Side gates in Birmingham & the West Midlands

A side gate is the one piece of fencing you use every day. It closes the gap between the house and the boundary, keeps bins out of sight, and is the first thing a burglar tries at the back of a house. A good one swings freely, shuts without lifting and locks from the inside.

We don't make or fit gates ourselves. You tell us the width and material, send a couple of photos, and we show an indicative range. We then pass your enquiry to one local fencing specialist who covers your postcode, and they confirm a fixed price.

Timber or metal

• Timber. Ledged and braced, framed and boarded, or matching the fence (featheredge or slatted). Easy to make to size, warm to look at, and the most common choice. Timber moves with the weather, so it needs a good frame and a gap at the bottom.
• Metal. Steel or wrought-iron style, often with a solid infill panel for privacy. Doesn't warp, is harder to kick in and lasts longer, but costs more and is usually made to order, so allow a few weeks.

What it costs

Prices are for a gate supplied and hung, with standard hinges, latch and bolt, waste included. They are indicative for the West Midlands.

Gate jobs carry a £400 minimum, so in practice a single timber side gate on its own is usually £400–£450. Adding a gate to a fencing job is better value, because the minimum is already covered. Wider openings (over about 1m), new posts, a lockable hasp or a keyed lock add to the price. The driveway gates cost guide compares side gates with single and paired driveway gates.

What affects the price

• Width and height. Most side gates are 0.9–1m wide and 1.8m high. Wider gates need a heavier frame and bigger hinges to stop them dropping.
• What it hangs from. A gate can hang on a timber or concrete post, a steel post, or a brick pier or house wall using fixings. Hanging on masonry needs care around cables and pipes.
• The ground. Paths that slope up to the gate mean the gate needs rising hinges or a bigger gap at the bottom.
• Security. Heavy-duty hinges fixed with coach bolts, a padbolt at top and bottom, and a lock you can open from both sides are worth the small extra.
• Removal. If an old gate and posts need taking out and taking away, mention it on the form so it is priced in.

Height and position

A side gate is covered by the same rules as a fence or wall: up to 2 metres high without planning permission, or 1 metre if it is next to a road or its footpath. Most side gates sit set back from the front of the house, so the 2m limit applies. A gate facing directly onto a pavement is different: see the 1m rule for fences next to a road. Gates next to a road should also open inwards, not across the pavement.

If the gap is shared, for example a passage between two semis or a terrace entry, agree the gate with your neighbours first. A gate cannot block someone else's right of way, and the deeds may say who can use the path. See who owns the fence.

Security tips

• Fit the gate flush with the front of the house, so there is nowhere to hide behind it.
• Put hinges on the inside, or use security screws so they can't be removed from outside.
• Use a gate at least as tall as the fence either side. A gate much shorter than the fence is easy to climb.
• Keep bins away from the gate, where they could be used as a step.

Where we cover

We pass gate enquiries to specialists in Sutton Coldfield, North Birmingham, Solihull, South Birmingham, Edgbaston and Harborne, Lichfield and Tamworth, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Stourbridge and Coventry. For a wider opening onto the drive, see driveway gates. If the fence either side needs work too, see new fences.