Home security is essential for securing property and personal goods. There are many ways to improve home security, but a gate — particularly an automated one — is a great deterrent to thieves. Additionally, gates help keep more vulnerable individuals inside the property’s secure borders, e.g. pets and children.
Many people say you can’t put a price on safety. At Penchard, we receive frequent enquiries about how much electric gate costs and our team know that a clear answer has many variables. Below is a breakdown and outline of the features that need to be considered when commissioning an electric gate.
Gate Design
The first step of the process is clarifying what style of gate you require for your home or residential project. A gate’s appearance and design are often unique to its protected property and can easily become a standout feature.
As there are many designs out there (and each design will be priced respectively), the online Penchard galleries are a great place for inspiration. Alternatively, our team will also accept photographs or images of gates that you like. With a strong design base, we can manufacture a replica or a similar design with unique stylings thanks to our highly skilled in-house manufacturing equipment and personnel.
Additionally, you’ll need to assess whether a sliding or swing gate would suit the property better; this will be significant to pricing and design.
Gate Size
Every home or property has a unique size specification for a gate. Approximate width and height dimensions will need to be supplied to provide costings for an electric gate. Bigger gates will require more materials and time to manufacture, especially if they have an intricate design.
Gate Material
Wood or metal? Both gate materials have unique benefits and can improve homes in distinctive ways.
Wooden gates have a more classic look, and they are aesthetically appealing. Their appearance also adds a touch of warmth and homeliness to any property. Timber can also be stained or painted to create an individual look to match your property. A well-maintained wooden gate will serve a home for a long time!
A metal gate is a strong barrier for your home with unwavering durability. Metal materials suit a wide variety of property styles and complement modern and traditional homes. Metal gates also have a higher level of ‘creativity’ and flair as they can be decorated with complex patterns.
Gate Finish
You can choose from a wide range of finishes for your gate or fence, and every finish can provide unique functional and aesthetic enhancement.
Steel gates are normally painted or powder coated to a colour of your choice. However, we can also galvanise before the paint or powder coat is applied. This helps ensure maximum rust protection.
You have the option of leaving timber gates as a natural timber finish or you can paint, oil or stain them. Leaving timber gates untreated or unoiled will leave the materials more exposed to the elements. However, untreated gates still offer long-term durability, and the untreated/unoiled option is often preferred by clients that want a maintenance-free and natural appearance.
Automation
It’s important to make sure you commission a gate that looks good, but you also need to be confident about how it will be operated once installed. We always advise clients to think about how residents and also visitors would enter and exit the property.
Fob/remote access is the simplest setup for gate operation as you can activate the gates as you approach them, and you have complete control at all times of who comes and goes. However, this is often not one hundred per cent practical as you need to consider how deliveries and friends would gain entry.
With this in mind, you can also have gates configured to automatically open for any vehicle that drives up to the gates. For security reasons and monitoring, this function can be set on a timer so that the gate is locked on demand.
Could your new gate also benefit from an intercom system? Penchard has the ability to install audio-only or audio and video intercom technology, and it can all be very simply linked to your mobile phone. Additional technology will result in extra costs, but there’s total peace of mind in being able to answer calls from your gate wherever you are in the world!
Infrastructure
An electric gate will require a standard 13 amp power supply, and if this is not readily available at the site, we need to consider how we get sufficient infrastructure in place. Likewise, installing a data cable to the gate for the intercom system may be necessary. However, some systems can work wirelessly.
Choose electric gates from Penchard
There are a lot of factors that affect the cost of electric gates, but most simple gate designs and simple automation setups have a minimum price estimation of £8000 + VAT. In general, most projects average at around £10-15k + VAT.
It is also quite possible that more bespoke designs and more advanced automation setups can accrue costs of £20k or more + VAT.
For more accurate pricing and exceptional services, we recommend that you contact our knowledgeable team on 01264 712918 or email [email protected]. With Penchard, you can be assured that one of our gate experts will be willing to help guide you through this process.