Installed price: national guides put a manual driveway gate at $1,000 to $6,000 and a gate with an automatic opener at $1,600 to $13,000, with most owners near $7,000
Adding an opener later: $400 to $5,500 to automate a gate you already have
Time on site: one to two days for a new automatic gate; an opener on an existing gate usually takes less than a day
Main choices: swing or slide, 10 to 18 feet wide, battery, hardwired or solar power, and how you open it (remote, keypad, sensor)

Tallahassee Expert Fencing refers your gate job to an installer who sets driveway gates and wires their openers. Tell us the opening width, whether the drive slopes and where the nearest power is, and the installer calls back to look at the posts and price the gate and opener separately.

Driveway Gate Types and Opener Options

A driveway gate is two purchases: the gate and the opener. Guides say most companies price them separately, so ask for each on its own line. Residential driveway gates usually run 10 to 18 feet wide and 4 to 10 feet tall, and you'll want the full 18 feet if a boat or RV has to come through.

A black steel double swing driveway gate hung between brick columns at the end of a paved drive

Single and Double Swing Gates

Swing gates are the common choice for a flat drive with room for the leaves to open. They also have the fewest moving parts.

Gate only: about $500 to $3,000 for a single leaf and $1,000 to $5,000 for a bi-fold or double pair
Width drives the price: a 12-foot gate lists at $1,000 to $2,000, a 16-foot one at $2,000 to $4,000
They are usually hung to swing inward so they never open past your property line

A black aluminum slide gate rolling along a ground track across a concrete driveway

Slide Gates

A slide gate rolls sideways along a track, so it needs no swing room in front of the garage or behind the car. Guides recommend sliding gates for tight clearance and sloped drives. They cost more because of the track and the heavier motor. The gate alone is about $1,000 to $5,000. Keep the track clear of pine needles and gravel, since debris in the track can stall the gate.

A cantilever driveway gate held on post-mounted rollers above a sloping gravel drive

Cantilever Gates

A cantilever gate is a slide gate with a counterweighted tail. It rides on rollers fixed to the posts and hangs clear of the ground, so there's no track to clog with sand or wash out in a heavy rain. That suits a gravel or clay drive. It also needs open space beside the opening for the tail to roll back into, so measure the side run before you choose this type.

A solar panel and gray opener box mounted on a steel gate post beside a wood driveway gate

Solar Gate Openers

Solar power runs an opener without a buried line from the house, which matters on a long drive. Guides price a solar opener at $500 to $3,000, at the top of the opener range. Battery power is the cheapest option, adding $200 to $600, while hardwired or solar power adds $400 to $2,000 or more. Running costs are small either way, about $1 to $5 a month on a utility bill. Ask where the panel will face so pine shade doesn't starve it.

A gray keypad on a short pedestal at car-window height beside a closed driveway gate

Keypads, Remotes and Access Control

How the gate opens matters as much as how it moves. Typical installed add-ons from national guides:

Remotes: $75 to $300 each
Keypad: $100 to $800, set at car-window height so visitors can use a code
Safety or exit sensors: $150 to $2,000
Automatic closer: $200 to $600
Camera or intercom: $500 and up, depending on video and phone apps

A row of freshly set pine fence posts with a string line, a post-hole digger and a stack of new boards in a shaded backyard

Why Tallahassee homeowners call Tallahassee Expert Fencing

The call and the form are free
Your request goes to one contractor, not a list of bidders
Ask for posts, gates, removal and cleanup priced line by line
Hold the final payment until the gates swing and latch

Driveway Gate and Opener Prices at a Glance

National ranges, not quotes. A site visit that measures the opening and the grade replaces them.

Item	National guide range
Manual driveway gate, installed	$1,000-$6,000 (about $4,000 average)
Gate with automatic opener, installed	$1,600-$13,000 (most about $7,000)
Automating an existing gate	$400-$5,500
Opener alone, before labor	$300-$5,000+
Installation labor	$800-$3,000
Routine maintenance	$100-$300 a year

What to Settle Before the Posts Go In

Post size
A gate that may get an opener later needs posts and hinges sized for it. Fixr notes that a manual gate can be automated only if it swings or slides freely, with no drag.
Safety standard
ASTM F2200 sets construction rules for gates that will be automated, with Class I covering homes of one to four units. Ask whether the gate and opener were built and tested to it, and which entrapment sensors are included.
Manual release
Every automatic gate should have one, so you can open it in a power outage and fire or EMS crews can get in. Have the installer show you where it is before you sign off.
Upkeep
Moving parts want lubricating every three to six months, and most automatic gates last 10 to 15 years with that care. When one stops, see Gate Repair.
Digging and deposits
Gate posts and opener trenches both need a Sunshine 811 locate first. If a deposit runs over 10% of the price, Florida's deposit rule applies.
Wind
A tall solid gate takes a heavy wind load, so read up on storm damage before you choose solid boards over pickets.

A matching fence line? See Aluminum Fences or Wrought Iron and Ornamental Steel Fences.

Driveway Gates and Gate Openers in Tallahassee, FL

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