Piers · checked 29 October 2026
Driveway gates with pillars
What a gate pier has to carry, how the installers price the groundwork, and the planning rules for the wall between them.
Checked against each source on 29 October 2026. Each figure links to its source. How we check
The pillars, or piers, carry the gates, and on an electric gate they also carry the motor. Installers price them as groundwork on top of the gate: ShamFix's guide puts installation at €500–€1,500 and BM Alarm Systems at €500–€1,500, with new piers, foundations and cabling among what pushes a quote towards the top of its range. A precast concrete pier cap is €19.50 to €57.95 at TJ O'Mahony, including VAT; the pier itself is a builder's job priced on site.
No Irish source we could confirm publishes a fixed price for building a pair of gate piers, so this page sets out what goes into one and what the gate companies say about it.
What the published figures cover
| Item | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Professional installation, where estimated separately | €500–€1,500 | ShamFix.ie, 21 Sep 2026 |
| Installation fee | €500–€1,500 | BM Alarm Systems, 4 Dec 2024 |
| Installation, by project complexity | €500–€2,000 | Cork Security Gates, Mar 2026 |
| Power to the gate, where none is nearby | €200–€600 | BM Alarm Systems, 4 Dec 2024 |
| Precast concrete pier cap, 450 × 450 mm (18 in) | {€19.50} incl. VAT | TJ O'Mahony |
| Precast concrete pier cap, 560 × 560 mm (22 in) | {€24.95} incl. VAT | TJ O'Mahony |
| Precast concrete pier cap, 710 × 710 mm (28 in) | {€57.95} incl. VAT | TJ O'Mahony |
| Building a pair of gate piers | Not published by any Irish source we could confirm | checked 29 October 2026 |
Installation figures are the installers' own, VAT not stated. Pier caps are listed retail prices, read 29 October 2026. ShamFix lists posts or piers, foundations, track and cabling among the groundwork lines; BM Alarm Systems says installation depends on the complexity and time of the job.
What a gate pier has to do
A swing gate hangs its whole weight off one pier through the hinges, and every time it opens the leaf tries to pull the pier over. An electric swing gate adds a ram or arm motor bolted to the same pier, pushing against it. ShamFix's guide lists posts or piers "where existing supports are unsuitable" among the groundwork a quote has to cover, and says a low-complexity installation can sit near the lower end of the range when the opening is ready and the existing piers are sound (ShamFix.ie 2026 price guide, 21 September 2026, VAT not stated). Sound means: plumb, not cracked at the base, big enough for the hinge and motor fixings, and on a foundation.
Block, brick, stone or steel post
| Pier | How it's built | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rendered block | Hollow or solid block on a concrete footing, rendered and capped | Most estates and new builds; the lowest-cost masonry option | Must be capped and rendered to be exempt from planning under the council guidance |
| Brick | Facing brick on a footing, usually with a precast cap | Period houses and brick-fronted homes | Needs a pier wide enough for the motor bracket |
| Stone | Natural stone, solid or faced over block | Country entrances | The heaviest option and the slowest to build |
| Steel post | A galvanised steel post set in concrete, sometimes clad later | Sliding gates, wide openings, and where there's no room for a pier | Can carry an underground motor box or a sliding motor base beside it |
For a sliding gate the loads are different: the gate runs on a track or cantilever beside the opening and the motor sits on a concrete base, so the "pillars" are a receiving post and a guide post rather than hinge piers. FÁLÚ says it does the concrete foundations and sliding tracks where groundworks aren't prepared (FÁLÚ / Alustyle, 4 December 2025, VAT not stated).
Caps, lights and the top course
A pier is finished with a cap that sheds water and gives the top course a clean edge. Builders' merchants sell precast concrete caps by size: TJ O'Mahony lists an 18-inch (450 mm) cap at €19.50, a 22-inch (560 mm) cap at €24.95 and a 28-inch (710 mm) cap at €57.95, all including VAT. If you want a lantern or a keypad on the pier, the cable has to go up inside it as it's built, which is a reason to agree the automation before the blocks are laid.
Planning: pillars and the wall between them
Gates and gateways up to 2 metres high can generally be built or replaced without permission, subject to site location, planning history and particulars, according to Clare County Council's exempted development FAQ. The front wall or fence they sit in is exempt up to 1.2 metres in front of the house, and brick, stone or block walls must be capped, with plain block or mass concrete rendered or plastered, to stay exempt. Dublin City Council's planning FAQ adds the line that matters for anyone pricing security: "Please note that metal palisade or other security fencing is not exempt" (Dublin City Council), and Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown say the same (Fingal, DLR). A new or wider entrance onto a public road needs permission wherever you are. Full detail on driveway gates planning permission.
Getting the piers priced
- Have the gate company confirm the pier size and the hinge and motor fixings it needs before the builder starts
- Ask for the footing depth and whether reinforcement is used
- Agree who runs the duct for the motor cable and the keypad or intercom cable inside the pier
- Ask whether the pier cap and any lantern are in the price
- If the entrance is being widened, check planning first
- Get the piers, the gate and the automation as three lines on the quote, with VAT stated
What the gate itself costs, by type and material, is on electric gates prices. The entrance decides the gate: see sliding or swing.
Questions people ask
How much do gate pillars cost in Ireland?
No Irish source we could confirm publishes a price for building a pair of gate piers; builders price them on site. What is published is the installation line on a gate quote, €500–€1,500 at ShamFix and €500–€1,500 at BM Alarm Systems, which covers groundwork including piers where the existing ones are unsuitable, and precast pier caps at €19.50 to €57.95 including VAT at TJ O'Mahony.
Can my existing pillars take electric gates?
Only if they are plumb, uncracked, on a foundation, and big enough for the hinge and motor fixings. ShamFix says sound existing piers keep an installation near the low end of its range; unsuitable ones mean new posts or piers in the quote.
Do I need planning permission for gate pillars?
Usually not for gates and gateways up to 2 metres, subject to conditions, under the council guidance cited on our planning page. A front wall is exempt up to 1.2 metres and must be capped and rendered. A new or wider entrance onto a public road always needs permission.
Should the cable for the motor go inside the pillar?
Yes, in a duct laid as the pier is built, with a second duct for a keypad, intercom or lantern. Adding cables to a finished pier means chasing it out.
What size pier cap do I need?
Match it to the pier: TJ O'Mahony lists precast caps at 450 mm (18 in), 560 mm (22 in) and 710 mm (28 in). The cap should overhang the pier so water drips clear of the render.
Sources (7)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- ShamFix.ie: shamfix.ie
- BM Alarm Systems: bmalarms.ie
- Cork Security Gates: corksecuritygates.com
- TJ O'Mahony: tjomahony.ie
- TJ O'Mahony: tjomahony.ie
- TJ O'Mahony: tjomahony.ie
- FÁLÚ / Alustyle: falu.ie
See the price, then get a fixed quote
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