An average driveway usually measures about 14' - 0". If you choose a very basic design for your gate, but still keep it custom made, in a double swing layout, rectangular shaped, with no frills or extras, primed and painted black and installed, that will probably cost you between $4,500 to $5,500. If this fits into your budget then you might want to upgrade by adding iron components to your design to make it a unique look. Ask your iron fabricator about styles and pricing.
Now that you've established that a manual double swing gate fits into your budget, let's talk automation. Let's use the basic rectangular double swing gate design as mentioned above, this design will not be as heavy allowing several choices in gate operator systems (gate operators are based on height and weight of the gate panels). With the double swing design you will need gate operators to open both panels. The least expensive option is an arm operator. There are many good arm operators to choose from. Whatever you do, don't skimp when it comes to choosing an operator, you don't want it to break down; you want something you can depend on. Keep in mind, that for a double swing gate operator it will be necessary to concrete cut across your driveway so that the electrical can be run from one side of the gate to the other. When the concrete is cut, the wires laid, and the area refilled, you will still be able to see where the cut occurred. There is no way to match older concrete or asphalt to the new filler. If you love the look of your driveway this option may not be for you. There are also pad mounted units; these normally cost about 40% more than the arm operated unit. They require that you buy two separate units for the double swing gate application. Each unit requires that a concrete pad be installed adding to the cost of the installation. Keep in mind, that in order for pad mounted operators to be an option, you must have enough room on each side of your gate for the unit to fit. Your iron fabricator will know how much room is needed for the unit you choose.
Once you've decided on the correct operator then you need to ask about safety devices. If you want your driveway gate to shut behind you automatically and open automatically when you exit then safety devices must be installed. There are several options for safety features. Loop detectors being the most popular. Loop detectors are electrical wires that are embedded into your driveway (again, your driveway will have to be concrete cut so that the wires can be installed). Loop detectors pick up the presence of metal. If a car is detected, in the area where the loop detector has been installed, than the gate operator will not open or close and this protects the car from being hit by the gate. Another option is photo eyes. These are installed on opposite sides of the driveway and a beam of light extends from one eye to the other. If the beam is broken then the gate operator will not open or shut. There is also a safety edge that’s available and it is installed on the gate itself. The safety edge can sense the presence of an object and will reverse direction so that the object is not hit.
Now that we’ve discussed safety devices we must talk about how your guests and maintenance people are going to enter and exit your property. There are a lot of new options available and many new devices are coming onto the market daily. A telephone entry system is the most expensive option. In order to install a telephone entry system a dedicated telephone wire must be present at the point where the system is installed. This type system allows you to distribute codes or someone can ring your telephone from a button on the entry system. Many systems today have the option of ringing your home phone and then rolling over to other phone numbers including cell phones. If you want to eliminate the need for telephone wiring altogether then you may want to consider a system that requires only a Sim card, this unit works like your cell phone. Once the Sim card is installed there is one button that the guest can push and once pushed your cell phone will be contacted and you can open the gate using a key on your cell phone. The down side to this system is that there isn't a keypad so you can't distribute codes to individuals. There is also a digital keypad; this does not require a telephone line at all. The digital keypad allows you to distribute codes to those that need them, i.e. – maintenance people, family and friends and does not connect to any telephone.
All these extras do add up. The cost to install loop detectors adds about $3,500.00 plus to your project. If you wish to have a telephone entry system, then add another $3,000 - $4,500 depending upon the unit. If you wish to have a digital keypad only, add about $800.00 to the cost. If you like the idea of the Sim card type system, add about $2,000.
Don't forget, that if you install an automated driveway gate the Fire and Police departments have to be able to get into your property. You must contact your local Fire and Police Departments to ask them about Knox Box Switches. Your local Fire Department has an application that they'll have you complete and then you'll be told what Knox Box Switch to purchase. This switch has to be connected to your gate operator so ask your iron fabricator to include hook up in the price.
I hope this gives you an idea of why automated driveway gates are so expensive. They are worth every penny, for security reasons, if you have high traffic going in and out of your gate and when the weather is foul. If you aren’t sold on automation then have your manual driveway gate installed and live with it for awhile. Automation can always be done at a later date.
