Parking Bollards & Posts

What is a parking bollard for?

A parking bollard (or parking post) reserves a space. Raised and locked, it stops anyone else parking there. Folded or lowered, you drive straight in. It’s the simplest way to keep a drive, a bay or a reserved space free for the person it belongs to.

How many parking posts do I need?

For a single space, one post in the middle of the entrance is usually enough. A wide drive or a double space may need two, so no car can squeeze past. For a row of bays, it’s one post per bay. Get your price and we’ll recommend the right number for your space.

Do I have a right to park outside my house?

No. The road outside your house is public highway, so anyone with a taxed and insured car can park there legally, and you can’t put a post on the road or pavement. What you can protect is your own land: your drive, your allocated bay, or a private car park.

Flats, shared drives and car parks

At flats, you can usually fit a post in your own allocated bay, but check your lease or with the management company first. On a shared drive, agree it with the other owners. For business and communal car parks, we fit single posts or a whole row to reserve spaces for staff, residents or visitors.

For a row of bays, we fit one post per space, so every resident or member of staff has their own. Each post has its own keys, so one person’s space never depends on anyone else, and if someone moves out, their keys simply pass to the next person.

What is the best parking bollard?

For most drives and bays, a fold-down parking post. It’s quick to use, strong enough to stop anyone parking, and the best value: our DriveGuard Park is £310 fitted.

If you want nothing left on the surface when the post is down, choose a telescopic parking post (from £599). If you use the space many times a day, an automatic bollard (from £2,999) rises and lowers at the press of a button.

How does a fold-down parking post work?

The post sits on a hinged base fixed to your drive. To park, unlock it with the key and fold it flat, then drive over it. When you leave, lift it upright and it locks in place, so no one else can pull into the space.

Our DriveGuard Park stands 620mm high when raised and comes with four keys, so everyone in the house can have one.

Surface-mounted or set in concrete?

Some parking posts bolt onto a solid surface. Our High-Vis Folding Post is one: it’s surface mounted, so there’s no deep digging, which suits concrete and tarmac bays where you’d rather not dig.

Telescopic parking posts are set into the ground in a sleeve, so they need a hole and concrete, but they leave the surface completely flat when lowered. We’ll recommend the right fixing for your surface when we price it.

Are parking posts the same as car park bollards?

They do a similar job. A parking post reserves one space for one person. Car park bollards are often fixed posts used to guide traffic or protect buildings, and they don’t move.

For a business or communal car park, lockable parking posts are usually the better choice, because each space can be opened by the person it belongs to. We fit single posts or a whole row.

What to do about someone who keeps parking on your drive

Start by talking to them, or leave a polite note. If it keeps happening, keep a record with dates and photos. Because parking on a private drive is usually a civil matter, the police often can’t help, and taking it further can be slow and costly.

A parking post solves it without the argument. Up and locked when you’re out, folded down when you’re home. Our guide on whether it’s illegal to park on someone’s drive explains your rights in more detail.

Can you stop people parking on the pavement outside your house?

Not with a post. The pavement and road outside your house are public highway, so you can’t fit anything there. Pavement parking is banned in London, and councils elsewhere can restrict it, so report persistent problems to your council.

If cars keep blocking your dropped kerb, many councils will paint a white access-protection line (an H-bar) across your driveway entrance, sometimes for a fee. Behind the kerb, on your own drive, a parking post keeps the space yours.

Protecting an electric car charging space

If you have a charger on your drive or in your bay, a parking post stops other cars blocking it. Fold it down when you get home, plug in, and raise it again when you leave.

Renting or leasehold? Check first

If you rent, you’ll need your landlord’s permission before fitting anything to the drive or bay. Leaseholders at flats should check their lease or ask the management company. Most are happy to agree, especially when the post is fitted neatly and can be removed later. We’re happy to talk to your managing agent if that helps.

Will people see a parking post at night?

A post that can’t be seen gets driven into. That’s why our parking range includes high-visibility options: the Heavy-Duty Fold-Down Post comes in bright yellow, the High-Vis Folding Post stands a tall 730mm, and the High-Vis Telescopic Parking Post is easy to spot in headlights.

A visible post also does half the job on its own. Most drivers looking for somewhere to park simply move on when they see a space is protected.

Are automatic parking bollards worth it?

If you use your space several times a day, often in the rain or the dark, yes. An automatic bollard rises and lowers from a remote, so you never get out of the car to unlock a post. It also suits anyone who finds bending down to a post difficult.

If you only park once or twice a day, a fold-down or telescopic post does the same job for far less.

Will a parking post get in the way of visitors and deliveries?

Only when you want it to. When you’re expecting a visitor or a delivery van needs to pull in, fold the post down and the space is open. Raise it again when they’ve gone. Giving trusted family members their own key makes it easy for them too.

Will a parking post stop my car being stolen?

A parking post is built to stop people parking, not to stop a determined thief driving off. If theft is the worry, choose a driveway security post instead: thicker steel, a stronger lock and a sleeve set deep in concrete.

Can I fit a parking post myself?

Some fold-down posts bolt onto a solid surface, so a confident DIYer can fit one. Telescopic posts need a hole dug and a sleeve set in concrete. Either way, a post that’s fitted badly can be pulled out or work loose. Ours are fitted by expert local installers and the price includes making good around it.