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 Oakland, CA
We’ve documented every gate we’ve touched in Oakland since 2014 - over 22,000 jobs with photo records filed under Haven Standard Clause 4. This page shows what we actually found, what we actually did, and what the gate looked like when we left. No stock photos. No staging. Just the work.
Recent Transformations
Sagging Wrought-Iron Driveway Gate - Welded & Re-Hung in Maxwell Park
The homeowner called after the gate had been scraping the driveway for six months - they’d propped it with a cinder block when closed. We found the original 2017 weld had cracked clean through at the top hinge barrel, and the lower hinge pin had wallowed out its socket by nearly half an inch. We cut out the failed weld, ground to clean metal, laid a new 1/4-inch gusset plate on both sides of the stile, and re-bushed the lower hinge with a bronze sleeve. Gate swung true. We photographed the weld penetration and the final gap measurement before we left. Written price was $340, agreed before we struck an arc.
LiftMaster LA500 Gate Operator Failure - Rebuilt in Upper Rockridge
This LA500 had been running on a stripped arm bracket for who knows how long - the gate would lurch open six feet, stall, and reverse. Squirrels had nested in the operator housing and chewed through the low-voltage loop to the safety photo-eye. We replaced the arm bracket with a factory LiftMaster part, reran the photo-eye cable in 1/2-inch EMT conduit (no more rodent access), reset the limit switches to actual gate travel, and cycled it twenty times. The photo log shows the old bracket’s stress cracks and the new conduit routing. The homeowner had a written price of $580 before we opened the toolbox.
Double Swing Gate Misalignment - Hinge & Post Reset in Redwood Heights
The gates had been “settling” for two years, which really meant the latch post footing had rotted in Oakland’s clay-heavy soil and was slowly rotating. Summer heat expanded the aluminum enough to let the gates close; winter contraction left a gap you could fit a hand through. We dug out the post to 24 inches, poured a new concrete footing with a gravel drain base, and shimmed the hinge barrels to bring both gates plumb. The 3/4-inch center gap is consistent now from 40 degrees to 90. We left the homeowner photos of the footing form, the post level, and the final gap measurement. Price was $720, written and signed before excavation started.
FAAC 844 Slide Gate Motor Burnout - Replaced in Jingletown
The motor had been grinding for months - the homeowner thought that was normal. It wasn’t. The thermal overload had failed, the run capacitor had vented electrolyte into the housing, and the gearbox had shed enough bronze that the pinion was binding every third cycle. We installed a new FAAC 844, programmed the board to the existing remote set, adjusted the chain to one-inch mid-span deflection, and tested the safety edge three ways: obstruction stop, auto-reverse, and manual release. The photo record shows the old capacitor’s bulge, the gearbox shavings, and the new unit’s serial number. Written price for the replacement was $1,840 before we ordered the motor.
Gate Access Control Retrofit - Keypad & Telephone Entry in Glenview
The homeowner was tired of walking down a 40-foot driveway to let in deliveries. We mounted a DoorKing 1812-081 on a custom steel pedestal, ran 18/2 low-voltage cable in PVC conduit from the gate to the house’s demarcation point, and tied into the existing landline. The system dials the homeowner’s phone; pressing 9 opens the gate. We programmed three family codes, tested the relay output with a multimeter, and left the wiring diagram and programming cheat sheet in a weatherproof document holder. Every connection was photographed before the cover went on. Written price was $1,250 for the complete install, agreed before we pulled cable.
Emergency Gate Cable Replacement - Broken Cables on Overhead Slide in Montclair
The gate was stuck half-open, blocking the driveway. One cable had snapped at the drum ferrule; the other was frayed enough that it would have gone within the week. We don’t recommend waiting on overhead cable gates - a falling gate is serious weight with no backup if the second cable goes. We sourced 1/4-inch 7×19 stainless, matched tension with a come-along and scale to within ten pounds side-to-side, and double-clamped every termination with torque marks on the nuts. The photo log shows the fray pattern on the old cable, the new clamps with torque marks, and the final gate position. Written price was $290, given before we touched the cables.
Want Results Like These?
Every job on this page follows the same process: a live person answers when you call (628) 270-2709, we diagnose on site, deliver a written price before any work starts under Haven Standard Clause 1, and leave you with a documented photo record under Clause 4. If something’s not right within a year, we make it right - no argument, no fee. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Adrian Vance, Owner at Vance Gate Repair Oakland, serving Oakland since 2014.