Perfect wooden gateway for rural and country driveways.
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16+ Country Driveway Gate Ideas | Affordable, Easy & DIY

Written by:Paul Collings

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A robust gate on a country driveway is essential these days. To formalize your property line, ward off unwanted visitors, and keep your livestock and family home safe. A well-made driveway gate will also add value to your property. If you’re looking for unique rural driveway gate ideas, you’ve found the correct showroom!

With your workshop tools and DIY skills, you can build a country driveway gate that boosts homestead security and convenience – and expresses your individuality and earthy DIY aesthetic!

Read on for 16+ swingin’ country driveway gate ideas!

Country Driveway Gate Ideas

Our favorite country driveway gate ideas are rustic but stylish and built tough to prevent gate sag. Wood, steel, and recycled materials fuse to form single and double driveway swing gates. Solar-powered driveway gates with access control add convenience, security, and market value to your property.

A country driveway gate is quite a different animal compared with its urban counterpart.

  • Gated properties are generally walled and have paved driveways in the city, making solid, tall, sliding driveway gates a practical option.
  • In the country, most property boundaries get fenced, and uneven gravel driveways are the norm, making swing gates the go-to design.

A country driveway gate should provide the following:

  • A barrier to entry and exit for vehicles. Or large animals.
  • Ease of opening and closing for authorized users (gate automation optional).
  • Structural integrity! Including diagonal bracing to prevent sagging.
  • Durability! With an adjustable hinge and frame hardware.
  • Low maintenance! With weatherproof materials.
  • Low lifecycle cost.
  • A visually appealing finish.

Of course, a how-to guide to DIY country driveway gate splendor is always helpful. Here we go!

A Country Driveway Gate DIY Roadmap:

  • Assess the dimensions and soil type of your driveway entrance.
  • Choose a robust design from this article that fits your driveway, budget, tastes, and DIY skills.
  • Source low-cost materials.
  • Rent special tools, if necessary.
  • If you share a driveway with neighbors, share the new gate costs!
  • Learn all you can about installing driveway gates and setting gateposts!
  • Buff up on gate automation (electric gate motors and electronic access control devices).

Think solar, too! It’s coming up in this article, so read on!

Our Official Country Gates Top 16 List

Now that we’ve brainstormed our brief country gateway roadmap above – let’s get down to it.

Here are our favorite 16+ country driveway ideas from around the world.

We hope you enjoy them!

1. Get Free Plans for Classic Wooden Country Driveway Gates

Rural rustic and finely built wooden country gateway.

Treat yourself to a collection of classic country driveway gate designs with these detailed plans from Hooverfence.com. These designs are for rugged timber-frame gates that ooze country charm!

The plans include information on:

  • DIY country driveway gate, design, and fabrication.
  • Gate post setting.
  • Gate hardware selection.
  • Gate installation.

From regal Cape Cod driveway gate elegance to rustic utility farm gates and simple barrier driveway gates, these plans will get you started with solid country driveway gate ideas and expert information on how to go about building and installing a driveway gate that saves you money and lasts for years!

Read More – 15+ Backyard Deck Ideas on a Budget – Floating Decks, Porches, & Hot Tubs!

2. Sliding Gates From Profile Pipe

Now, here’s a robust and earthy country driveway gate design! Sliding gates fashioned from profile pipe next to super-sturdy brick or stone pillar posts, and the gateway glides smoothly like butter!

  • The sturdy steel driveway gates appear sag-proof, provided the gate posts are solidly grounded.

Note how the dark colors of the gate and posts blend with the moody forested environs. Rural-style deluxe!

3. Steel Mesh Single Country Driveway Gate with Log Arch

You can create a stunning entranceway to your property with a lightweight single steel mesh swing gate framed in a raw log arch!

A chainsaw and a welding kit will enable you to DIY a low-cost country driveway gate.

  • Fell, debark, and char a few big trees for the archway and set the logs into 3’ holes with concrete.
  • Top the poles with another wood log.
  • Weld tube steel into a gate frame and finish with steel mesh.

This idea will take a lot of digging and heavy lifting, but the result will be impressive and practical at little financial expense!

4. Wood K-Brace Country Driveway Gate

Build a charming country driveway gate using dimensional lumber from your local timber supplier! Look at this K-Brace country gate design from How To Architect – classic lines and sturdy construction!

The bi-fold wood gates use 2” x 4” and 4” x 6” boards, fashioned with a K-brace configuration to give the gates optimum support against downward force (aka gravity) at the center of the driveway where the two country gates meet.

The gate posts derive from 6” x 6” lumber set in concrete foundations and treated at their base with a lick of tar to prevent rot and termite damage.

  • Handsome black strap hinges and pintles (bolt hooks) provide strength and adjustability.
  • A lockable iron flip latch adds convenience and rustic simplicity to the gates.

The gates get treated with a semi-transparent wood sealant that accentuates the natural colors of the timber.

Now that’s what we call ‘making an entrance’!

5. Steel Utility Farm Driveway Gate with Post Braces

Here’s a no-frills country driveway gate idea you can make in a day! A pair of conventional steel farm utility gates swinging securely between braced timber posts, courtesy of ProgressiveFarmer.

If your property’s perimeter fence needs a highly durable, comfortably wide, easy-to-service gateway, here’s a DIY project plan:

  • Buy two 10’ utility gates.
  • Buy four bolt hooks to hang the gates on.
  • Using a post hole digger, sink four creosoted posts into the ground (30” deep), two on either side of the driveway.
  • Install a cross-brace between each set of posts using long lag screws or landscape stakes.
  • Pour dry concrete into the holes.
  • Set the posts (with braces) perpendicular to the ground using a level.
  • Compact the dry concrete.
  • Measure the gate hooks against the two gate posts and mark four drill holes.
  • Drill four holes into the two driveway posts with a long drill bit.
  • Install the four bolt hooks. Ensure the top bolt hooks point downwards to prevent gate theft.
  • Hang the gates on the hooks.
  • Adjust the bolt hooks to level the gates.
  • Fit a thick chain and padlock to lock the gates.

Including post braces in this idea adds extra strength to the gate support structure. And the fitment of adjustable bolt hooks will ensure the gates remain clear of the ground.

Solid and simple!

Read More – How to Build a Fence Gate That Won’t Sag In 11 Easy Steps!

6. No-Sag Wheel for a Country Driveway Gate

Anyone who’s wrestled with an old, sagging country driveway gate will know how annoying lifting and shifting a large gate can be! Especially when the solution to gate sag is so simple – a gate wheel!

  • You can give your country driveway wood gate (or gates!) all the support and ease of movement they need to keep everyone happy by fitting a rugged driveway gate wheel (or two)!
  • If your driveway sports steel gates? Then get these tube steel gate wheels!

Alongside cross-bracing and adjustable hook bolts, driveway gate wheels complete the no-more-gate-sag solution!

7. Ornamental Steel Country Driveway Gate

Yes! A country driveway is the perfect spot for displaying your metallic artwork! Why not create a whimsical driveway gate from old tube steel, sheet metal, and iron rods?

  • An oxy-acetylene rig can cut, bend, and weld scrap metal, transforming junk into gate art!
  • Get your start in heavy metal artwork with a rustic steel driveway gate!

WARNING! Oxy-acetylene torches are dangerous if you don’t know how to use them. Get trained by an expert welder!

We’re sold – for sure! How about you?

8. 16-foot Single Steel Country Driveway Gate

For the budget-savvy and expediency-oriented, this farm utility gate is even easier to DIY than our first utility gate example, #5! This one’s a single 16’ tube steel utility gate, and you can install it on your country driveway with minimal labor and costs!

The procedure is simple:

  • Buy a 16’ farm utility gate.
  • Buy 6” x 6” pressure-treaded lumber (rated for ground contact) and cut two posts to the required height/length.
  • Buy two bolt hooks.
  • Use a post-hole digger, as shown in the DIY video, to get started. – (Thanks to North Fork Acres!)
  • Follow the procedure in idea #5 to install the bolt hooks and hang the gate.

A chunky chain and corrosion-resistant, high-security padlock will complete the scene perfectly!

Easy to DIY, easy to swing!

9. Auto-Scrap Country Driveway Gate

Fancy a quirky conversation starter at your entrance? How about a vintage car silver profile attached to your gate posts?

Visit a few of your neighbors if you don’t have an old automobile rusting away on your land, or check online and at scrap yards for likely metal.

  • You’ll need an angle grinder and a welder – and not much else besides sweat equity!

We love this cheeky idea! It’s ‘out-there’ and eye-catching – a landmark gateway!

10. Wood and Cable Minimalist Country Driveway Gate

Beautiful and epic country gateway for the driveway.

If less is more, this idea has it going on! Check this minimalist country driveway gate!

  • A tapering frame design for the rustic wood driveway and a walk gate combo, braced with industrial cables and eyehooks, striking a Bauhaus note with sophisticated curb appeal.

You can achieve similar results with:

  • 4” x 4” beams for the main gate frame.
  • 2” x 4” boards for the walk gate.
  • Taper the frame boards by an inch (or so) (using a circular saw or band saw) for that dramatic architectural effect.
  • Join the framework with lag screws or bolts.
  • Use pressure-treated (rated for ground contact) 6” x 6” lumber for the three gate posts.
  • Treat the timber with a waterproof sealant or stain.
  • Brace the gate frames with cables and eyehooks.
  • Hinge the gates to the posts with bolt hooks.
  • Fit both gates with a lockable flip latch.

This design has ample structural integrity! The gates don’t weigh much, and the tall outer gate uprights, cables, and sloping top bars lend additional sag-free gate support.

Country style, if ever we’ve seen it!

Read More – 15 Small Front Porch Ideas on a Budget + DIY Tips!

11. Scrap Metal Ornamental Country Driveway Gate

Is there an ironmonger in your house? Ask them to gather a few rusty bits and bobs and weld you an ornate steel country driveway gate! Repurposing. At its best!

A square-tube steel frame suspends assorted interesting metal items from days of yore. Old wheels weld and meld with metal flowers in this idea – to outstanding effect!

Why not weld a gate frame like this one? And create a steel tapestry of all the old tools and implements lying idly in your workshop? You know:

  • Rusty old wrenches.
  • Spades
  • Pitch forks.
  • Scythes.
  • Mower blades.
  • Wheelbarrows.
  • Use the wheelbarrow wheel as a gate wheel!

An angle grinder and a welding kit are your doorways to upcycled gate art. All you need now are those heirlooms, the rusty ones!

12. Simple Steel and Wood Country Driveway Gate

A pair of brickwork gate posts support a bi-fold steel and wood country driveway gate with understated elegance. You can DIY a similar entrance to your driveway with welding skills and a touch of flair!

  • The tube steel gate six-bar gate frame is lightweight and easy to install. The wood panels strike a rustic counterpoint to the dulcet steel.
  • The gate hinges get set into the brickwork pillars.
  • Automated gate openers complete the set-up.

Perhaps more function than form, but its self-assured modesty makes it a winner in our book!

13. Galvanized Iron Country Driveway Gate with Steel Arch

Speaking of modesty, here’s a gate idea that goes the other way! Boldly! Check out this rustic, solid, galvanized iron country driveway gate. It has a lovely archway!

The metalwork is brash and sublime – with the corrugated steel framing an ornate forest scene and steel trees backdropped by authentic woodland!

  • Stone pillars hold the picture together while a rusted steel arch heralds The Farm!
  • A monogram sits in the center of the bi-fold gates.

It may be a tad over the top, but it’s a gateway that’s hard to miss!

Continue Reading:

14. Reclaimed Timber Country Driveway Gate with Wheels

Pallet wood is one of our favorite budget DIY materials! Except the pallets used in this country driveway are extra-large, from shipping exhibition structures!

OrganikMechanic constructs a bi-fold wood driveway gate with cross-bracing and wheels, replacing an old PVC gate, to immense effect!

  • Pallet boards of various sizes get worked into a sturdy frame, reinforced with half-lap joints, cross-bracing, and bolts.
  • The wood board joints glue together.
  • Strap hinges, carriage bolts, and gate casters provide the necessary structural strength to keep the gate from sagging at the seaside beach house.
  • A cane bolt drops into the driveway while a slide bolt latch keeps the gate secure.

This reclaimed timber gateway is an excellent DIY project for a seasoned woodworker with access to ample special pallet sizes. You can try to get the oversized pallets from exhibition stand designers, says OrganikMechanic.

If you can’t source cheap or free pallets, use standard dimensional lumber:

  • 4” x 4” boards for the gate frame uprights.
  • 2” x 4” boards for top and bottom frame lengths.
  • 1” x 2” boards for the uprights and cross-braces.
  • Seal the wood and stain it if you fancy a darker finish.

Get a how-to guide for this driveway gate idea here.

Repurposing pallets for a new DIY project is always a gritty challenge but super-rewarding when you get it right!

Go for it!

15. Bi-Fold Hog Panel Country Driveway Gate

Here’s an unusual but ingenious country driveway gate idea that checks all the boxes! A pair of wooden gate frames fitted with hog panels, AKA a hog panel gate!

The driveway gate idea uses 2” x 6” lumber for the two gate frames and hog/cattle panels fixed to the frames.

A practical, low-cost gate that’s easy to DIY! And we love the black hardware!

16. Fully Automated Solar-Powered Country Driveway Gate

The Rolls Royce of country driveway gates is a gate that opens at the press of a button, and at times, no buttons need pressing – a sensor does all the opening work! Better still, the sun can power automated gate systems!

Check this video from Guildbrook Farm to see how a regular 16’ utility gate gets equipped with a full suite of hi-tech gadgets to make the solar country driveway gate a remote-controlled wonder!

Vital automation equipment for wood and steel country driveway gates (single and double) includes:

The convenience an automated country driveway gate will bring to you, your family, friends, and associates is substantial. We cannot overstate the comfort!

  • No more climbing out of the car in foul weather to open and close the gate.
  • No more trotting down the driveway to open the gate for friends.
  • No more random strangers arriving at your porch unannounced.

Plus, you’ll increase the value of your property considerably.

Granted – gate automation is pricey, but in the long run, a solar-powered gate will pay for itself in energy savings, raised property value, and elevated safety!

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A Few Additional DIY Country Driveway Gate Tips

You don’t want to shovel snow at the driveway gate too often. Right? Or, spend hours fixing the driveway gate every few months!

  • A country driveway gate can afford several inches of ground clearance.
  • Sink and set gate posts at least 30” in the ground.
  • Equip your driveway gates with all the sag-proofing you can afford – from cross-bracing to wheels to adjustable bolts and gate post braces.
  • Use bolts wherever possible – instead of screws.
  • Don’t be intimidated by hi-tech gate automation. Ask the supplier for help if necessary.

In Closing

The ideas in this article cater to a vast spectrum of aesthetics and budgets. Trust your gut and choose a country driveway gate idea that you can easily DIY. One that rocks your creative cradle without swinging your budget off its hinges!

Happy DIYing!

Country Driveway Designs Resources, Guides, and Works Cited:

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Paul writes for a living, about trucks mostly. He lives away from the city and off the road, nurturing his love for all things outdoors –- like tiny house construction, country cooking, bushcraft, woodwork and power tools, alternative energy, and minimalist living.

If there’s a way to Do It Yourself, Paul wants to hear about it, and try it out. Then he’ll write about it, and share his story with blog readers around the world.

Paul was raised on a South African homestead where he tended two horses, a Jersey cow, and half a mile of split pole fencing.

At age 16, he bought a dirt bike, pirated a punk rock compilation, and commenced a blind-rise adventure that continues to this day where words, Wabi-Sabi, cooking, all-terrain tires, and all things to do with canvas and wood are his fodder.

His overarching existential question is – “What more does a man need than a cast iron pot and a pair of loose-fitting trousers?”

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