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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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Motor & Opener Across Burbank
Gate motor repair in Burbank typically runs $240-$690 for most operator failures, and we can usually get to your driveway the same day you call. If your gate is dead, stuck mid-cycle, or grinding but not moving, call (877) 610-2993 and you’ll reach a live person who can tell you what’s likely wrong before we even arrive. We work the hillside streets north of Glenoaks, the flat lots off Victory Boulevard, and the studio-adjacent neighborhoods near Warner Bros. every week. This is not a franchise dispatch operation. Hal Gatewood’s name is on the shop, his crews are local, and the estimate you get is the price you pay.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Burbank’s Preferred Gate Motor & Opener Company
We’ve been fixing gates since 2001, and Burbank gives us a steady stream of work for the same reason it gives everyone else one: the heat, the wind, and the age of the housing. A 1957 ranch home off Kenneth Road does not have the same gate problems as a 2018 build in Valencia. We know the difference because we’re here every week. Our Gate Motor & Opener team has pulled dead LiftMaster control boards, rebuilt sagging hinge posts, and converted swing gates to slide motors all over 91501, 91504, 91505, and 91506. When you call us, the person who shows up is not a rotating subcontractor. It’s Hal’s crew, wearing Gatewood uniforms, driving our trucks, and answering to him.
Burbank customers call us for a simple reason: we repair before we replace. If a motor has a dead capacitor or a stripped gear, we fix that part. We do not hand you a $2,400 quote for a full operator swap when $180 of parts and an hour of labor solves the problem. That repair-first approach has kept us working in the same city for over two decades. And if we’re wrong, the 90-Day Done Right Promise means we come back and make it right. In writing, on every invoice.
Our Gate Motor & Opener Services in Burbank
Motor Repair
We repair more gate motors in Burbank than we install, and most of those repairs happen on operators that are 10-20 years old. A dead capacitor, a fried control board, a stripped plastic gear inside the housing - these are fixable without replacing the whole unit. In the summers, when Burbank sits at 105°F and the motor thermal limiter trips mid-cycle, we see a wave of calls from homeowners convinced they need a new operator. Often it’s the same $40 capacitor. We’ll tell you honestly whether the motor is worth saving, and we quote the exact price before any work starts.
Motor Installation
New gate motor installation in Burbank requires a careful look at your driveway geometry, because so many of these lots were not built with gate infrastructure in mind. A narrow 1950s single-car driveway on a slope north of Glenoaks may not have the swing clearance for a standard arm operator. That’s where slide motor installation or a custom rack-and-pinion setup becomes the right call. We install operators from LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. We size the motor to the gate weight and cycle frequency, which matters a lot here: a gate cycled 40 times a day by a family with three cars needs a heavier-duty operator than one cycled twice a week. We also handle the safety photocells and edge sensors that UL 325 requires on every new install.
Linear Motor
Linear motors are a common sight on Burbank residential and light commercial gates, and we service the full line. The most frequent Linear failure we see in this city is a stripped gear or a worn limit switch, usually on older units that have been running for 15 years without service. Parts are available locally, so turnaround is fast. If you have a Linear operator that’s humming but not moving, call us before you assume the motor itself is dead. In at least half the cases, it’s a mechanical gear issue we can fix on site.
Slide Motor
Slide motors are extremely common in Burbank for two reasons: the hillside lots north of Glenoaks often can’t support a swing gate’s turning radius, and the post-war ranch homes on flat lots frequently have driveway widths that make sliding gates the practical choice. Our Burbank slide motor work runs the gamut from fixing a misaligned track on a cantilever gate to installing a completely new BFT or DoorKing slide operator with a steel rack. We’ve also corrected plenty of sloppy installs where the rack was welded too low and the motor was grinding itself apart. Santa Ana winds push hard on sliding gates here, and if the track or rack isn’t dead level, the gear strips out. We fix it right the first time.
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 Burbank
We are certified to service nine major gate brands: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. For Burbank customers, that means we stock the most common repair parts locally and can usually complete a motor repair in one visit. If your operator is a DoorKing slide motor, a Viking swing arm, or a Ghost Controls unit on a newer gate, we know the failure points and the parts numbers. We’re not guessing. And when a brand’s control board is no longer manufactured, we’ll tell you that straight and walk you through whether a board-level repair, a retrofit, or a full replacement makes financial sense.
Common Gate Motor & Opener Problems We See in Burbank Homes
Burbank’s combination of extreme valley heat, Santa Ana winds, and mid-century housing stock creates specific gate problems. Here’s what we actually see:
- Thermal overload in summer heat. When it’s 108°F on the valley floor, older gate operator motors overheat and trip their internal thermal breakers. The gate stops halfway through a cycle and won’t move again until the motor cools. This happens every summer across Burbank, especially on west-facing gates that bake in the afternoon sun.
- Wind damage from Santa Ana events. The gusts that rip through the valley corridors bend lightweight aluminum slide gates off their tracks and strip nylon rack gears. We’ve replaced more stripped rack gears on BFT and DoorKing operators after a single strong Santa Ana weekend than from any other cause. If your slide gate shudders in the wind, the rack is probably already wearing unevenly.
- Obsolete control boards on legacy operators. Many Burbank homes still run LiftMaster or Elite swing gate operators from the 1990s and early 2000s. The control boards on these units fail intermittently, often right after a power surge on flatland streets near the studios. One day the gate just doesn’t respond to the remote. A board repair or replacement solves it, but the parts can take time to source if you don’t have a local shop that keeps them in stock.
- Hinge post sag on wooden driveway gates. Wooden gates are heavy, and in Burbank’s dry heat, the wood dries out and the hardware loosens. Add Santa Ana wind pressure and the hinge post slowly leans. We see this on older gates throughout the ranch-home neighborhoods south of the 134. A sagging gate stresses the operator until the motor burns out trying to move a gate it was never sized for.
Pricing for Gate Motor & Opener in Burbank, CA
Here’s what Burbank homeowners can expect to pay as of 2026. A capacitor replacement runs $120-$180. A stripped gear replacement inside an existing operator runs $180-$320. A complete slide motor installation with a new steel rack and safety photocells runs $1,800-$3,200 depending on gate weight and cycle frequency. A swing arm operator replacement runs $900-$1,800 for a residential single-leaf gate. If you’re converting from a swing gate to a slide gate on a steep hillside driveway, budget $2,500-$4,500 including the rack, motor, and custom mounting. Every quote is written down, item by item, before any work starts. You’ll never hear a different number at the door. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate, and remember: no trip charge inside the county, plus $40 off any repair over $200.
We Also Serve Cities Near Burbank
Our gate motor and opener work regularly takes us into Universal City, North Hollywood, Glendale, and Valley Village. The drive is short, the parts go with us, and the same 90-Day Done Right Promise applies no matter which side of the 134 you’re on. If you’re in one of those nearby cities and your gate is acting up, the same number gets you the same live person: (877) 610-2993.
Serving Burbank, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Burbank 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 Burbank
Burbank summers routinely push 105°F or higher, and a swing gate operator sitting in direct afternoon sun can internally reach temperatures that trip its thermal limiter mid-cycle. The motor isn’t broken; it’s protecting itself from melting. The fix is usually a higher-duty motor, better ventilation in the housing, or relocating the control box out of direct sun. We can evaluate your specific unit and tell you whether a capacitor, motor, or mounting change solves it. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come look.
You need to fix the post, because the gate hangs from it. A sagging gate is always a post problem, never a gate-panel problem. In Burbank’s dry climate, wood shrinks, hardware loosens, and Santa Ana gusts push the gate every time it’s closed. We weld steel reinforcement brackets onto existing posts or reset them in fresh concrete when the rot or lean is too far gone. Then we get the gate re-hung level so the operator isn’t working against its own weight. This is exactly the kind of repair we do on site, in your driveway, without hauling anything back to a shop.
Usually not, and that’s the honest answer. Most post-war ranch homes on Burbank’s hillside streets north of Glenoaks simply don’t have the swing clearance or level post footings that a modern UL 325-compliant swing gate operator requires. A slide motor with a steel rack-and-pinion is almost always the better solution on a steep slope. We’ve converted more swing gates to slide gates on Burbank hillsides than anywhere else we work, because the geometry demands it. Free measure, honest recommendation, no pressure.
Yes, in most cases. It’s one of the most common requests we get from Burbank homeowners who have an old LiftMaster or Elite operator still running but want modern entrapment protection. We install UL 325-compliant photocells and edge sensors wired into the existing control board. If the board is too old to accept the wiring or the logic, we’ll tell you that before quoting anything. Safety sensors are not a negotiable extra on our installs; they’re part of the job. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate on the retrofit.
Replacing or repairing a gate operator itself does not require a city permit in Burbank. However, if we’re installing a new concrete pad, moving posts, or adding a new electrical run, that work may fall under building or electrical permit requirements. We handle the permit process when it’s needed and make sure the installation meets current UL 325 safety standards for entrapment protection. You won’t be left holding paperwork you don’t understand. Call us and we’ll tell you exactly what applies to your specific property.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Burbank Gate Motor Repair
If your gate motor is dead, grinding, overheating, or just refusing to move, call (877) 610-2993. You’ll reach a live person, not a voicemail. We’ll ask a few questions, give you an honest read on what’s likely wrong, and schedule a time that works for you. Estimates are free. The price you’re quoted is the price you pay. And every job, from a capacitor swap in 91504 to a full slide-gate conversion in the Burbank Hills, carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not right, we come back and make it right. That’s the whole deal.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Burbank since 2001.