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.
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AfterGate Repair in Clawson, MI
Most gate repair calls in Clawson run $180 to $480 for hinge, post, and realignment work, and we typically get there same-day or next-day depending on the season. The reason is straightforward: this city’s gates are old, its lots are tight, and its winters are hard on concrete footings that were poured when Eisenhower was president. If your gate drags, sags, or won’t latch, call (877) 610-2993 and a live person will answer, day or night.
Why Clawson Homes Are Different
Clawson is almost entirely built out with postwar bungalows and ranch homes on unusually compact lots - nearly every property runs fence-to-fence with neighbors, making backyard gates near-universal. The vast majority of those gates and their steel post anchors date to the 1950s-1970s, meaning Clawson gate repair is overwhelmingly about rehabilitating aged, frost-heaved hardware rather than replacing storm-damaged modern gates as in newer suburban markets.
Oakland County frost penetration regularly reaches 36 to 42 inches in severe winters, and the repeated freeze-thaw cycle heaves gate posts out of plumb and fractures the concrete footings that were poured 50 to 70 years ago. Spring is the peak call volume window, as homeowners discover gates that won’t close after a winter of ground movement. Because Clawson’s entire residential grid was built out in roughly one 20-year window by a small set of Metro Detroit fence contractors, the same chain-link post gauges, drop-rod latches, and strap-hinge styles repeat block after block - a technician who stocks those specific legacy parts can handle back-to-back jobs across the city without a supply run.
We work all across Clawson’s 48017 zip code, from the blocks around Clawson City Park and Hunter Community Center to the tight lots off North Main Street and 14 Mile Road. The person who shows up will have the right hinge in the truck, not a catalog order that takes a week.
Gate Repair in Clawson
Gate repair in Clawson usually starts with a gate that closed fine in November and won’t latch in April. The ground moves, the post shifts, and suddenly you’re hip-checking a panel every time you take out the trash. We fix gates in your driveway, on site, with a welder in the truck and the parts that actually match Clawson’s legacy hardware. Our Gate Repair service covers everything from a rusted strap hinge to a full operator replacement.
Hinge & Post Repair
This is the bread and butter of gate work in Clawson. The original strap hinges on mid-century chain-link and ornamental steel gates rust through at the barrel, which shifts the full gate load onto the latch side and tips the post. In a 6,000-square-foot lot situation, you can’t just let a fence line drift. We weld on site, so your gate stays in your driveway while the hinge gets replaced with something that will outlast the one that came off. A hinge replacement on a standard chain-link gate runs $120 to $260 including the parts.
Gate Realignment
A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle. That’s where we start. Ornamental gates installed in the 1960s on tight Clawson lots often have posts set in shallow concrete plugs, not full-depth footings. One hard Michigan winter and the post leans, the gate drops, and the latch bar drags a groove into the walkway every time the wind blows. We straighten the post, re-set it if the concrete has failed, and re-hang the gate so it clears and latches without forcing it. Gate realignment alone is $90 to $180 when the posts are still solid.
Weld & Rust Repair
Clawson’s older ornamental gates were built with real steel and welded corners. When those welds pop and the rust gets into the pickets, the gate flexes in ways the original fabricator never intended. We cut out the rot, weld in new material, grind it smooth, and treat it with rust-inhibiting primer before paint. The gate doesn’t leave your property and nobody tries to sell you a new one when the old one just needs an honest afternoon of welded repair.
Electric Gate Repair
Automatic driveway gates in Clawson are less common than backyard manual gates, but the ones that exist tend to be older Viking, DoorKing, or Elite operators that have been through a lot of Oakland County seasons. We service the opener, the control board, the safety edges, and the hinges together, because an operator can’t work right on a gate that doesn’t. If the board is obsolete and can’t take modern photo-eyes, we’ll tell you that straight. A full electric operator replacement in Clawson, with new safety edges and photocells, starts around $900 on the low end for a basic single swing and goes up from there.
Why does my gate only misbehave in the spring?
March and April are when Oakland County’s freeze-thaw cycle finishes heaving shallow posts out of plumb. The ground swells and contracts, the footing shifts, and your gate drags or won’t latch. If your post was set to 42 inches with proper drainage, this doesn’t happen. If it was set to 36 inches or less in 1962, it happens every year. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll reset it right.
Will the price change when you show up?
No. The price Hal gives you on the phone or in writing is the price on the invoice. We quote before we start, and that number doesn’t change at the door. No trip charge inside the county, $40 off any repair over $200, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans.
Gate Installation in Clawson
A new gate in Clawson usually takes one to two days from post hole to final latch adjustment, and the honest answer on cost is $1,400 to $4,800 for most residential installs depending on width, material, and operator. We stock the exact legacy chain-link and ornamental steel hardware that matches 1950s through 1970s Clawson fences, which means we don’t burn a day running to a supplier in Troy or Madison Heights. Our Gate Installation service covers swing, double, driveway, and sliding gates.
Swing Gate Installation
Swing gates are the most common gate we install in Clawson, and the reason is simple: the city’s compact lots and 6-foot fences favor a gate that arcs over the driveway rather than sliding along the property line. Post depth is the difference between a gate that works for 20 years and a gate that sags within two winters. A single pedestrian or narrow swing gate with basic hardware typically runs $1,400 to $2,200.
Double Gate Installation
Double gates handle the widest driveway openings in Clawson, typically 12 to 16 feet across. They’re common where two cars park side by side and the original single gate was never wide enough. The catch is operator sizing. A standard-duty opener on a wide double gate is a warranty waiting to be voided. We size the operator to the actual gate weight and panel material. A double swing driveway gate with operator, photocells, and keypad runs $3,200 to $4,800.
Driveway Gate Installation
Driveway gates in Clawson run from simple single-swing pedestrian-friendly designs to automated gates with keypad or remote entry. The city’s short driveway approaches mean a sliding gate often isn’t practical unless you have an unusually wide frontage. For swing-style driveway gates, we always recommend a loop detector or photocell safety system, and on tight Clawson lots where a car backs out fast, that safety equipment isn’t optional. A single driveway swing gate with operator runs $2,400 to $3,600.
Why do new gate posts in Clawson need a 42-inch footing when neighboring cities get by with less?
Oakland County frost penetration regularly reaches 36 to 42 inches in severe winters, and Clawson’s compact lots mean gates sit in narrow side yards where frost penetrates deeper and lingers longer than in open ground. Posts set to 30 or 36 inches will heave within two winters on a Clawson lot, leaving the gate sagging and binding. We set new posts to 42 inches on every install, no upcharge.
Can I put a solar gate opener on a Clawson lot with heavy tree cover?
Usually not without a battery backup that makes the solar panel almost decorative. Clawson’s mature tree canopy, especially on streets with large oaks and maples, means a solar panel doesn’t get enough direct sun for a modern opener to run reliably. We’ll recommend a hardwired option instead, which costs about $600 to $1,100 installed for the electric run and operator wiring on a typical Clawson lot.
Gate Motor & Opener in Clawson
Gate motor and opener work in Clawson usually comes down to one thing: the post. Clawson’s lots average under 6,000 square feet and most are fenced fence-to-fence, which means a gate motor mounted on a frost-heaved legacy hinge post can bind against the house or your neighbor’s fence within a single winter. Newer subdivisions have setbacks and wider gates that hide this problem. Clawson doesn’t. Our Gate Motor & Opener service handles installation, repair, and retrofit for every major brand.
Motor Installation
Installing a new gate motor in Clawson usually starts with the post, not the motor. If the hinge post has moved out of plumb from decades of Oakland County frost cycles, a new operator will bind mid-travel no matter how well it’s adjusted. We check the footing, dig it out if it’s fractured, and pour a new base at the right depth before we mount anything. A typical motor installation in Clawson runs $850 to $1,400 for a swing gate operator on an existing gate, including mounting, wiring, limit setting, and safety photocells.
Motor Repair
Most motor repair calls in Clawson are not motor failures at all. They’re mechanical: a rusted hinge, a drop-rod latch that won’t release, a post that heaved 2 inches over the winter and is now fighting the operator. Hal fixes the gate in your driveway rather than hauling it off. Motor repair in Clawson usually lands between $180 and $450, depending on whether we’re replacing a capacitor, a limit switch, or rebuilding a mounting bracket.
Linear Motor
Linear motors are common on Clawson’s chain-link and ornamental steel gates, but there’s a catch. The legacy drop-rod latches and strap hinges from the 1950s through 1970s resist the linear travel of a new motor, which overloads the clutch and trips it. We align the gate, free the hinges, and set the force correctly so the motor isn’t fighting a gate that never moved smoothly. Linear motor installation runs similar to swing: $800 to $1,300.
Why does my automatic gate opener trip its clutch every spring in Clawson?
The ground moved. Clawson’s frost penetration reaches 36 to 42 inches, and when the ground freezes and thaws, the gate post shifts out of plumb. By spring the gate is no longer traveling the same path, so the motor overloads and trips the clutch. We reset the post, realign the gate, and recalibrate the force and limits. That stops the clutch tripping instead of just resetting it every April.
Do I need entrapment protection on a small swing gate in a Clawson backyard?
Yes. UL 325 entrapment protection applies to automatic gates regardless of size, including small swing gates on Clawson backyards where fence-to-fence lots mean kids and pets are always around. We install safety photocells and edge sensors on every operator we mount, and it’s part of the quoted price from the start. Not an add-on. Call (877) 610-2993 and we can talk through what your gate needs.
Gate Access Control in Clawson
Gate access control in Clawson usually comes down to one of two things: a legacy keypad or phone entry board from the 1960s or 70s that has finally given up, or a homeowner who wants to add modern smart entry to an older gate without ripping out the whole operator. We handle both. Our Gate Access Control service retrofits, repairs, and replaces keypads, phone entry, smart access, and card readers.
Keypad Entry
Keypad entry is the most common access control request in Clawson, largely because so many properties still run the original keypads from their gate’s installation era. On a 1950s bungalow, the keypad might be a worn DoorKing or Linear unit with sun-faded buttons and a cable that has been chafing against the post for 40 years. A keypad entry repair in Clawson typically runs $180 to $340 when it’s a board or wiring fix. Full keypad replacement with a new weather-sealed unit runs $350 to $650.
Smart Access
Smart access is what Clawson homeowners ask about most when they have an older gate they’d like to open from a phone app instead of a clicker or keypad. The good news is that many of the gate operators installed in Clawson’s original build-out can be retrofitted with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth bridge that works alongside the existing control board. You keep the motor, the post, and the gate; we add the smart module and a new keypad or app interface. Smart access retrofits in Clawson typically run $450 to $900.
Card Reader
Card readers show up on a subset of Clawson properties: small HOAs, shared driveways on the city’s few multi-unit lots, and homeowners who run a home business and want audit trail access. A card reader can almost always be added to a legacy gate operator without replacing the motor. Card reader installation in Clawson generally falls between $500 and $950, with the final number driven by how much wiring has to be pulled.
Why does my Clawson gate keypad work after a power outage but forget all the codes?
That’s almost always a failing memory chip on the keypad’s control board, and it’s the single most common access control problem we see in Clawson after summer storms. The board loses its programmed codes when power is interrupted, and it won’t recover them on its own. The fix is either a board repair with a fresh memory module or a board replacement with a unit that has battery-backed memory.
Can a 1960s swing gate operator be retrofitted with a smart access keypad?
In most cases, yes, as long as the motor still runs and the control board has a working open-command relay. In Clawson, where the original operators were built like tanks but the boards are worn, we often install a smart bridge and a new keypad while leaving the motor and post untouched. Replacement is only necessary when the motor itself is dead or the board has no relay output. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
Gate Parts & Welding in Clawson
Gate parts and on-site welding in Clawson usually come down to one of three fixes: a frost-heaved post, a rusted hinge, or a latch that stopped lining up years ago. A typical repair here runs $160 to $420, and most jobs are done same-day because we stock the legacy chain-link and ornamental steel hardware that repeats block after block in this city. Our Gate Parts & Welding service keeps your gate in your driveway while we fix it.
Hinge Replacement
Clawson hinge failures follow a pattern. The strap-hinges installed in the 1950s and 60s were built for a 20-year lifespan, and they’ve now doubled it twice over. They rust thin at the barrel, bind under load, and eventually shear. We stock direct-fit steel and galvanized strap-hinges that match the original mounting pattern, so the new hinge bolts into the existing holes without drilling fresh steel. A two-hinge replacement on a standard backyard gate in Clawson typically runs $180 to $280, including the hardware and the welding.
Post Replacement
This is the big one in Clawson, and it’s almost always frost heave. Oakland County winters push frost down 36 to 42 inches, and the concrete footings poured in 1962 were rarely set much deeper than that. After 30 or 40 freeze-thaw cycles, the footing cracks, the post leans, and the gate starts dragging on the latch side. We dig out the old footing, set a new galvanized post below the frost line, and re-hang the gate the same day. A standard post replacement here runs $220 to $450 depending on how much old concrete has to come out.
Custom Welding
Some gates shouldn’t be patched. Maybe you need a wider swing gate for a long driveway, or a custom bracket for a solar panel mount. We weld on-site, in your driveway or backyard, so you can watch the work happen. Custom welding jobs in Clawson run $90 to $120 per hour plus materials, and we quote the full price in writing before we strike an arc. That’s not negotiable, and we don’t surprise you at the end.
Why do so many Clawson gate posts lean after one winter?
Frost penetration in Oakland County reaches 36 to 42 inches during severe winters, and the concrete footings poured in the 1950s and 60s for Clawson’s original gates were rarely set deeper than that. The freeze-thaw cycle heaves the footing up and sideways, the post tilts, and the gate hangs out of plumb. The permanent fix is a new footing poured below the frost line. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
Can you match the original chain-link gate parts on my Clawson bungalow instead of replacing the whole gate?
Yes, and that’s the majority of what we do in Clawson. The city’s gates were built by a small set of Metro Detroit fence contractors using the same post gauges, strap-hinges, and drop-rod latches block after block. We stock those exact legacy parts on the truck, so a 1960s gate can get a direct-fit hinge or latch without a supply run and without replacing a panel that’s still straight.
Brands We Service in Clawson
We carry parts and service manuals for nine major brands: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. In Clawson, we see a lot of Viking, DoorKing, and Elite operators on older automatic gates, and we stock common boards, limit switches, and safety edges for those three locally. Most brand-specific repairs don’t require a parts order; we fix them on the first trip. See our brands for the full list.
Pricing for Gate Repair in Clawson, MI
| Service | Typical range in Clawson |
|---|---|
| Hinge replacement (standard chain-link) | $120 - $260 |
| Gate realignment (posts solid) | $90 - $180 |
| Post reset with new concrete footing | $300 - $650 |
| Steel frame weld repair (on site) | $150 - $300 |
| Opener troubleshooting and minor repair | $140 - $320 |
| Full electric operator replacement | $900 - $2,400 |
| Single swing gate installation (basic) | $1,400 - $2,200 |
| Single driveway swing gate with operator | $2,400 - $3,600 |
| Double swing driveway gate with operator | $3,200 - $4,800 |
| Swing gate motor installation | $850 - $1,400 |
| Linear motor installation | $800 - $1,300 |
| Keypad entry repair | $180 - $340 |
What pushes price up in Clawson is almost always the footing: if we have to dig out 60-year-old concrete that was poured above the frost line, the labor adds up. What doesn’t change is the quote. Every price is written, itemized, and agreed before any work starts. The number you approve is the number on the invoice.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Clawson
We work across Clawson’s 48017 zip code, from the blocks around Clawson City Park and Hunter Community Center to the tight lots off North Main Street, 14 Mile Road, and the residential streets near Kenwood Elementary. Typical response for repair calls in Clawson is same-day or next-day depending on the season and what’s already on the board. We don’t promise a dispatch time we can’t keep.
- Clawson City Park area
- Hunter Community Center vicinity
- North Main Street residential blocks
- 14 Mile Road corridor
- Kenwood Elementary neighborhood
Service Area - Cities Near Clawson
We dispatch and schedule from our Detroit office, and crews serve Clawson, MI locally along with Royal Oak, MI, Berkley, MI, Birmingham, MI, Madison Heights, MI, and Troy, MI. No trip charge inside the county.
Serving Clawson, MI - Our Local Coverage Area
Gatewood Fence & Gate crews serve Clawson and the communities around it; dispatch is coordinated from our Detroit office. The map shows the Clawson coverage area; if your address is on it, we can help.
Also serving nearby: Clawson, MI, Royal Oak, MI, Berkley, MI, Birmingham, MI, Madison Heights, MI, Troy, MI.
FAQs About Gate Repair in Clawson
Most common repairs run $180 to $480 for hinge, post, and realignment work. A full electric operator replacement starts around $900 and can reach $2,400 depending on the brand and whether the posts need resetting. Every quote is given before work starts, in writing, and that number doesn’t change at the door. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
Often yes, especially for hinge, latch, and realignment work where we stock the parts. Spring is our busiest season in Clawson because of frost-heave damage, so same-day depends on what’s already scheduled. We’ll tell you honestly when we can be there, and we won’t promise a window we can’t keep.
Usually not for a direct replacement of an existing residential gate on the same posts. If you’re moving the opening, changing the height significantly, or installing a new automatic gate on a commercial property, Clawson’s building department may want a look. We know the local requirements and will tell you if your job needs a permit before we start.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local gate repair pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Clawson Customers Say
"Welded the hinge back onto our wrought iron gate on site rather than taking it away for a fortnight. Ground it back and painted it and you cannot see the repair."
- Winston Achterberg"Fitted a keypad and an intercom so my mother can let carers in without coming down the drive. He set it up and then made her practise with it until she was comfortable."
- Lucinda Marchbanks"Beautiful gate and solid work. The build took about three weeks longer than the estimate because he was waiting on the ironwork, and I would rather have known that at the start than found out along the way."
- Beatrice Nwosu