Intercoms and gate automation
Gate at the road, house a hundred metres up the drive. The electrical half of making that work.
What makes gates a Hills problem
In a suburban street the gate is three metres from the house and everything is easy. On a Hills acreage block the gate is at the road, the house is well back, and suddenly you need power and communications at a point a long way from your switchboard.
That's the real work. The gate motor itself is a mechanical product that installs in a day. Getting reliable power and a reliable signal to it is what determines whether the system works in five years or becomes the thing everyone leaves propped open.
The options, roughly in order of reliability:
- Mains power run to the gate, in the same trench as anything else going that way. Most reliable, and the obvious choice if a trench is being dug anyway.
- Solar with battery backup, which suits gates where trenching is impractical — but size it for a week of overcast weather and a lot of cycles, not for the sunny-day best case. Undersized solar gate kits are the single most common complaint we hear about.
- Wireless intercom to the house, which works when the distance and terrain allow. Over distance, through trees and up a slope, it often doesn't.
- Cabled intercom — the most reliable, and worth it if you're trenching regardless.
What we do
Power to the gate
Correctly sized submain, trenched or overhead, with local isolation.
Video intercoms
See who's at the gate before you open it — cabled or wireless.
Gate motor power and control
Supply, isolation and control wiring for swing and sliding gates.
Solar gate systems
Sized properly for a run of bad weather, not for a brochure.
Phone and app answering
Answer the gate wherever you are, including when you're not home.
Camera at the gate
Usually the same trench as the intercom.
What intercom and gate work costs
Sydney and Hills acreage, 2026. Electrical work — gate hardware is separate.
| The job | Price |
|---|---|
| Video intercom, house and gate stationCabled, short run | $700 – $1,600 |
| Wireless intercomWhere the distance and terrain genuinely allow it | $500 – $1,200 |
| Power run to a gate, under 50mCorrectly sized, with isolation at the gate | $1,200 – $2,800 |
| Power run to a gate, 50–150mAcreage distances. Cable sizing dominates | $2,500 – $6,000 |
| Solar gate power systemPanel, controller and battery sized for real duty cycles | $900 – $2,500 |
| Gate motor electrical connectionSupply and control wiring to a supplied motor | $400 – $900 |
These are indicative market ranges for Sydney in 2026, not a quote. What you pay depends on your switchboard, access and what we find. We confirm a fixed price before starting, and it doesn't move.
Intercom and gate questions
Can my gate run on solar?
Yes, and it's the right answer where trenching is impractical. The catch is sizing — a system sized for sunny days and light use will fail during a wet week with visitors. Size for a week of overcast and your real daily cycles, and it's reliable.
Wireless or cabled intercom?
Cabled, if a trench is going in anyway — it just works. Wireless is fine over shorter, clearer distances. Over 100 metres through trees and up a slope, wireless disappoints often enough that we'd rather talk you out of it.
Can I answer the gate from my phone?
Yes, with most modern systems, including when you're not home. Useful for deliveries and tradespeople. It needs a reliable network connection at the house, which is worth checking first.
What happens to my gate in a power cut?
Every automatic gate has a manual release so you're never locked in — we'll show you where it is and how to use it. If being locked in is a genuine concern, battery backup at the gate or a generator changeover for the house is worth discussing.
Do you supply the gate motor?
We can, or we'll do the electrical work for a motor supplied by your gate installer. Plenty of jobs are split that way and it works fine as long as everyone knows who's doing what.
Can the camera and intercom share a trench?
Yes, and they should. If we're trenching for gate power, running intercom and camera cabling in the same trench costs very little. Doing it later means digging twice.
What customers say
Jason solved a really complex problem for our house with excellent professionalism and workmanship. Highly recommend, would def work with him again. On time delivery and within budget.
Jason onsite quickly and completed the work on the spot, giving us a good price and was very polite. Would highly recommend.
He was a very kind and pleasant person. He fixed the internet issue very quickly, and didn't leave any mess behind. He will definitely be the first person I call for any electrical problem.
These are Google reviews for our team at Cync Electrical & Automation — the licensed contractor behind Hills Electrician. 5.0 from 20 reviews. — see the profile
Gate a long way from the house?
Tell us the distance and whether there's power near it. Call 0422 253 379.
Get a quote