to rich hardwood in combination with wrought iron. Steel can be cheap tubular material that is painted or heavy-gauge steel with a very durable Kynar or Hylar automotive-grade coating.
  • Opening Mechanism – Sliding gates are the simplest and most affordable. Double-gates are in the middle of the price range, while the mechanical equipment needed for an overhead gate raise the cost to the high end of the scale.
  • Opener/Motor – The opener will have to be rated for the weight of the gate. A light steel or chain-link gate can be operated by a 115V opener designed for light duty. Heavier gates require a 230V opener at a higher cost. Commercial-grade 208/230/460V openers are the most expensive.
  • Entry Options – Most automatic driveway gates are operated by a remote opener. If you prefer a keypad, card reader or RFID gate control, cost is higher.
  • Intercom – You’ll pay significantly more for this enhanced security option. If you can’t see your gate from your home, then you might appreciate being able to communicate with anyone desiring entrance to your driveway.
  • Solar Powered – Your equipment cost will be higher, but installation cost will be significantly less if you don’t have to hardwire a system. And operating cost will be zero. However, as discussed later, only lightweight automatic driveway gates can be powered by solar.
  • Time of Year – This is one of those projects that might cost less in winter, which is a slow time for contractors, if the ground isn’t frozen. It might not be possible to have brick or stone work completed during freezing weather.
  • DIY or Contractor – The labor portion of an automatic driveway gate price estimate is 15% to 50% depending on the materials and equipment used.
Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Cost of Supplies, Gate, Electronics and Extras

There are two sets of costs for an automatic driveway gate – the gate structure and the operating equipment. In other words, if you currently have a manual gate and want to automate it, you can add the opener motor and supplies needed for the upgrade.

Costs in this price list do not include installation labor fees. They are discussed below.

Double gates, also called bi-parting and dual gates, cost 10% to 15% less than single gates with the same total width.

Solar vs Hard-wired – Your equipment cost for solar will be higher. But you’ll more than make up for $200-$300 upgrade through savings of up to $1,500 on electrical wiring and installation costs. However, as Fixr rightly explains, “hardwired gates are necessary for heavy duty operation.” So, if your gate is very large and heavy – and certainly if it is an overhead gate, it will likely have to be hardwired.

  • $995 – $4,400 | 10’ to 18’ Treated or Stained Pine Gates
  • $1,285 – $2,750 | 10’ to 18’ Vinyl Gates
  • $1,995 – $4,100 | 10’ to 18’ Steel and Aluminum Gates
  • $2,600 – $6,500 | 10’ to 18’ Hardwood Gates
  • $2,200 – $4,900 | 10’ to 18’ Wrought Iron Gates
  • $395 – $950 | Single Swing Gate Opener Kits
  • $575 – $1,450 | Dual Swing Gate Opener Kits
  • $385 – $900 | Sliding Gate Opener Kits
  • $115 – $1,500 | Gate Camera and Monitor
  • $375 – $825 | Keypad or RFID Card Reader
  • $1,200 – $4,000 | Intercom
  • $250 – $695 | Self-closing Sensor System
  • $190 – $300 | Solar Upgrade – Solar Panels, Batteries and Wiring
  • $50 – $125 | Privacy Mesh

welder attaching gates to steel gear sliding track on driveway gates

Permits, Inspection, and Labor Costs

Permits and Inspection

  • $85 – $215 | The permit fee will depend on the extent of the work. For example, if a new circuit is added to the electric panel to operate the gate, cost will be higher than if an existing circuit is used.

Automatic Driveway Gate Installation Labor Cost

  • $1,400 – $5,200 | A simple sliding gate system with few accessories costs the least, as low as $750 according to fixr, but that cost is a little outdated. When the design is elaborate, including brickwork or stonework plus a camera, intercom, etc., installation fees can exceed $5,000.
  • The cost to add just the opener to an existing manual gate runs $500 to $2,500 based on the type of opener and whether it is powered by solar or must be hardwired to your home’s electrical panel.

Installation Time

Expect installers to be at your home from about 1 day to a week. Depending on the automatic driveway gate design, here are possible steps and time.

  • 2-4 Days | Installation of gate stanchions made with brick or stone
  • 1-2 Days | Installation of the gate panel or panels and operating mechanism
  • 1-2 Days | Installation of accessories such as a keypad, camera and intercom
Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Here are several other common projects related to home security or having driveway gates installed at your home.


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DIY or Hire a Pro

You can save yourself up to $4,800 according to Be Up depending on the design, a cost consistent with our estimate. The hourly cost of labor is $40 to $80 per laborer, close to the cost suggested by Home Advisor, a range we agree with.  Average total hours of labor is 30-35.

The simpler the gate structure and components, the more it makes sense to consider DIY – based on your skillset and experience, of course.

This can be a combination project too – you can do the parts you’re comfortable with and hire a pro for the rest.

A steel sliding gate anchored to a steel or pressure-treated post and operated by a remote can be a do-it-yourself project for someone with pretty good skills.

The wiring for a hardwired system is best handled by a contractor with a trencher, though you can dig the trench by hand if you have the time and energy.

If you are going to the expense of brick or stone, you’ll probably be happiest with the finished product if you hire a masonry specialist for that part of the work.

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Get Estimates for an Automatic Driveway Gate

Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."