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.
Farm & ranch
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Motor & Opener Across Kennedale
If your gate motor quit in Kennedale, you want it running again this week, not after three voicemail tags and a callback from a call center in another state. Gate motor and opener work in Kennedale usually runs $240 to $1,900 depending on whether we’re repairing an operator, swapping a control board, or installing a full slide or swing system on an acreage driveway. We are Hal Gatewood’s crew, and we have been fixing and installing gate motors since 2001. Call (903) 829-4499 and a live person answers, any hour. We’ll give you a straight answer on cost before we ever roll a truck to your place.
Kennedale is home ground. We know the long drives off Dick Price Road, the clay that moves under every fence post after a wet winter, and the old pipe-rail ranch gates that were never built for automation. That local knowledge changes how we diagnose a gate motor, because in Kennedale the motor is rarely the first thing that failed. It’s usually the post, the alignment, or the clay under the footing. We fix the root cause, not just the symptom.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Kennedale’s Preferred Gate Motor & Opener Company
Hal Gatewood put his name on the shop and on every invoice in 2001, and he has kept it that way for over two decades. When a Kennedale homeowner calls about a gate motor, they get a crew that knows the difference between a LiftMaster on a quarter-acre city lot in Arlington and a Viking operator straining against a 600-pound ornamental gate on a two-acre spread near Sublett Road. That difference matters. A motor that would last years on a light subdivision gate can burn out in 18 months if it’s undersized for a heavy custom gate.
Every job we do carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, on the invoice. If the gate binds, the motor stutters, or the opener doesn’t hold its limits, one call brings us back. No fine print, no “up to,” no runaround. That’s the guarantee Hal has stood behind since he started, and it’s why homeowners in Kennedale keep our number in their phone. A live person answers around the clock, 24/7, not a voicemail and not a dispatch queue.
Our techs are background-checked, uniformed, and certified to service nine major gate motor brands including LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Most important for Kennedale, we weld on-site. We don’t haul your gate off to a shop. The gate stays in your driveway, we fix it where it hangs, and you can watch the work happen.
Our Gate Motor & Opener Services in Kennedale
Motor Repair in Kennedale
Most gate motor failures in Kennedale start with the gate itself, not the motor. A hinge post that has leaned two degrees out of plumb from Blackland Prairie clay heave puts constant drag on a swing operator, and that drag kills motors fast. We start by checking the gate’s travel, the post, the hinges, and the limits before we ever condemn a motor. Then we repair what’s actually broken, whether that’s a capacitor, a limit switch, a gear, or the control board. If the motor is repairable, we repair it. We don’t sell you a new operator because it’s easier for us.
Motor Installation in Kennedale
Long private driveways off Kennedale’s acreage lots call for specific operator choices. A linear arm or ram operator works for a swing gate on a proper hinge post. A slide motor with a rack and pinion suits the heavy pipe-frame ranch gates we see on older Dick Price Road and Sublett Road properties. We measure the gate leaf weight, the opening width, the power source, and the soil conditions before we recommend anything. Then we install it, set the limits, wire the safety edges and photoelectric sensors, and test the full cycle until it runs quietly. You get a free measure and a written price before any work starts, and that price is the price on the invoice.
Linear Motors
Linear gate operators are a smart fit for many Kennedale swing gates because they push and pull along a straight line, which tolerates minor gate sag better than an underground operator. They’re also easier to service in the field, and parts are available quickly. We stock common Linear components for faster turnaround for Kennedale customers, and we service the full Linear lineup. When a linear motor loses travel or starts throwing fault codes in a Kennedale driveway, we fix it on site, not in a shop.
Slide Motors
Slide gates are common on the bigger Kennedale properties, especially where the driveway runs parallel to the fence line. A slide motor depends on a rack that runs the full length of the gate, and when the post footing settles unevenly in clay, that rack misaligns and the motor grinds. We inspect the rack, the post, the rollers, and the motor as one system. A grinding slide gate on a two-acre Kennedale property is usually a $300 to $600 alignment and roller job. It’s only a motor replacement if the misalignment was ignored long enough to burn the drive gear.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kennedale
We are certified to service and install BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and five other major gate motor brands. That means we can pull the diagnostic codes, match the right board, and source the correct gear without guessing. For Kennedale customers, we keep common Linear and Viking parts on hand, which shortens repair time from a week waiting on shipping to a day or two. We’re not loyal to one brand. We’re loyal to the gate in your driveway, and we’ll recommend the operator that fits the gate’s weight, the driveway’s length, and the way you use it.
Common Gate Motor & Opener Problems We See in Kennedale Homes
- Post heave from Blackland Prairie clay. The clay under a gate post swells after wet winters and shrinks in summer drought. That seasonal movement pulls the post out of plumb, the gate leaf drops, and the motor strains against the extra drag. The fix starts at the post, not the motor.
- Aging ranch gate frames. Kennedale still has pipe-rail and cedar-post gates that were built before the city annexed those parcels. They were never engineered for automation. We reinforce or replace the frame before we bolt a motor to it, otherwise the motor fights a losing battle.
- Slide gate rack misalignment. On long driveways, the rack and pinion fall out of alignment when the post footing settles unevenly. The motor grinds and the gate jerks. Realigning the rack and rollers usually solves it before the gear strips.
- Power interruption on long private drives. A thunderstorm knocks out power, and a gate with no battery backup becomes a very expensive fence. Battery backup is not optional for most Kennedale acreage properties. We install them on almost every new operator.
Pricing for Gate Motor & Opener in Kennedale, TX
Here’s what Kennedale homeowners should expect. A gate motor repair, like a capacitor, limit switch, or control board swap, runs $240 to $480. A linear arm operator replacement with new safety edges runs $900 to $1,600 installed. A complete slide motor system on a long acreage driveway runs $1,400 to $2,500 depending on gate weight and rack condition. Adding battery backup typically lands between $350 and $700. The price is quoted and agreed before any work starts. You won’t get a different number at the door. We also offer $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, no trip charge inside the county, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. Call (903) 829-4499 for an exact quote.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kennedale
Our Gate Motor & Opener team works across Kennedale and neighboring Arlington, Mansfield, Hurst, and Grand Prairie. If your gate motor is acting up and you’re on the edge of town, call us. We’ll tell you straight whether it’s a repair call or a replacement, and we’ll give you the price before we send a truck. Serving Kennedale and the surrounding communities is what we do, every day.
Serving Kennedale, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kennedale area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Gate Motor & Opener in Kennedale
The Blackland Prairie clay under your gate post swells when it absorbs winter rain, and that swelling pushes the post out of plumb. A post that leans even one degree changes the swing geometry and makes your motor work harder every cycle. The fix is resetting or replacing the post footing, then checking the motor for damage from the extra strain. Call (903) 829-4499 and we’ll inspect both.
Yes, in most cases we can. First we check the hinge post and the gate frame, because some of those older pipe-rail gates were never built with automation in mind. If the frame is sound, we add a linear motor or a slide system sized to the gate’s actual weight. If the frame has sagged beyond safe repair, we’ll tell you plainly what needs replacing. Estimates are free.
Clay heave, plain and simple. The Blackland Prairie soil in Tarrant County cycles between wet and dry, and that movement shifts hinge posts out of vertical. The gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and the motor takes the hit. We fix the post first, then the motor. A gate fixed without the post will need fixing again inside two years.
If your gate is your only way in and out of a long private driveway, yes. Thunderstorms and spring storms knock out power regularly in this part of Tarrant County, and a dead operator turns your gate into a barrier. Battery backup adds $350 to $700 to the install and is worth every dollar the first time the power drops. We recommend it on almost every acreage gate in Kennedale.
That grinding sound is usually the rack and pinion falling out of alignment because the post footing settled unevenly. The motor is fighting a misaligned rack, and if it goes uncorrected the drive gear strips and the repair gets expensive. This is a $300 to $600 alignment job if caught early. Call (903) 829-4499 and we’ll get it quiet again.
Custom and Ornamental Gate Systems in Kennedale
Kennedale has an unusual share of custom and semi-custom homes on half-acre to multi-acre tracts, and those properties often have ornamental gates that weigh far more than a standard subdivision gate. A heavy bespoke swing gate demands a motor sized to its actual weight, hinges that hold plumb, and limit settings tuned precisely. When we upgrade a motor on one of these gates, we also check the hinge posts, the frame welds, and the gate’s balance. The gate should glide silently, not groan. We tune it until it does.
Our techs recently upgraded a sagging pipe-frame swing gate on a Dick Price Road property. The hinge post had pulled out of plumb after a wet winter, and the gate was dragging. We set a new post footing, corrected the sag, and installed a LiftMaster gate operator with keypad entry and battery backup. That custom ornamental gate now glides quietly despite the clay’s seasonal heave. That’s the kind of repair most gate motor pages never mention, because they don’t know Kennedale soil the way we do.
Key Takeaways for Kennedale Homeowners
- Gate motor problems in Kennedale usually start with the post, the alignment, or the clay under the footing, not the motor itself.
- Repair runs $240 to $480; full operator installs run $900 to $2,500 depending on gate type and driveway length.
- Every job is quoted and agreed before work starts, and carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
- We weld on-site, so your gate stays in your driveway and the fix happens where it hangs.
- Call (903) 829-4499 any time. A live person answers. You’ll get a straight price and a straight answer.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Kennedale since 2001.