Today I wanted to go over 4 questions to ask yourself and show some example scenarios to help you choose what width driveway gate will work best for your project.

The first question to answer is how wide your existing driveway?

This can vary widely. Grab a tape measure and find out how far the driveway spans from edge to edge. This measurement is especially important for concrete and asphalt driveways, but still something you want to know even if it’s a gravel driveway that you can adjust the width of easily.
I get lots of calls where people tell me that they want a price on a driveway gate.
However, when I ask about the width of the driveway, they have no idea what the measurement is.
They’ll just tell me it’s a ‘standard’ size driveway. Driveways can range as narrow as 8ft and as wide as 30ft. So there really is no ‘standard’ driveway size. Before you start gate shopping, be sure you know exactly how wide your driveway is and have that measurement handy.

The second question to ask yourself is what will the widest vehicle be that will pass through my gate?

Gate needs will vary based on what is driving through the opening. Measure your vehicles from side-to-side from their widest point. That’s typically the side view mirrors. If you only drive a small car or SUV, then the width of the driveway will matter more than the width of the vehicles passing through it most likely. However, if you are going to be pulling larger vehicles like dually pickups, RVs or backing trailers through the opening; you may want to consider a gate a few feet wider than the driveway. Especially if you will have to approach the gate at an angle. Also, keep service providers in mind that may need access through your gate. While your personal SUV might fit through a 10ft wide gate, service providers may need a wider gate to get through. Service providers could be companies such as landscapers, pool maintenance guys, furniture deliveries, movers or tree removal. Those can often use larger vehicles where you may need a 12ft or wider gate for access.

The third question to ask yourself is what angle will you be able to approach the gate at and pass through it?

What this question is going address is if you can pull through the gate straight on or if you will need to pass through at an angle. This goes for approaching from the road into the property as well as for behind the gate exiting the property. Especially if you have a curved driveway or one that widens behind the gate. If you have a longer driveway where you can set the gate back enough to pull in the driveway and go straight through the gate, then the opening width can be closer to that of the driveway’s outer measurement. If your gate will be near the driveway edge at the road or the driveway curves or widens behind the gate; then you will be pulling through the gate at more of an angle. Having to approach at an angle means you will want a gate wider than the driveway measurement for more clear distance to pass through. That goes double if you have a longer RV or trailer that has to be backed in.

The fourth and final question to ask yourself is how much room you will have behind the gate?

Not only do we want to keep the gate opening in mind for passing through, but also the room behind the gate for that gate to swing back. Consider not only how much the gate leaf will swing back, but what’s behind the gate as well. You don’t want to loose parking space or be hitting a basketball hoop pole behind your gate. If you have a long driveway of 100ft or more, this probably won’t need to be a big consideration. However, if you have a shorter driveway, or the gate will be near the parking area at the end of your driveway, this is key to know. Especially if you are deciding between a single or double leaf setup in our 10ft and 12ft gate widths. You want to make sure that when the gate swings back, it’s going to leave you enough parking area behind it when open. Especially in multi-car households where everything isn’t tucked away in the garage.

Once you’ve answered those 4 questions, that should help you start narrowing down a proper gate width.