Can you make existing gates electric?
Yes, most existing manual gates can be made electric if the gate, its hinges and the posts are sound. We fit Nice or DEA motors, reinforce the gate where needed and add your choice of access control. It typically costs a third to half the price of a new electric gate and takes one to two weeks on site.
If you've got a pair of gates you like and you're fed up of getting out of the car to open them, converting them is usually the quickest and cheapest way to go electric. It doesn't matter who made them. Here's what decides whether yours are suitable, what it costs and what happens on the day.
Which gates can be automated?
Most metal, aluminium and composite gates can take motors. What matters is the condition of the whole entrance, not just the gate. At the site visit we check:
- How strong the gate frame is, and how heavy
- The state of the hinges
- Whether the posts or pillars can take the motors and the extra load
- That both leaves hang level and meet properly
- Ground clearance, and whether the drive rises behind the gate
- How much room there is for the gates to open
- Any existing damage or rust
- The trapping and safety points once the gate moves under power
Where a gate needs strengthening before it can take a motor, we add the reinforcement first. Nothing gets automated that isn't up to it.
When is a new gate the better call?
Sometimes converting isn't worth it. If the gates are warped, weak, badly hung or simply too heavy for their posts, motors won't fix that. They'll just make the problems happen faster.
In that case we'll say so. We'll tell you straight on the site visit whether converting is the right call, or whether a new gate built for automation from the start will outlast the conversion. If it's the second, our guide to what electric gates cost sets out the prices.
How much does it cost to automate existing gates?
Typically a third to half the cost of a brand new electric gate. For context, a new 3m pair of electric swing gates from us starts at £6,610 fitted.
Where your conversion falls in that range depends on:
- How much reinforcement the gate needs
- Underground or arm motors
- Which access control you choose
- How far the power supply has to run, and the groundwork to get it there
We give you a fixed quote before we order any parts, so you know the full cost up front.
Underground or arm motors: which should I have?
We fit both, from Nice and DEA. The choice comes down to the look, the gate and what's under the drive.
| Underground motors | Swing-arm motors | |
|---|---|---|
| Where they sit | In a box set into the ground under each hinge | On the post or pillar, with an arm to the gate |
| Look | Out of sight | Visible on the inside of the gate |
| Work on site | More digging, as each box goes into the drive | Less groundwork |
| Suits | Gates where you want nothing on show | Pillars and posts with room for the arm |
We'll recommend the right motor for the weight of your gate, how often it's used and the look you're after.
What access control can I add?
This is the bit that decides how easy the gate is to live with:
- Wireless fobs or remotes to keep in the car
- Keypads on a post, for family and regular visitors
- Video intercoms with a screen inside the house
- GSM units that ring your mobile, so you can let someone in from anywhere
- Smartphone app control
If you get a lot of deliveries or tradespeople, a keypad or intercom saves you a lot of running out to the drive.
What happens on the day?
- We reinforce the gate if it needs it.
- We dig in the cabling and ducting, and the motor boxes if you're having underground motors.
- The motors and control board go on, set up for your gate's weight.
- We fit the safety devices, such as photocells across the opening.
- The access control is fitted and wired in.
- We test everything, show you how it all works, including the manual release, and hand over.
Most conversions take one to two weeks on site. The lead time before we start depends mainly on parts and the access control you choose, and you get a clear date when we quote.
Safety matters as much here as on a new gate. Our electric gate safety guide explains what the safety devices do.
Buying new manual gates but might want electric later?
Tell us when you order. We can build the gate now with the reinforcement and conduit already in place for automation, so going electric later is a straightforward job.
Find out more about our manual to electric gate conversions, or see a starting price for a new gate with the instant quote.
Gate conversion questions
Will my existing gates be strong enough to automate?
Most manual gates are. Where they need reinforcement, we add it before any automation goes on. We'll tell you straight on the site visit whether converting is the right call or whether a new gate would outlast the conversion.
How much does it cost to make gates electric?
Typically a third to half the cost of a brand new electric gate, depending on the gate and the access control. We give you a fixed quote before we order any parts.
How long does a gate conversion take?
One to two weeks on site for most projects. The lead time before that depends mainly on parts and your access control choices, and you get a clear date when we quote.
Do you automate gates made by other companies?
Yes. Our re-automation service is for manual gates you already have, whoever made them.
Is there a warranty?
A 4-year warranty is available on electric gates. Ask us for the terms with your quote.
