Automatic Gate Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost of an automatic driveway gate in Australia, by gate style, opening width, material and automation.
Automatic gates are powered machinery and have caused fatalities in Australia, mostly involving children. Photocells, force limiting and safety edges are not upgrades to negotiate away, and the ACCC has a mandatory safety standard covering household gate and door controls. Insist on a force test and a documented safety check at handover.
💰 Ways to save
- Run the conduit and a spare draw wire while any other trenching is open. If a driveway, fence or landscaping job is already digging along the boundary, laying 32 mm conduit to the gate position costs almost nothing extra and saves $800 to $2,000 in trenching later. Put in two conduits, one for power and one for intercom and data, because sharing a single conduit causes interference on audio.
- Choose the gate style to suit the driveway, not the brochure. A swing gate needs clear swing arc and reasonably level ground, and on a rising driveway it will foul. A sliding gate needs an equal length of clear run beside the opening. Getting this wrong is the most expensive mistake in the category, because the fix is a new gate.
- Buy the automation from a brand with local spares and open programming, such as an established Australian or European motor line, rather than an unbranded kit. A cheap motor saves $400 up front and then costs a $250 callout every time it needs a board or a limit switch that nobody stocks.
- Solar is genuinely competitive if the gate cycles fewer than about fifteen times a day and gets decent sun. A solar and battery kit typically costs $600 to $1,200 and removes a trenching bill that can be double that. High-cycle gates and heavily shaded positions should stay on mains.
or from $44/week over 5 years , indicative finance
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## Automatic gate prices in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
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Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding automatic gate costs in Australia
Automatic gate prices in 2026
A supplied and installed automatic driveway gate in Australia in 2026 generally runs $4,000 to $18,000. A single swing gate in Colorbond on a 3 metre opening with a basic motor sits at the bottom, around $3,500 to $6,000. A double swing aluminium gate on a 4 to 5 metre opening with photocells and a keypad is the common middle case at $6,000 to $10,000. Sliding gates cost a little more than swing because of the track, rollers and heavier frame, and cantilever sliding gates, which carry their weight on a counterbalance with no ground track, run $10,000 to $18,000. Wrought iron and ornate custom fabrication can exceed all of these.
Swing, sliding or cantilever
The site usually decides this rather than taste. A swing gate needs a clear arc to open into and reasonably level ground, so a driveway that rises away from the street will foul a swing gate unless you use articulated arms or a specially hung leaf. A sliding gate needs an equal length of clear run beside the opening, so a 4 metre gate needs roughly 4.5 metres of fence line to slide along. A cantilever gate removes the ground track, which suits sloping or uneven driveways and avoids a rail that fills with gravel and leaves, but it needs a longer counterbalance tail and a much larger concrete footing. Choosing a style your driveway cannot support is the costliest error in this category.
Gate material and finish
Colorbond infill on a steel frame is the value option and blends with existing fencing. Powder-coated aluminium is the most popular mid-market choice because it will not rust, is light enough to reduce load on the motor, and takes a durable architectural finish. Wrought iron and ornamental steel look the part on period and estate properties but are heavy, which means a stronger motor and larger posts, and they need repainting or hot-dip galvanising and powder coating to survive coastal air. Hardwood timber is attractive and heavy, and it moves with moisture, so timber gates need more adjustment over their life than any other material.
Automation, power and controls
The motor is a smaller share of the cost than most people assume, typically $900 to $2,500 for a quality Australian or European unit including the control board, receiver and two remotes. What surrounds it costs more. Getting mains power to the gate is licensed electrical work, and if there is no existing supply the trenching, conduit, cabling and switchboard circuit commonly add $800 to $2,500 depending on distance and whether the run crosses a driveway. Solar and battery kits at $600 to $1,200 sidestep that entirely and suit gates cycling under about fifteen times a day in reasonable sun. Controls layer on top, with keypads, card readers, exit loop detectors buried in the driveway and smartphone modules each adding a few hundred dollars.
Safety is regulated, not optional
Automatic gates are powered machinery capable of serious injury, and there have been deaths in Australia involving children caught in closing gates. There is a mandatory safety standard covering household gate and door controls, and any competent installation includes photocell beams across the opening, force limiting in the controller and, on sliding gates, protection against the crush and shear points where the gate passes the post. Expect the installer to conduct and document a force test at handover. If a quote leaves photocells as an optional extra to be argued over, treat that as a signal about the whole install.
Footings, posts and the things that fail
Gate failures are almost never the motor. They are footings that moved, posts that were undersized, or a rail that was never drained. A double swing gate on a 5 metre opening puts enormous leverage on its posts, so the footings need real depth and diameter, typically 900 mm or more in a 450 mm diameter hole for a heavy gate, and they need to cure before the gate is hung. Sliding gate ground tracks fill with gravel, leaves and grit unless they are set proud and drained, which is a large part of why cantilever designs have gained ground. When comparing quotes, look at what each says about footing size and post section, because that is where a cheap quote saves its money.
What a complete quote should contain
A comparable quote lists the gate fabrication with material, frame section and finish, the posts and footings with dimensions, the motor make and model, the control board and receiver, photocells and safety devices, remotes and any keypad or intercom integration, the electrical supply scope including who holds the licence, commissioning and force testing, and the warranty split between fabrication, automation and labour. Ask specifically whether the electrical work is included or listed as by others, since that single line frequently accounts for a $1,500 gap between two quotes that otherwise look identical.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an automatic gate cost in Australia?
Between $4,000 and $18,000 installed in 2026. A single Colorbond swing gate on a 3 metre opening runs $3,500 to $6,000, a double swing aluminium gate with photocells and a keypad $6,000 to $10,000, and a cantilever sliding gate $10,000 to $18,000. Ornate wrought iron can exceed that.
Is a swing or sliding gate better?
The site decides. A swing gate needs a clear arc and reasonably level ground, so it fouls on a rising driveway. A sliding gate needs roughly the same length of clear fence line beside the opening as the gate is wide. Cantilever sliding removes the ground track for uneven driveways but needs a longer counterbalance tail and a bigger footing.
Do I need an electrician for an automatic gate?
Yes, if it runs on mains. Terminating the circuit and running underground supply is licensed electrical work that must comply with AS/NZS 3000 for depth, conduit and mechanical protection. Trenching and cabling from the house typically adds $800 to $2,500. A solar and battery kit at $600 to $1,200 avoids it for lower-cycle gates.
What safety features does an automatic gate need?
Photocell beams across the opening, force limiting in the controller and protection at the crush and shear points, especially on sliding gates. Household gate and door controls are covered by a mandatory safety standard in Australia, and there have been fatalities involving children. Ask for a documented force test at handover.
Can I put a motor on my existing gate?
Often yes, if the gate is straight, well hung and the posts and footings can take the load. Retrofit automation on an existing gate typically costs $1,800 to $3,500 including motor, controller, photocells and remotes. If the gate sags, drags or the posts move when you push them, fix that first or the motor will fail early.
How long does an automatic gate last?
The gate itself lasts decades in aluminium or galvanised steel. Motors typically run eight to fifteen years, and control boards and batteries less. The most common failures are footing movement, undersized posts and clogged or undrained ground tracks, not the motor, which is why footing size and post section are the lines to scrutinise in a quote.
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