Bollards
Retractable Bollard Cost: Manual vs Automatic (2026)
Cojo
May 7, 2026
7 min read
A manual telescopic retractable bollard runs $400 to $900 each before installation. An automatic hydraulic retractable bollard runs $3,000 to $15,000 each before installation, with control system, foundation, and electrical service driving most of the upper end. On a Hillsboro tech-corridor service lane we installed in January 2026, a four-bollard manual telescopic line landed at $720 each material plus $410 each labor; the same site with EFO automatic hydraulic units would have cleared $48,000 total. This guide explains what drives each tier.
For the broader bollard category, see our What Are Bollards hub. For non-retractable lift-out comparison, see Retractable vs Removable Bollards. For mechanism rankings, see Best Retractable Bollards.
Retractable bollard pricing splits cleanly into two categories: manual telescopic and automatic powered. The price gap between them is roughly 6 to 20 times. Within each category, four levers move the line.
A manual telescopic bollard is a sleeve in the ground with a key-locked steel post that lifts out or telescopes down. There is no motor, no hydraulic pump, no electrical service, and no control board. The U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office lists no parasitic power load for manual fixtures because there is none.
Material costs reflect that simplicity:
Install labor for manual units is one to two crew-hours per bollard once the in-ground sleeve is set. The sleeve install is the heavier line: core-drilling existing concrete or pouring a new footing runs $200 to $450 per unit beyond the bollard hardware itself.
Automatic retractable bollards include a hydraulic power unit (HPU), a control system, a steel cylinder, position sensors, drain provisions, and increasingly LED indicator rings. Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency guidance on perimeter access control treats automatic bollards as part of vehicle-access denial systems, with corresponding component complexity.
The cost ladder breaks down roughly:
Above that range you enter ASTM F2656 K8 and K12 territory, which is its own crash-rated spec class.
Industry Baseline Range
| Configuration | Material Cost (each) | Installed Cost (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Manual telescopic 4-inch, 36 in above grade | $400 to $700 | $650 to $1,200 |
| Manual telescopic 6-inch, 36 in above grade | $600 to $900 | $850 to $1,400 |
| Manual telescopic stainless 304 | $700 to $1,200 | $1,000 to $1,800 |
| Pneumatic retractable, 6-inch | $2,500 to $4,500 | $4,000 to $7,500 |
| Hydraulic automatic, single HPU | $3,000 to $6,500 | $5,500 to $11,000 |
| Hydraulic automatic, shared HPU group | $5,000 to $9,000 | $8,000 to $14,000 |
| EFO crash-rated K4 | $8,000 to $15,000 | $14,000 to $28,000 |
Hydraulic component supply chains tightened in 2024 and have only partially recovered. Lead times on EFO crash-rated units now run 12 to 26 weeks per major manufacturer order books. Foundation requirements for automatic units are heavier than the 36-inch standard footing -- the U.S. General Services Administration Facilities Standards for federal building perimeters specifies foundation depths exceeding 48 inches for K-rated automatic bollards. That alone can add $1,500 to $4,000 per bollard in concrete and excavation.
Material price is half of the conversation. Operating cost over 10 years is the other half.
For a four-bollard automatic group with shared HPU, expect annual operating cost in the $400 to $1,200 range:
Manual telescopic units have no operating cost beyond the keys and occasional sleeve cleaning -- which is why a service-access lane that only needs to open twice a week almost always pencils as manual.
For the underlying paint maintenance on either type, see our bollard curb stop painting service guide.
Three conditions justify the automatic premium:
For traditional service-lane access at low cycle frequency -- the Hillsboro tech-corridor case from earlier -- manual telescopic delivers the right product at one-eighth the cost.
Compared to swing gates, sliding gates, and crash beams, retractable bollards sit at the high end of point-of-control hardware but offer faster cycle times and no swept-area consumption.
For bollards installed in our Portland metro service area, see Bollard Installation Portland. For comparison with simpler removable lift-out hardware, see Fixed vs Removable Bollards.
Retractable bollard pricing depends on activation type, cycle frequency, crash-rating requirement, and your site's existing electrical and concrete conditions. A four-bollard manual installation can finish in three days; a four-bollard automatic K-rated installation can take three weeks. Cojo specs and installs both manual and automatic retractable bollards across Oregon, including pre-existing-concrete retrofits. Contact Cojo for a site-specific quote.
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