Most driveway gates in Coventry go on two kinds of house. One is the larger detached home in Styvechale, Finham, Allesley, Kenilworth or Balsall Common, where a pair of gates closes off a long drive. The other is the 1930s semi in Coundon, Cheylesmore or Radford, where a single gate or a light pair across a shorter drive keeps children and dogs in. The council's rules on drive depth, visibility and gates opening over the pavement shape both.
Ground and Gate doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local gate specialist who covers CV1 to CV8, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What driveway gates cost in Coventry
Prices are supply and fit for manual gates, including posts, hinges and a drop bolt, waste taken away. They are indicative for the West Midlands.
| Gate | Timber | Metal |
|---|---|---|
| Single driveway gate | £500–£900 | £800–£1,500 |
| Pair of driveway gates | £900–£1,800 | £1,500–£3,500 |
On a city semi, a single timber gate or a light pair sits in the lower half of these ranges. On the larger plots towards Kenilworth and Balsall Common, wide metal pairs on new piers and automation push towards the top, and automation is always priced after a survey. The driveway gates cost guide has worked examples.
What pushes the price up here
- Width. Coventry's standard crossing is 2.7 metres, rising to 3.6 metres in exceptional cases. Gates for a wider opening need heavier leaves, posts and hinges.
- New piers or a rebuilt wall. Opening up a brick front wall for gates means new piers on proper footings.
- Slopes. Many drives rise from the road. Because gates can't swing outwards, a slope often means rising hinges, a pair of shorter leaves or a sliding gate.
- Planning. Where an Article 4 direction or a conservation area applies, the design may need to be more traditional, and drawings cost money.
- Automation. Motors, safety edges and photocells are surveyed and priced on site.
Coventry's highway rules for gates
Coventry's dropped-kerb guidance is direct about gates: gates fitted across the vehicle entrance may not, in any circumstances, open outwards across the footpath or road. That is section 153 of the Highways Act 1980, which says a gate opening onto a street must not open outwards and lets the highway authority order it altered.
Depth matters too. The council's highway guidance asks for a hardstanding at least 4.0 metres deep and 2.4 metres wide, rising to 5.0 metres where the drive leads to a garage. Its 2023 Householder Design Guide, used when planning permission is needed, asks for a minimum depth of 5 metres so cars don't overhang the footway. If gates close across the drive, the car has to fit fully behind them or fully in front of them, without the bonnet or boot over the pavement.
The guidance also asks for:
- a 2 metre by 2 metre pedestrian visibility splay where the drive meets the footway, so solid gates and piers right at the back of the pavement can be a problem
- the existing fence, wall or hedge to be kept along the rest of the frontage, with fixed features stopping cars crossing the part of the pavement that hasn't been strengthened
- walls or fencing to be removed before the crossing is built, otherwise you are responsible for supporting the footway and paying for any damage
The national height rule for gates next to a road is in our guide to the 1m rule next to a road.
Article 4, conservation areas and design
In Earlsdon and Brownshill Green, Coventry's Article 4 directions remove the right to put up or alter a gate, fence or wall fronting the street, and the right to form a new access to the road. On the 38 Earlsdon streets and the Brownshill Green roads covered, new driveway gates need planning permission whatever their height.
Elsewhere, if gates need permission because they are over 1 metre next to the road, the Householder Design Guide applies. It discourages boundaries more than 1.2 metres high next to the highway, and lists the "inappropriate use of security gates" among the things that erode a street's character. Tall solid gates on a street of open fronts are a harder case to make than railings or a lower, more open design.
Outside the city boundary
Balsall Common, Berkswell and Meriden have CV7 postcodes but are in Solihull, whose dropped-kerb guidance says gates must be at least 6 metres from the face of the kerb and need planning consent. On a large Balsall Common plot that is usually easy to meet, but it rules out gates hung at the back of the pavement.
Automated gates
The Health and Safety Executive says powered gates are machines that must be properly designed, installed and maintained to avoid serious, even fatal, injuries. When first installed they fall under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with user instructions and a Declaration of Conformity. Health and safety law doesn't apply to private domestic gates, but HSE says the owner may still be liable for any harm they cause. If you also want side gates or a new fence along the boundary, include them on the same enquiry.
What the job involves
- Measure and check. The specialist measures the opening, drive depth and slope, and checks for Article 4 or conservation-area controls.
- Posts or piers. Steel or timber posts are concreted in, or brick piers built, set back far enough for the car to fit.
- Hanging. The gates are hung to open inwards, with stops, a drop bolt and a latch.
- Automation, if chosen. Motors and safety devices are fitted, tested and the paperwork handed over.
Questions about driveway gates in Coventry
Can my driveway gates in Coventry open outwards if my drive is short?
No. Coventry's guidance says gates across a vehicle entrance may not open outwards across the footpath or road in any circumstances. On a short drive, a sliding gate or a pair of narrower leaves that swing inwards is the usual answer.
Do I need planning permission for driveway gates in Earlsdon?
Yes, on the streets covered by the Earlsdon Article 4 direction. It removes the right to put up gates, fences or walls fronting the street, and to create a new access, without planning permission.
How deep does my Coventry drive need to be for gates?
The council's highway guidance asks for at least 4.0 metres of hardstanding, or 5.0 metres in front of a garage, and its Householder Design Guide asks for 5 metres where planning permission is involved. Gates must close without the car overhanging the pavement.
Can solid gates sit right at the back of the pavement on a Coventry drive?
They can make a kerb application harder. Coventry asks for a 2 metre by 2 metre pedestrian visibility splay where the drive meets the footway, and solid gates or piers on that line can block the view of people walking past. Setting the gates back, or choosing an open railing design, helps.