The gate itself is the visible part of a driveway automation project, but the access control system is the part you use every single day. How the gate opens as you arrive, how visitors announce themselves and are granted entry, how you manage deliveries when you are not home, and how you check activity at the entrance are all determined by the access control setup. Getting it right matters both for day-to-day convenience and for the security benefit the gate installation is supposed to provide.
Surrey homeowners, particularly in the North Surrey commuter belt, have driven strong demand for increasingly sophisticated access control over the past five years. The combination of rising vehicle security concerns, increased delivery volumes, and growing smartphone integration in domestic settings has made the decision about access control as important as the gate specification itself. This guide covers the main options available in 2026 and how to decide what is right for your property.
Remote Controls: The Baseline
Every automated gate installation includes remote controls as standard. The standard fob operates the gate on a rolling code radio frequency, with the receiver built into the motor control board. Two fobs are typically included; additional fobs can be programmed at any time and de-programmed individually if one is lost. Remote controls are the most reliable way to operate a gate from a vehicle and are sufficient for many Surrey residential properties where the only regular users are the household members.
The limitation of remote controls is that they require the fob to be in the vehicle. They provide no means for a visitor to request entry, no record of gate activity, and no remote operation from outside the vehicle. For most homeowners with any visitor traffic at all, a video intercom is the logical addition.
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Video Intercom: The Standard Addition for Surrey Properties
A video intercom consists of an outdoor panel at the gate incorporating a camera, microphone, speaker, and call button, connected to an indoor monitor (or smartphone app) that allows the householder to see, speak to, and admit a visitor without leaving the house. In practice, most new installations in Surrey now use smartphone-based systems rather than dedicated indoor monitors, as they allow the homeowner to manage the gate from anywhere with an internet connection.
Smartphone intercom systems work via a GSM module or WiFi-connected control board that routes calls to a dedicated app. When a visitor presses the gate button, the app rings on any registered smartphone, shows the camera feed, and allows the householder to speak to the visitor and press a button to open the gate. For homeowners who are frequently away from the property, this capability is genuinely useful: deliveries can be managed, contractors can be admitted, and the gate can be operated without any physical presence at the property.
Proximity Readers and Key Fobs
Proximity readers are mounted on the gate pillar and open the gate automatically when a registered fob or card is brought within range, typically twenty to thirty centimetres. The advantage over a standard remote is that the fob does not need to be actively pressed: a key fob on a keyring in a bag or pocket will trigger the gate as the vehicle approaches close enough to the reader. For frequent users, particularly those arriving in the dark or in rain, this is a practical convenience improvement.
Vehicle-mounted proximity tags, fixed to the inside of the windscreen, allow the gate to begin opening as the car approaches rather than requiring the driver to stop and present a fob. This is a popular specification in the Weybridge and Cobham market where the entrance is set close to the road and holding the gate closed until the vehicle has stopped would create a hazard or inconvenience.
Keypads for Visitor and Trade Access
A keypad allows entry via a PIN code, which can be shared with regular visitors, tradespeople, or cleaning staff without issuing a physical fob. Better keypads allow multiple codes to be programmed with individual access schedules: a cleaning company code that only works on Thursdays, a gardener code that works on weekday mornings, and a master code for household use. Access logs show which code was used at what time, giving a record of gate activity.
Keypads can be combined with video intercom and proximity readers on the same control board, allowing different users to access the property by whichever method suits them. The incremental cost of adding a keypad to a system that already has a video intercom and proximity reader is relatively modest.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
ANPR systems are increasingly available at residential scale and are beginning to appear on higher-specification Surrey installations. A camera at the gate reads the licence plate of an approaching vehicle, matches it against a registered database, and opens the gate automatically with no driver action required at any range. Unregistered vehicles are not admitted. The system provides a photographic log of every vehicle that presents at the gate.
ANPR is currently more commonly specified on commercial and gated development entrances, but the technology has become accessible enough that residential enquiries are increasing in the premium Surrey market. Installers who work regularly at the top end of the North Surrey residential market can specify and install these systems.
What to Specify for Your Surrey Property
- Straightforward household with no visitor traffic: remote controls only, possibly proximity reader for convenience
- Regular visitor and delivery traffic: video intercom with smartphone app as the minimum addition
- Regular tradespeople or contractors: add a keypad with programmable codes and access schedules
- High-security requirement or frequent absence: smartphone intercom, proximity reader, keypad, and activity log
- Ultra-premium property: ANPR, full access management system, integration with house security setup
The access control specification does not need to be finalised at the point of ordering the gate. Motor control boards from FAAC, BFT, and CAME are designed to accept intercom, keypad, and proximity reader additions at any point after the initial installation. If budget requires a phased approach, starting with remote controls and a basic intercom and adding the wider access control system later is entirely practical.
