Aluminium Gates

An automated gate is legally classed as a machine, and it has to be designed, installed and tested to meet current safety legislation. We hold Gate Safe Premier Installer status, the highest level of accreditation, so every automated gate we install meets those standards. If you already have an automated gate, whoever fitted it, it should be checked periodically, and we offer automated gate safety testing. There is more detail on the rules and what they mean for a domestic driveway on our gate safety and regulations page.

It depends what you want from the gate. Aluminium is the lowest-maintenance option and the easiest to automate. Wrought iron gives you hand-forged detail and real weight, and suits a period frontage, but it needs looking after. Timber suits cottages and rural boundaries and can be painted or oiled to taste, though hardwood driveway pairs are heavy and need their hinges and automation chosen to suit. All three are covered across our gates and railings pages, and we will give you an honest opinion on site rather than talk you into the dearest option.

Yes, on our sister site. Simply Secure Direct carries the physical security range, including security posts and bollards, ground anchors and chains, wheel clamps and hitch locks. For commercial sites we also install bollards and barriers, security grilles and shutters and wider premises security.

No. Aluminium does not corrode when it is exposed to rain, frost or road salt, which is the single biggest reason people choose it over steel or iron. Every gate in this range is powder-coated, and the coating is baked on so it resists fading, chipping and scratching rather than flaking off after a few winters. That makes aluminium a sensible choice for exposed or rural sites. If you prefer the look of traditional ironwork and are happy to maintain it, our wrought iron gates are hand-forged by Burbage Iron Craft. There is more on the material in our guide to aluminium gates.

On this page, aluminium pedestrian gates start at around £255 and double swing driveway gates from roughly £1,120, with the exact price depending on width, infill and top style. Cantilever sliding gates run from about £3,150 manual, and from about £4,650 with automation included. Those are ready-made sizes bought online. If your opening is not a standard width, or you want something drawn to match an existing railing, a bespoke gate is quoted individually – send us the measurements and we will price it. Every project starts with a free, no-obligation site visit.

Yes, and aluminium is the easiest material to automate. Because it is much lighter than iron or steel there is less strain on posts, hinges and the motor itself, which usually means a smaller and less expensive system and less wear over the years. Several gates in this range are sold with automation included. For everything else, read up on swing gate automation and sliding gate automation, then decide how you want to open it – intercoms, keypads and access control are all options. It is normally cheaper to plan for automation now than to retrofit it later.

It depends on the space behind the opening. A swing gate needs clear room to open inwards, so it is the usual choice for a driveway with a level approach. A cantilever sliding gate runs sideways on a track and needs no swing room at all, which makes it the answer where the drive slopes up from the road, where cars park close to the gate, or where the opening is very wide. Cantilever gates in this range are available manual or automatic, in full horizontal infill, full open slat and half slat – and if you want it powered later rather than now, see sliding gate automation. If you are not sure which suits your site, our free site survey will settle it.

Aluminium gates are powder-coated in a wide range of RAL colours, so you are not limited to black or grey. The finish is baked on, which is what gives it its resistance to fading and chipping. Styles run from traditional vertical bar designs through to clean contemporary panels, and most customers are surprised how closely aluminium can replicate the look of wrought iron without the upkeep. If you want a specific colour or a design that is not in the ready-made range, that is a bespoke gate. You can see finished examples in our recent work.

In many cases, no. Gates under 1 metre high adjacent to a highway, or under 2 metres elsewhere, usually fall within permitted development. There are exceptions for listed buildings, conservation areas, and properties where permitted development rights have been removed, so it is worth checking with your local authority before you order. We are happy to talk it through. Get in touch, or read the rest of our general FAQs.

Either. Everything here is sold ready to install, and a pedestrian gate is well within the reach of a competent DIYer. A driveway pair is a different job: the posts have to be set true and the gaps right, or the gate will drop and bind within a season. Anything being automated should be installed and commissioned properly. We install across Shropshire, the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Mid Wales. Here is how our installation works.

Ready-made gates come in set sizes, and openings are rarely standard. If nothing here fits, whether that is an awkward width, a slope, or a gate that has to match an existing boundary, we design and manufacture to measure. See bespoke gate design for how that works, or estate and commercial gates for larger entrances. We can also run matching railings and fencing either side so the whole frontage reads as one piece of work.

Very little. A wash down a couple of times a year keeps the powder coating looking new, and there is no rubbing down, priming or repainting as there would be with timber or iron. The parts that do wear are the moving ones: hinges, catches and drop bolts. Those are straightforward to replace from our gate and fence accessories, or from gate and fence hardware on Simply Secure Direct. If a gate has dropped or an automation system has become unreliable, we service and repair gates, including ones we did not supply.