Choosing a Aluminum or Iron Driveway Gate Height

Which gate height is too tall, which gate height is too short and which gate height is just right? A lot will depend on personal preference and your project layout. Let’s take a look at some common driveway gate heights.

Let’s start with the standard heights we keep stocked for immediate shipment. We offer our arched driveway gates in both a 5ft arching to 6ft center height and a 6ft arching to 7ft center height.

We often get asked why we don’t stock lower heights to match our 4ft or 3ft tall fences. One reason is that they are too low and can look bit unbalanced when you start getting into really wide, but really short gate leafs. The other reason is that gates are typically there to act like a barrier. A person can easily hop over a 3ft or 4ft tall gate. A 5ft or 6ft tall gate is going to be more imposing and difficult to climb over.

Taller gates also have more presence and look more impressive when you pull up to them in a vehicle. Pulling up to a gate that is shorter than the vehicle you are in looks a bit odd and for folks not paying attention, they could drive into the gate! To give you an idea, here is the height of some a common car, SUV and truck:

• Honda Accord – 57 inches (4ft 9in)
• Toyota RAV4 SUV – 67 inches tall (5ft 7in)
• Ford F-150 – 77 inches (6ft 5in)

So Which Driveway Gate Height Should I Go With?

This is going to depend on a couple factors. The first thing to check is if your local city has any restrictions on gate and fence heights. If your city won’t allow anything above 6ft tall, then you will want a 5ft arching to 6ft height and not a 6ft arching to 7ft height.

Another consideration is pre-existing walls or columns that will be next to your gate. While you don’t have to match the gate height to your column/ pillar/ wall height; its going to give you a more uniform look. Slightly taller or shorter can look fine, but a large variance will make the column/ pillar/ wall look less cohesive with the gate.

You can also consider what the gate is going in front of. A larger 2 story home may dwarf a short gate whereas a ranch style home may make a tall gate look out of place. If the gate is far from the home and on its own, a larger, taller gate will be more noticeable and not just blend into the scenery.

At the end of the day, the height of the gate is going to be a matter or personal preference. Be sure to look closely when choosing a gate as not all of our styles are offered in all of the same heights and widths.

In Conclusion…

A lot of your gate height will boil down to personal preference for the look you are after and if there are any city code restrictions on height. If you aren’t sure which height will work best for your project, give us a call at 800-261-2729 or send us some photos of the area the gate will go to [email protected] and we can discuss your individual project in more detail.