Planning · checked 28 October 2026
Driveway gates and planning permission
Most gates don't need it. New and wider entrances do. Here's where the line is, from council guidance.
Planning rules checked against council guidance on 28 October 2026. This isn't legal advice: confirm with your council. How we check
Replacing or putting up driveway gates usually doesn't need planning permission, as long as they're no more than 2 metres high. Making a new entrance onto a public road, or widening the one you have, does need permission.
That's from Clare County Council's exempted development FAQ, which says the exemption is "subject to site location, planning history and particulars". Your own council has the final say.
The rules, plainly
| What you want to do | Planning permission? |
|---|---|
| Replace existing gates, up to 2 m high | Usually not |
| New gates on an existing entrance, up to 2 m high | Usually not |
| Gates over 2 m high | Yes |
| A new entrance onto a public road | Yes |
| Widening an entrance onto a public road | Yes |
| Front wall or fence (capped wall, railings, timber) up to 1.2 m | Usually not |
| Side or rear wall or fence up to 2 m | Usually not |
| Metal palisade or security fencing | Not covered by the exemption |
Source: Clare County Council's exempted development FAQ, read 28 October 2026. It says brick, stone or block walls must be capped, and plain block or mass concrete walls must be rendered or plastered, to be exempt.
Gates and gateways
Clare County Council's guidance says gates and gateways may be built or replaced providing they don't exceed 2 metres in height. That covers most driveway gates: a typical domestic gate is well under that. Measure from the ground to the top of the gate and its finials, and the top of the piers if they're being built new.
New or wider entrances
This is where most gate projects need permission. Clare County Council says plainly: "You will need planning permission if you wish to make a new or wider access to the public road." Kildare County Council's exempted development FAQ lists, among the general restrictions on exempted development, making or widening an entrance to a public road where that road is more than 4 metres wide, and anything that would endanger public safety by creating a traffic hazard. Councils look at sightlines in both directions, so cars can pull out safely.
If you're thinking of widening the entrance to fit a sliding gate or a second car, ask the council before you build.
When the exemption doesn't apply
Exempted development has conditions. Kildare County Council's exempted development FAQ gives these among the restrictions that can take a project out of the exemption:
- It would break a condition of an earlier planning permission. Kildare's example: an estate permission requiring open-plan front gardens means a front wall is no longer exempt
- It makes or widens an entrance to a public road more than 4 m wide
- It creates a traffic hazard or obstructs road users
- It's in an architectural conservation area and would materially affect its character
- It obstructs a right of way
Protected structures have their own rules, and estates built with open-plan front gardens are a common catch. Check your house's planning history before you commit.
Walls and piers with the gates
New gates often come with new piers or a new front wall. Under the Clare guidance, a front wall, railings or timber fence in front of the house is exempt up to 1.2 m, and up to 2 m at the side or rear. Piers carrying the gates are part of the gateway. A metal palisade or security fence isn't covered by the domestic exemption at all: see our sister site on security fencing.
How to be sure: a Section 5 declaration
If you're not sure, you can ask your council for a formal answer. In Clare, you complete form P07, "Application form for a declaration on development and exempted development (Section 5)", and send it with a site location map and an €80 fee. Clare says a decision issues in four weeks if no further information is needed, and the decision can be appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Other councils run the same process, with their own forms.
Before you order gates
- Measure the height of the gates and any new piers
- Check whether the entrance is changing width
- Look up your house's planning history and any estate conditions
- Check if the house is a protected structure or in a conservation area
- Ask your council, or apply for a Section 5 declaration, if in doubt
This page is a plain-English summary of council guidance, checked on 28 October 2026. It isn't legal advice. Your council decides.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for driveway gates?
Usually not for the gate itself. Clare County Council's guidance says gates and gateways up to 2 metres high can be built or replaced without permission, subject to site location, planning history and particulars. You do need permission to make a new or wider entrance onto a public road. Check with your council.
How high can driveway gates be without planning?
Up to 2 metres, under the exemption Clare County Council describes, subject to site location, planning history and particulars.
Do I need planning to widen my entrance?
Yes. Clare County Council says a new or wider access to the public road needs planning permission.
Can an estate condition stop me putting up gates?
It can. Kildare County Council gives the example of an estate permission requiring open-plan front gardens, which takes a front wall out of the exemption.
How do I get a definite answer?
Ask your council for a Section 5 declaration. In Clare it's form P07, a site location map and an €80 fee, with a decision in four weeks if nothing more is needed.
See the price, then get a fixed quote
Four taps show what your gate typically costs installed. Or call 087 162 1846 between 8am and 8pm and we pass you to one gate installer who covers your county.