Driveway, Garden & Security Gates in Nottingham

Driveway gates are the gates we're asked for most, and the spec matters more than people expect. A single driveway gate suits openings up to roughly 3 metres; anything wider is better as a pair of gates meeting in the middle, which keeps each leaf light enough to stay true and swing easily. We check the fall of your drive before we build, because a gate that clears a flat surface will catch on a slope — ground clearance, hinge position and which way the gates open all have to be set to the actual ground. Timber gates are braced with a diagonal to stop them dropping, metal gates are welded into a rigid frame, and double gates get a centre drop bolt into a ground socket so they sit solid when closed.

Timber is the traditional choice — softwood for value, hardwood for longevity — and it can be painted or stained to any finish, though it will need re-coating every few years to stay at its best. Metal (galvanised then powder-coated steel) is the most secure and the most rigid over wide spans, which is why it's standard for commercial gates and tall driveway gates. Composite is the fastest-growing option for homes: it has the warmth of timber but won't rot, warp, split or fade, and needs nothing more than an occasional wash. If you already have, or are planning, composite fencing, composite gates let the whole boundary match exactly.

Most gate problems are hanging problems, not gate problems. The posts carry everything, so they're sized to the weight of the leaf — heavier gates get bigger posts — and set in concrete to a depth that won't move with the ground. We hang on adjustable hinges (morticed pin-and-band on timber, weld-on adjustable on steel) so the gate can be trued up perfectly and re-adjusted later if the ground settles. Then it's the ironmongery that makes a gate pleasant to live with: a slam latch you can work one-handed, a lockable bolt or deadlock where security matters, and a drop bolt on double gates. Cut corners on posts, hinges or foundations and even the best-made gate will sag — which is exactly why so many of the gates we're called out to repair just need re-hanging properly.

For yards, compounds and commercial units we fit gates built around security rather than looks: steel palisade gates with the same pale profile as palisade fencing, welded mesh gates, and tall infill gates that can't be climbed or reached over. These are typically galvanised and powder-coated for a long outdoor life, hung on heavy-duty posts, and fitted with commercial-grade locking. Heights and widths are made to the site, and gates are designed to line up with the perimeter fencing so there's no weak point at the entrance.

A gate looks best — and works best — when it's part of the boundary rather than an afterthought. Because we make gates to measure and fit fencing too, we can match the timber profile, the composite colour, or the metal finish so the gate reads as one continuous run with the fence on either side. If you're having new fencing and gates together, we build them as a single job; if you're adding a gate to an existing boundary, we match what's already there as closely as the materials allow. Pair it with new fencing and we'll specify both to the same standard.

You don't always need a new gate. A gate that's dropped, drags on the ground or won't latch can often be saved by re-hanging it on fresh adjustable hinges, replacing a rotten or snapped post, or renewing worn ironmongery. We replace gate posts (timber or concrete), re-hang dropped leaves, swap failed hinges and latches, and re-brace timber gates that have racked out of square. If a gate is genuinely past it we'll tell you straight and quote a like-for-like replacement instead — but where a repair is the sensible call, that's what we'll recommend.