Short answer: for stopping a car being driven off your drive, a telescopic bollard concreted into the ground is the strongest option and the one most homeowners choose. Pick a fold-down bollard if you can't dig, and an automatic bollard if you use the drive several times a day.
We're Bison Products of Swadlincote, Derbyshire. We've supplied and fitted security bollards since 1972 and we're one of the UK's largest bollard stockists. This is the advice we give on the phone, written down.
The three types at a glance
| Type | How it works | Security | Digging needed | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telescopic | Inner post slides down into a buried sleeve and sits flush with the drive | Highest | Yes — 850mm deep concrete socket | £139.99 |
| Fold-down | Hinged post bolts to the existing surface and folds flat | Moderate | No — surface fixed | £112.99 |
| Automatic / battery | Rising bollard raised and lowered by remote control | Highest, plus convenience | Yes, plus a power supply | £1,899.99 |
All prices include VAT and are supply-only. Fitted by us, one Ramco 70 starts at £359.99 including installation.
1. Telescopic bollards — the default choice
The post lives in a steel sleeve concreted into your driveway. Unlock it, lift it, lock it — up in seconds. Lowered, it sits flush with the surface so you can drive and walk over it.
- Why people choose it: there's nothing to store and nothing to trip over, and because the sleeve is anchored in 850mm of concrete it resists a vehicle being driven at it.
- Worth knowing: it needs a hole in the drive, so it's either a confident DIY job or one for our fitters.
- Our range: the Ramco 70 (£159.99) is the popular residential choice — 70mm square section, 540mm above ground at bumper height, about 6kg to lift. The Ramco 100 (£199.99) is the heavy-duty version in 100mm × 5mm box section, with a boxed-lid version for a flush finish. The Ramco 600 (from £269.99, black and anthracite £319.99) is a 92mm round post that stands 600mm high, also available in stainless steel and copper-gold.
2. Fold-down bollards — no digging
The Ramco Fold Down Bollard (£112.99) bolts straight onto existing concrete and hinges flat when you don't need it.
- Why people choose it: it's the lowest cost, it's quick, there's no excavation, and a competent DIYer can fit it in an afternoon.
- Worth knowing: it's as strong as the surface it's bolted to, so on softer ground we recommend a concrete pad underneath. It's an excellent visible deterrent and access control post.
3. Automatic and battery bollards — convenience
Rising bollards operated by remote: the Ramco Auto Guard battery bollard (£1,899.99) stands 600mm tall at 133mm diameter and needs no mains cable run, and the BFT Stoppy range (from £1,999.99) covers mains-powered residential and commercial installations.
- Why people choose it: you never get out of the car, which means the bollard actually gets used every single time — the most common reason manual bollards stop protecting a drive is that nobody bothers.
- Worth knowing: it's the highest cost option and mains models need a cable run to the bollard position.
How many bollards do I need?
Roughly one every 1.5 metres across the opening, so a 3m drive usually takes two and a 5m drive takes three or four. You can check yours in seconds with our free tools:
- Bollard calculator — enter your driveway width and get the number of bollards.
- Driveway visualiser — upload a photo of your drive and see correctly-sized bollards on it.
- Instant quote — postcode, model and quantity gives you a fixed, fully installed price.
What does it cost?
Supply-only bollards start at £112.99 for the fold-down and £139.99 for a padlock-locking telescopic post, with the popular Ramco 70 at £159.99. Professional installation is £200 per bollard locally and £250 elsewhere in mainland UK plus travel, with no call-out charge on top, and our instant quote tool gives you a fixed installed price for mainland UK from your postcode. All prices include VAT.
Will a bollard actually stop a thief?
It stops the car being driven away, which is the part that matters. Keyless relay theft is now one of the most common ways cars are taken in the UK: the thieves copy the key signal, the car unlocks and starts, and it's gone in under a minute. A bollard doesn't block the signal — it blocks the exit. It's also the only anti-theft measure that a thief can see from the road before choosing your drive.
Fitting it yourself or having it installed
Fold-down bollards are genuinely DIY. Telescopic bollards need a correctly sized 850mm hole, a level top plate and properly mixed concrete, so we supply them both ways: supply-only with full fitting guidance, or installed nationwide by our own fitters. Every bollard we sell can be keyed alike, so one key operates all the posts on your drive.
Warranty and aftercare
You get a 1 year warranty on supply-only products and a 2 year warranty on the product and the installation when we fit it. If a bollard is hit, our impact repair service is completed in a single visit, and we supply a VAT invoice for your insurance claim.
Frequently asked questions
How deep does a telescopic bollard need to go?
850mm into the ground, concreted in, for the Ramco 70 and Ramco 100. The Ramco 600 needs 950mm. The post then stands 540mm to 600mm above ground, which is roughly car bumper height.
Can I fit a bollard on a tarmac drive?
Yes. A fold-down bollard bolts straight to it. For a telescopic bollard we cut out a section, set the sleeve in concrete and make good around it.
Will it damage my car if I forget it's there?
No. Telescopic bollards sit flush with the surface when lowered, and the boxed-lid models give you a solid steel lid you can drive over.
Can several bollards use the same key?
Yes. All our Ramco bollards can be supplied keyed alike so one key operates every post, and each bollard comes with two keys as standard.
How many bollards do I need for a double driveway?
Usually three or four. Use the bollard calculator to check the exact number for your width.
How heavy is a telescopic bollard to lift?
The Ramco 70 is about 6kg and the Ramco 100 about 10kg, both with a retractable handle, so they're light enough for anyone in the household to use daily.
Talk to someone who does this every day
We're a family business in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, supplying and fitting security bollards since 1972, rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 90 reviews. Call 01283 215097 or email info@bisonproducts.co.uk and we'll tell you what suits your drive — including if that's the cheapest option on this page.
Please note: we are Bison Products of Swadlincote (bisonproducts.co.uk). We are not connected to any other company trading under a "Bison" name.
Read next
- How much do driveway bollards cost? UK prices 2026 — real supply-only and fitted prices, including what installation and travel add.
- Telescopic vs fold-down bollards: which should you buy? — the two manual types compared side by side.