Are bi-fold driveway gates worth it?
Yes, if your drive is too short for swing gates and there's no side room for a sliding gate. Each leaf of a bi-fold gate folds in half as it opens, so it needs roughly half the swing space of a standard pair. Manual bi-fold gates from us start at £4,050 for a 3m opening, fitted with VAT included.
They're a problem solver more than a first choice. On a drive with plenty of room, a plain swing pair is cheaper and simpler. But when the car sits right behind the gate, a bi-fold can be the thing that makes gates possible at all.
What is a bi-fold gate?
A normal pair of swing gates has two leaves, each hinged at the post and opening in one piece. On a bi-fold, each leaf is split into two panels hinged together in the middle. As the gate opens, the panels fold back on themselves, a bit like a folding door.
Because each leaf folds, it sweeps a much shorter arc. On a 3m opening, a standard swing leaf is about 1.5m long and needs about 1.5m of clear drive behind it. A bi-fold leaf folds to roughly half that.
When does a bi-fold gate make sense?
- Short drives. You park close to the entrance and swing gates would hit the car.
- No side room. There's a wall, a step or the house itself where a sliding gate would need to go.
- A slope behind the gate. A shorter leaf sweeps a smaller arc, so it can clear ground that a full-length leaf would catch. How much slope it can cope with depends on the drive, so we check it at the survey.
If you do have side room, a sliding gate is worth comparing. Our sliding driveway gates guide covers how much space one needs.
Bi-fold vs swing vs sliding: how do they compare?
| Gate | Space it needs | From |
|---|---|---|
| Swing pair | Clear drive behind, about half the opening width | £3,200 |
| Bi-fold pair | Roughly half the swing space of a standard pair | £4,050 |
| Tracked slider | A clear run to one side, a little longer than the opening | £4,050 |
| Cantilever | A longer clear run to one side, no track across the drive | £4,400 |
So a bi-fold costs more than a plain swing pair, and the same as a tracked slider on our price list. The choice between those two comes down to where your space is: behind the gate or beside it. Our guide to swing vs sliding gates goes through that decision.
How much do bi-fold gates cost?
Here's the full manual bi-fold column of our price list.
| Finish | 3m | 3.5m | 4m | 4.5m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite | £4,050 | £4,450 | £4,750 | £5,050 |
| Aluminium | £4,350 | £4,650 | £4,950 | £5,150 |
| Wrought iron, Bronze design | £4,050 | £4,450 | £4,750 | £5,050 |
| Wrought iron, Silver design | £4,350 | £4,650 | £4,950 | £5,150 |
To see a price for your own opening, use the instant quote. It takes about a minute.
What are the downsides of bi-fold gates?
We'd rather you knew these before you buy:
- More moving parts. There's an extra hinge line in the middle of each leaf, so there's more to wear and more to keep aligned.
- Sound posts matter. The posts and hinges carry the whole folding leaf, so they need to be solid. We check them at the survey.
- They cost more than a plain pair. Compare the swing and bi-fold rows above.
- They need a little more looking after. Check the hinges and the alignment now and then, as you would on any gate, just with a few more of them.
Which material suits a bi-fold gate?
All three work. Aluminium is the lightest, which is kind to the extra hinges. Composite gives you a solid, timber-look gate and full privacy, built on a steel frame. Wrought iron suits a traditional house and can be made to almost any design. All of them are made in our workshop at Scholes, Leeds, and fitted by our own team.
Can a bi-fold gate be electric?
Our standard price list covers manual bi-fold gates. If you'd like yours automated, mention it at the survey and we'll tell you straight whether it suits your drive and what it would cost, or whether a sliding gate would serve you better.
See the rest of our hand-operated range on the manual gates page, or every option on driveway gates.
Bi-fold gate questions
How much is a bi-fold driveway gate?
Manual bi-fold gates from us start at £4,050 for a 3m opening and go up to £5,150 at 4.5m, fitted with VAT included, depending on the finish.
Is a bi-fold gate cheaper than a sliding gate?
On our price list, a manual bi-fold and a manual tracked sliding gate cost the same at every size. The choice comes down to whether your spare space is behind the gate or beside it.
How much space does a bi-fold gate need?
Roughly half the swing space of a standard pair, because each leaf folds in half as it opens. We measure it properly at the free site survey.
Do bi-fold gates need more maintenance?
A little. There's an extra hinge in the middle of each leaf, so there are more hinges to check and keep aligned. Otherwise the upkeep depends on the material, and composite and aluminium only need a wash.
