Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterGate Repair Before & After in Berkeley, CA
Photos don’t exaggerate. A gate that sags, binds, or won’t close is a daily frustration. A gate that swings smooth and latches clean is security you stop thinking about. We’ve documented every job since 2014 because the work should speak for itself. Here’s what we found, what we fixed, and how it finished.
Recent Transformations
Sagging Wrought-Iron Driveway Gate, North Berkeley Hills
The gate had dragged concrete for two years. The homeowner assumed the frame was bent. We found the upper hinge barrel had wallowed out and the masonry post had settled roughly an inch and a half toward the street. We pulled the gate, welded a new hinge boss onto the frame, reset the post with epoxy-grouted rebar, and hung it level. The gap to the driveway is now a consistent three-eighths inch. Adrian Vance noted the previous installer had used expansion bolts in old mortar rather than through-bolting into the block core. Under Clause 4, the photo record shows the old bolt holes, the new anchor pattern, and the final swing arc measured at three points.
FAAC Underground Operator Failure, Elmwood Neighborhood
The FAAC 770 had been installed in a drainage swale without a sump or weep. Water sat in the housing for who knows how long. We pumped the oil, pulled the operator, baked the housing dry, and found the control board had green corrosion across the limit-switch traces. Rather than replace the entire unit, we sourced a FAAC control board, replaced the submerged limit microswitches, resealed the conduit entry with proper strain relief, and cut a drainage channel to the lawn edge. The gate now opens in 14 seconds and closes with the pedestrian safety edge functional. We documented the old board’s part number, the new board’s serial, and the drainage channel depth in the job record.
Aluminum Slide Gate Off Track, Westbrae
The slide gate had been binding for months before the carriage bolt finally let go. The gate swung free and bent the track at the weakest point, roughly midspan where a previous repair had already spliced in a short section. We cut out the damaged six feet of track, welded in a continuous replacement piece with fishplates at the joints, and rebuilt the roller carriage with proper shoulder bolts and lock nuts. The catch post had also shifted, so we re-poured its footing. The gate now rolls fingertip-light. We photographed the sheared bolt, the bent track profile, the weld sequence, and the final gap measurement at the catch.
LiftMaster LA500 Swing Gate Arm Replacement, Claremont District
The LA500 threw “Obstruction Detected” errors at random, usually in cold mornings. We found a hairline crack in the actuator arm cylinder that allowed hydraulic fluid to bypass under load, making the gate think it had hit something. Rather than replace the whole operator, we ordered the LiftMaster replacement arm assembly, flushed the hydraulic reservoir, and bled the system to factory spec. We then recalibrated the force settings for the gate’s actual weight and verified the photo-eye and edge sensor function under all conditions. The photo record includes the crack location marked with a pointer, the fluid analysis on a white card, and the force-meter readings at open and close.
Wooden Privacy Gate Rot Repair, South Berkeley
The gate was eight years old and the bottom rail had turned to pulp where sprinklers hit it daily. The diagonal brace had pulled its screws and was doing nothing. We scarfed in a new cedar bottom rail with West System epoxy and stainless screws, re-tenoned the brace into the stile with draw-bore pegs, and replaced the latch post with pressure-treated 4×4 set in gravel for drainage. The homeowner wanted to keep the gate rather than replace the whole fence run. We agreed; the stiles and top rail were sound heartwood. The photo log shows the rot depth measured with an awl, the scarf joint before glue-up, and the final reveal line after sanding.
Access Control Keypad & Safety Edge Upgrade, Thousand Oaks Neighborhood
The old keypad had been spliced so many times the terminal block crumbled when we touched it. The safety edge was an open circuit, so the gate would not close in auto mode. There was no photo-eye at all, which meant anything in the path during close cycle had no protection. We mounted a DoorKing 1812-081 in a proper NEMA 3R box with conduit from the operator, ran new 18/5 to a Miller Edge MGS20 safety edge with monitored circuit, and installed a photo-eye pair at 18 inches for pedestrian detection. We drew the wiring diagram, labeled every conductor, and left a copy in the job record and with the homeowner. The gate now closes on timer, reverses on edge contact, and stops on photo-eye break. Adrian Vance logged this one as “previous installer ran bell wire underground in irrigation trench; found it melted to the PVC in two spots.”
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a free look and a written price before we touch a tool. Call (510) 879-5471 anytime; a live person answers. We’ll review what’s happening with your gate, explain what we find, and give you a flat price in writing. If you have another company’s estimate, bring it; we’ll give you a free second opinion. All work is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise, and you’ll get the photo record before we leave.
Written by Adrian Vance, Owner at Vance Gate Repair Berkeley, serving Berkeley since 2014.