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 Burien, WA
A gate that won’t close or sags on its hinges is a security problem, not just a hassle. In Burien, gate repair typically runs $145-$420 depending on whether we’re replacing a hinge, re-setting a post, or diagnosing an electric operator, and most repair calls are handled same day. The salt air off Puget Sound and the heavy clay soils on the Highline plateau mean Burien gates fail in predictable ways we’ve been fixing since Hal started this shop in 2001. Call (877) 610-2993 and you’ll talk to a live person, not a phone tree.
Why Burien Homes Are Different
Burien sits on the Highline plateau directly adjacent to Puget Sound, meaning gates face a persistently salt-laden marine air environment that corrodes hinges, latches, and steel frames significantly faster than inland King County suburbs like Renton or Kent. Combined with the region’s heavy clay soils that seasonally heave and shift gate posts out of plumb with each wet/dry cycle, gate repair in Burien almost always involves both hardware corrosion remediation and post re-setting - a dual problem less common just a few miles east.
Burien developed heavily during the 1950s-1970s Boeing-era suburban expansion, leaving a large share of properties with original mid-century ranch-style homes and chain-link or wood-frame gates now 50-70 years old. That aging infrastructure means gate hardware is frequently original and heavily corroded, and wooden gate frames from that era are often rotted at the post base. On the hillside streets stepping down toward Three Tree Point, we regularly see posts that have drifted downslope, pulling the gate out of plumb and putting even more strain on already-corroded hinges.
Gate Repair in Burien
Gate repair in Burien usually means dealing with two problems at once: the hardware corrosion from salt air and the post movement from clay soil heave. We don’t just swap a hinge and leave the leaning post for next winter. We fix the root cause, weld what can be welded, and stand behind it with the 90-Day Done Right Promise stamped in writing on every invoice. Gate Repair is what we built this shop on.
Hinge and Latch Repair
The salt air off Puget Sound attacks ferrous metal faster than most homeowners realize. We regularly replace hinges on Burien gates that are less than five years old because the original hardware was never suited to this environment. A typical hinge replacement or repair runs $145-$285 depending on hinge size and post condition, and we always check whether the post itself has started tipping before we bolt new hardware onto a failing foundation.
Post Re-Setting
This is the big one in Burien. Gate posts set in clay-dominant soil migrate laterally and tip downhill over time, especially on sloped lots common in neighborhoods above Puget Sound. When a gate sags, the problem is almost always in the post, not the middle of the gate. We re-set posts plumb in concrete for $280-$520 per post, weld or replace hinges, and fix the root cause so you’re not calling us again next winter. Burien clay doesn’t care about a 24-inch hole.
Electric Gate Operator Repair
Electric gates on Burien’s hillside streets toward Three Tree Point run on sloped driveways with operators working overtime against gravity and corroded components. When an electric gate stops responding, the problem is usually the operator board, a limit switch, or wiring corroded by marine air. Electric gate operator diagnosis and repair runs $185-$420, parts included for common fixes, and we stock parts for FAAC, BFT, and Linear so we’re not waiting a week on a distributor.
How fast can you get to Burien for a gate repair?
In most cases we can have someone at your Burien home the same day you call, and we answer the phone with a live person 24/7 for gates that won’t close or won’t secure. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll give you a straight answer on timing - no voicemail, no dispatch queue.
How much does gate repair cost in Burien compared to nearby cities?
Pricing in Burien is generally in line with the rest of King County. The difference is that Burien’s salt air and clay soil mean repairs often involve post work or corrosion remediation that inland areas don’t need. A typical hinge repair runs $145-$285, while post re-setting falls between $280 and $520 per post. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Gate Installation in Burien
A new gate in Burien runs $900-$8,000 installed depending on width, material, and whether you need an operator, with most driveway gate installations taking one to three days on site. We schedule Burien work within five to seven business days because proper installation here means accounting for clay soil heave and salt-air corrosion from day one - not discovering the problems two winters later. Gate Installation is measured, ordered, and built to last.
Driveway and Pedestrian Gates
We install driveway gates from 10 feet up to 24 feet in steel, aluminum, wood, or a combination. In Burien, the two big decisions are footing depth and hardware choice. The clay under most driveways holds water through winter and shrinks in summer. We auger footings 36 to 42 inches deep, set rebar cages, and pour concrete with a slope away from the post base. A single driveway swing gate runs $2,800-$5,400, while a pedestrian gate is $900-$2,200. Near the water along Marine View Drive or the hills toward Three Tree Point, we use hot-dip galvanized hinges and stainless hardware as standard.
Sliding and Double Swing Gates
Sliding gates suit Burien’s long uphill driveways where a swing gate would need to climb a slope, but clay swell means we pour a continuous concrete track base with expansion joints. A 16-foot sliding gate opening runs $4,500-$8,000. Double swing gates remain popular for mid-century ranch homes, though the inboard post takes full gate weight plus operator stress in saturated clay. We set hinge posts in oversized footings with rebar, sometimes helical piers on steep lots. A pair of 10-to-12-foot swing gates runs $3,800-$6,900.
Operators and Access Accessories
Quality AC or solar operators from FAAC, BFT, Viking, or Linear add $1,800-$3,500 depending on gate weight and duty cycle. Burien’s overcast winters starve undersized solar panels, so we size systems for the darkest month, not the sunniest day. Intercoms, keypads, and vehicle sensors add $400-$1,800. Every quote is priced before work starts, agreed in writing, and that’s the price.
Why do gate hinge posts lean toward Puget Sound on Burien hillside lots?
Burien’s heavy marine clay holds water through the wet season and shrinks in summer, letting gravity slowly pull the post downhill toward the Sound. A shallow post set 24 inches deep with no rebar or drainage will lean noticeably within two to three years. We set posts 36 to 42 inches deep, reinforce with rebar cages, add drainage, and on steep lots use helical piers.
Is a solar gate opener reliable for a long driveway in Burien?
Yes, if it’s sized for Burien’s winter overcast, not the July sun. We spec solar panels and battery banks based on the darkest month of the year. A 300-foot shaded driveway needs a substantially larger panel and battery array than an open driveway inland. Most cheap solar kits from big-box stores fail within two winters here.
Gate Motor & Opener in Burien
A dead gate motor in Burien rarely announces itself politely. Usually it’s the grinding sound at 6:40 a.m. as you try to leave for work, or the gate that opens halfway and stops with the warning light blinking. Gate motor and opener repair in Burien runs $185-$340 on average, and most motor swaps or board replacements can be handled same day. Gate Motor & Opener work is what gets your morning back on track.
Motor Repair and Replacement
Most gate motor repairs in Burien run $185-$340, covering fried control boards, snapped drive chains, stripped gears, bad capacitors, and dead limit switches. We stock parts for LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule so we’re not waiting on distributors. If the motor’s still making noise but the gate won’t move, it’s often the capacitor or clutch. If it’s completely silent, we check power, then the board, then the motor itself.
New Motor Installation
New motor installation across Burien’s homes runs $1,200-$2,200 for a single swing gate depending on gate weight and whether the existing post can carry the operator. Many of Burien’s gates are 50-70 years old, which means the post is often the real problem. If the post has started leaning toward Three Tree Point on a sloped lot, no new motor will fix that until the post is re-set. We tell you that before we quote, not after we arrive.
Linear and Slide Operators
Linear arm motors are common on Burien’s ranch-style swing gates from the Boeing years. A replacement linear arm for a single swing gate typically runs $800-$1,400 installed, with the real skill in getting stroke length and mounting geometry right so the arm isn’t fighting itself. Slide gate operators suit flatter lots up on the Highline plateau, running $1,800-$3,000 installed including rack, chain or belt, and safety photo eyes. Burien’s fall leaf storms and winter mud gum up tracks faster than people expect, and a slide motor straining against debris burns itself out in half the time.
How much does gate motor repair cost in Burien?
Most gate motor repairs in Burien run $185-$340, covering control boards, capacitors, gears, limit switches, and drive chains. New motor installation for a single swing gate is $1,200-$2,200, and slide operators run $1,800-$3,000. The biggest variable is post condition - if we’re re-setting a post that’s been tipping toward Three Tree Point, the job takes longer and the price reflects that. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact quote.
Why does my gate opener work but the gate itself is hard to move?
The motor isn’t the problem - the gate is. In Burien’s damp climate, wooden frames swell and shrink through the season, straining hinges and pulling frames out of square. Meanwhile clay soil heave tips posts out of plumb. The operator works overtime against mechanical binding until the gear strips or the motor burns out. Fix the post and realign the gate first, then the motor lasts.
Gate Access Control in Burien
When a keypad stops accepting the code or a gate won’t respond to the remote, it grinds the day to a halt. In Burien, this usually happens at the worst possible moment: rain moving in off the Sound, a delivery waiting at the curb, kids late for practice over on Ambaum. We answer the phone with a live person every time, and we keep trucks on the road to Burien with parts for the brands we service. Gate Access Control should just work.
Keypad and Remote Entry
A keypad lets people enter a code instead of carrying a remote, which handles multiple users cleanly: house cleaners, dog walkers, the neighbor who gets the trash can in during storms. A replacement single-button remote or keypad in Burien typically runs $80-$160 installed. If your keypad intermittently fails, it’s usually corrosion on the backplane or an old membrane keypad that swallowed years of Puget Sound moisture. We stock replacement pads for most major brands and can typically swap one the same visit.
Phone and Card Entry
Phone entry systems run $1,100-$2,400 installed for a single gate, including programming and wiring. This fits Burien properties with long driveways or gates set back from the street where a guest can’t easily reach a keypad, and small office lots along Des Moines Memorial Drive with frequent deliveries. Card readers make sense for multi-user situations - shared driveways, churches, small apartment buildings - and typically need attention when oxidation builds on contacts or low voltage from an aging transformer causes erratic reads. A new control board runs $300-$700 for part and installation together.
Diagnosing Signal and Corrosion Problems
Burien’s salt-laden marine air gets into keypads, card readers, and receiver boxes, degrading contacts and antenna connections until range drops to ten feet. We test the whole chain, not just the clicking fob, and replace what’s actually failing. Burien’s mature evergreen trees also block signal between remotes and receivers in older neighborhoods. We trace the problem to the board, the wiring, or the power supply instead of guessing.
How fast can you get to Burien for access control repair?
We can usually have a truck to most parts of Burien the same day for repair calls. Our shop coordinates from our Seattle office, but we carry most common parts on the truck, so a lot of repair calls are one visit and done. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll give you a real window, not a four-hour wait.
Do you cover the hillside areas toward Three Tree Point?
Yes. We cover the entire 98062 zip code, including the hillside streets down toward Three Tree Point and neighborhoods off Ambaum Boulevard. We’re familiar with how post heave and salt corrosion hit hillside properties hardest, and we come prepared for that. Call (877) 610-2993 - estimates are free.
Gate Parts & Welding in Burien
A gate hinge in Burien fails differently than one in Renton. The salt air off Puget Sound gets into the steel, works through the paint, and leaves you with a rusted pin and a sagging panel within two or three wet seasons. We carry the parts that matter for this climate and weld on site so the gate stays in your driveway. Gate Parts & Welding is how we fix what other companies want to replace.
Hinge and Rail Replacement
This is the job we do most often in Burien. The salt air eats hinge pins from the inside out - a painted steel hinge west of Ambaum Blvd might look fine outside while the pin rusts solid to the barrel. A typical hinge replacement runs $180-$400, including cutting off old hardware and welding in galvanized or stainless replacements. The bottom rail on older chain-link or wood-frame gates rusts through where salt spray and standing moisture concentrate. Rail repair on a rotted bottom rail runs $150-$350, and we do it in place, keeping the frame that’s still solid.
Post Replacement
Burien’s clay soil doesn’t just tilt posts. It can heave them far enough that the footing cracks and the whole assembly shifts. We dig out the old footing, cut the corroded base, and weld a new galvanized post with stainless anchor bolts set in concrete. A typical post replacement runs $350-$800 depending on post size, gate weight, and how far the old post drifted. On sloped lots near Three Tree Point where posts have drifted downslope, we check plumb and sometimes add helical piers.
Custom On-Site Welding
Sometimes the part you need doesn’t exist anymore - a 1960s ornamental gate with a cracked cast-iron latch bracket, a cantilever gate that needs a longer rail because the driveway was regraded. Hal welds it in your driveway, right on the gate, so you can see the repair as it’s made and know it fits. Custom welding in Burien typically runs $120-$450 depending on materials, time, and whether we’re fighting badly corroded bolts or working on a steep slope. The price is quoted and agreed before the first cut or weld.
Why do gate hinges fail faster in Burien than in Renton or Kent?
Salt air. Burien sits directly against Puget Sound, and the marine air carries dissolved salt onto every exposed steel surface. A painted steel hinge west of Ambaum Blvd will show red rust within two to three years, while the same hinge inland lasts a decade. That’s why we recommend galvanized or stainless hardware for every Burien gate we touch.
Can you weld a rusted-through bottom rail on my old chain-link gate?
Usually we can. If the rust is confined to the bottom rail and the hinge and latch posts are still solid, we cut out the rotted section and weld in a new galvanized rail in place. The repair is stronger than the original because the new rail is galvanized, not bare steel. If the rust has spread into the posts themselves, we’ll tell you before we start. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free look.
Brands We Service in Burien
We stock parts and carry factory training for nine major brands: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Most common repairs in Burien are completed in one visit because the part is already on the truck. For specialized components, we coordinate with distributors so you’re not waiting longer than necessary. See our brands for full details.
Pricing for Gate Repair in Burien, WA
| Service | Typical range in Burien |
|---|---|
| Hinge replacement or repair | $145-$285 |
| Gate realignment | $160-$320 |
| Latch or lock repair | $95-$220 |
| Electric gate operator diagnosis and repair | $185-$420 |
| Post re-setting in clay soil | $280-$520 per post |
| Pedestrian gate installation | $900-$2,200 |
| Single driveway swing gate | $2,800-$5,400 |
| Double driveway swing gate | $3,800-$6,900 |
| Sliding gate installation | $4,500-$8,000 |
| New motor installation, single swing | $1,200-$2,200 |
| Linear arm replacement | $800-$1,400 |
| Slide gate operator with rack and track | $1,800-$3,000 |
What pushes price up in Burien is almost always post condition - clay soil heave and salt corrosion mean we often find more than one problem once we start looking. Every job is quoted and agreed before any work starts, and the price you’re quoted is the price you pay. No surprises at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Burien
We work across Burien and know the neighborhoods by how the gates behave, not just the street names. Same-day response is typical for most repair calls throughout the city.
- Seahurst
- Three Tree Point
- Gregory Heights
- Boulevard Park
- Downtown Burien
Service Area - Cities Near Burien
We serve Burien, WA and the surrounding communities from our Seattle office, with local crews on the road daily. Nearby areas we cover include Normandy Park, WA, SeaTac, WA, Boulevard Park, WA, Riverton, WA, and Tukwila, WA. If you’re unsure whether we cover your address, call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you straight.
Serving Burien, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
Gatewood Fence & Gate crews serve Burien and the communities around it; dispatch is coordinated from our Seattle office. The map shows the Burien coverage area; if your address is on it, we can help.
Also serving nearby: Burien, WA, Normandy Park, WA, SeaTac, WA, Boulevard Park, WA, Riverton, WA, Tukwila, WA.
FAQs About Gate Repair in Burien
Most gate repairs in Burien don’t require a permit, but replacement or new installation may need one depending on height and location. We know the local requirements and will tell you during the estimate if your job needs paperwork. If it does, we handle the details so you’re not chasing forms at City Hall.
Yes. We answer calls with a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If a gate stops working late at night and a car is stuck in the driveway, we’ll pick up the phone and get a truck headed your way. No answering service, no automated menu. Call (877) 610-2993.
Every repair we do carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not done right, we make it right. One call brings Hal or his crew back, and there’s no runaround. We don’t hedge with “up to” or “in most cases.” It’s a promise, and it’s on every invoice.
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 Burien Customers Say
"He came out in the snow to get our gate closed after a delivery lorry clipped it, then came back in the spring to do the proper repair when the ground had thawed. Only charged for the second visit."
- Ingrid Solheim"The fence is excellent and it was fairly priced. He is not quick to answer email, so if you need him, ring. He always picks up the phone."
- Rodney Falkenrath"Safety photo eyes on our old gate had been bypassed by whoever serviced it last, which he was genuinely annoyed about on my behalf. Fitted proper sealed ones and wired them the way they should be."
- Otis Redmond