Gate Repair in Burlington - Same-Day Repair, Priced Before We Start

Gate Repair in Burlington, MA

When a gate stops opening in Burlington, you need someone who knows why it failed, not just a parts swapper. Most repairs here run between $180 and $650, and the reason varies: frost-heaved posts on a 1960s colonial, a seized motor on a Mall Road campus, or a cracked weld from forty winters of thermal stress. We’re Gatewood Fence & Gate, owner-operated with Hal Gatewood’s name on the shop, and a live person answers at (877) 610-2993 around the clock.

Call (877) 610-2993

Why Burlington Homes Are Different

Burlington sits at the Route 128 and Route 3 interchange, and that location shapes every gate job we take. The commercial side of town along Mall Road, Network Drive, and the surrounding office parks holds one of the densest concentrations of automated security gates in Massachusetts. Many of those slide gates and swing-arm operators went in during the 1990s tech-corridor build-out and are now past their 25-year service life. Limit switches fail, motors seize, and welded frames crack at stress points.

The residential half of Burlington tells a different story. The colonials, split-levels, and ranches built between the late 1950s and mid-1970s often still have their original wrought-iron or chain-link gate systems. Decades of frost heave, with ground freezing 30 to 48 inches deep in a hard winter, have pushed those posts out of plumb. Salt drift off Cambridge Street and Route 128 corrodes hardware from the inside. A gate that sags in Fox Hill is almost never a gate problem. It’s a post problem.

Gate Repair in Burlington

Gate repair in Burlington breaks into two camps. Residential calls from the 01803 and 01805 ZIPs usually involve frozen hinges, leaning posts, or an opener that gave up after a cold snap. Commercial calls from the Route 128 corridor are a different animal: 1990s slide-gate operators that have reached the end of their service life. Either way, we fix what’s actually wrong and quote the price before we touch a tool. Hal Gatewood has been fixing gates since 2001, and he still gets annoyed when he finds sloppy work somebody else left behind.

Electric Gate Repair

Electric gates in Burlington run into two problems more than anywhere else we work. First, the freeze-thaw cycle around Middlesex County drives ground frost 30 to 48 inches deep, which heaves posts slowly out of plumb and throws the gate frame out of square. Second, road salt drifting off Route 128 and Cambridge Street finds its way into every electrical connection it can reach. Electric gate repairs, meaning the operator, board, or wiring, commonly run $200 to $550. We trace the fault, replace what actually failed, and leave the rest alone.

Automatic Gate Repair

An automatic gate that jerks, groans, or stops mid-travel is telling you something, and the question is whether someone listens. We service LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, and Ghost Controls operators, and we stock common boards, arms, and limit switches so we’re not waiting on a freight truck while your gate hangs open. On Burlington’s commercial corridors, we regularly replace 1990s-era slide gate operators that have simply worn out. Full operator replacements for commercial slide or swing gates on the Route 128 corridor can reach $1,800 to $3,500, but we’ll quote the exact number before any work starts, and that’s the number you pay. If you need a deeper look at how we approach this work, see our Gate Repair page.

Hinge & Post Repair

A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and that’s where we start. Burlington’s older homes, the colonials and split-levels built between the late 1950s and mid-1970s, commonly have original wrought-iron or chain-link gates whose posts have shifted for decades. Hinge and post repairs usually land between $250 and $450, depending on whether we’re setting a new footing or just welding and realigning. Welding a cracked hinge back onto a post that’s out of plumb fixes nothing. We dig, set posts in concrete, square the frame, and weld hinges back true. Fix the panel without the post and you’ll fix it twice.

Gate Realignment

When a gate drags on the ground or won’t latch, most companies want to sell you a new gate. We want to see why it moved. Often it’s a post that’s shifted, a hinge that’s wallowed out, or a weld that’s cracked from years of frost pressure. We bring the welder to your driveway and make the repair on site, so your gate never leaves your property. A typical gate repair in Burlington runs $180 to $650, and realignment work sits at the lower end of that range unless we find a post that needs resetting. If a previous repair left sloppy work behind, Hal will point it out.

How fast can you get to Burlington for a gate repair?

We can usually reach Burlington the same day for gate repairs, often within a few hours depending on where our crews already are. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our Boston office, with crews working locally throughout Burlington. For an emergency, like a gate stuck open or blocking a driveway, call (877) 610-2993 and a live person will tell you exactly when we’ll be there.

Do you cover all of Burlington’s neighborhoods and ZIP codes?

Yes. We work across Burlington including the 01803 and 01805 ZIP codes, from residential streets near the Burlington Mall and Winn Street to the commercial campuses off Network Drive and Mall Road. We know the gates and operators used throughout town, and we bring the right parts before we arrive. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.

Gate Installation in Burlington

Gate installation in Burlington runs between $2,800 and $14,000 for most residential projects, while commercial slide gates along the Route 128 corridor run $9,000 to $28,000 depending on operator type and access control integration. The difference comes down to what’s already in the ground. A 1960s ranch with original wrought-iron posts needs different footing work than a tech campus swapping out a 25-year-old slide gate. We quote every installation in writing before we start, and that’s the number you pay. Call (877) 610-2993 and a live person answers.

Slide Gate

Slide gates are the workhorse of Burlington’s commercial corridors. Mall Road, Network Drive, and the office parks off Blanchard Road are full of them, and most were installed during the 1990s build-out. Those gates are now 25 to 30 years old, and the rack and pinion teeth are often worn to nubs. A typical residential slide gate in Burlington runs $5,500 to $12,000 installed, while commercial slide gates with industrial operators start around $9,000. We install new slide gates with fresh track, guide posts, and operators sized for Burlington’s winter conditions. For more detail on this work, see our Gate Installation page.

Swing Gate

Swing gates are common on Burlington’s older residential streets, especially the colonials and split-levels built between the late 1950s and mid-1970s. The problem we see repeatedly is hinge posts heaving out of plumb from 30 to 48 inches of frost penetration, which throws the gate out of square and cracks weld joints within a winter or two. A residential swing gate with a single leaf runs $2,800 to $7,500 installed. When we install a swing gate in Burlington, the post footings go below frost line and get set in concrete with proper drainage. That’s the difference between a gate that works for 20 years and one that binds by March.

Double Gate

Double driveway gates in Burlington are usually the grander residential setups, often on properties along Winn Street or off Muller Road where lot frontage allows. The challenge is keeping both leaves synchronized through freeze-thaw cycles, because one post shifting even an inch out of plumb throws off the meeting point. Double gate installation typically runs $6,000 to $14,000 in Burlington. We install independent operator arms and a center stop so the leaves close squarely, and we set footings deep enough that the freeze-thaw cycle doesn’t undo the work.

How deep should gate post footings be in Burlington to prevent heaving?

For Burlington’s frost line, gate post footings should go 48 inches deep, set in concrete with a few inches of gravel at the bottom for drainage. Frost regularly penetrates 30 to 48 inches here, and a shallow footing will heave within a season or two. Digging to 48 inches with proper drainage is the single most important step for a gate that stays square through New England winters.

Is it better to repair the sagging gate panel or replace the hinge post on my 1960s Burlington split-level’s chain-link gate?

Replace the post. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle. On Burlington’s 1950s-to-1970s chain-link systems, the original posts were often set too shallow and have been shifting for decades. We cut out the old post, dig to 48 inches, set a new one in concrete, then re-hang the existing panel. Fix the panel without the post and you’ll fix it twice. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.

Gate Motor & Opener in Burlington

Gate motor and opener work in Burlington is different from what you’ll find in neighboring towns. The Route 128 and Route 3 interchange means this town has more automated commercial gates per square mile than just about anywhere else in Middlesex County. When a motor fails on a campus off Mall Road or a residential driveway near Winnmere, you don’t want to be on hold with a company three towns away. A live person answers at (877) 610-2993, and we typically have a truck in your part of Burlington the same day you call.

Motor Installation

A new gate motor installation in Burlington runs $1,800 to $4,200 for a typical residential swing gate, and $4,500 to $9,500 for a commercial slide gate operator. The bigger variable is whether your existing posts and hinges are sound. Install a new motor on posts that have heaved out of plumb and you’ll be calling us back in two years. We check the post footings first, then install the operator to meet UL 325 safety standards including photocells and edge sensors. For a look at the full scope of this work, see our Gate Motor & Opener page.

Motor Repair

Most gate motor repairs in Burlington fall between $225 and $550. That covers seized motors after a deep freeze, failed limit switches, stripped gears, bad capacitors, and control board replacements on most residential operators. We carry parts for Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing units on the truck. If your operator is from the 1990s and the board is obsolete, we’ll tell you straight: sometimes a retrofit board costs more than a new motor, and it’s not worth paying for.

Slide Motor

Slide motors are the backbone of Burlington’s commercial gate infrastructure. The corporate campuses along Mall Road and Network Drive run mostly slide gates, some installed during the 1990s office-park build-out and now past their 25-year service life. A commercial slide motor replacement in Burlington runs $3,800 to $7,200 depending on horsepower and gate weight. We add safety photocells to meet current UL 325 requirements where older systems predate them, and we do rack and pinion replacement and wheel service while we’re there.

Why does my residential gate in Burlington sag at the corner after winter?

It’s not the gate; it’s the post. Burlington’s freeze-thaw cycles heave hinge posts out of plumb, and once the post tips, the gate frame follows. The corner drops, the latch stops aligning, and the motor works harder. We fix it by re-setting the post with a deeper footing and re-welding the hinge tabs if needed. You’ll see this all over the 01803 and 01805 ZIPs every spring.

Can you retrofit an older gate operator to work with a modern access control system at my Burlington office park?

Yes, and we do this regularly along the Route 128 corridor. Older FAAC, BFT, and DoorKing operators can often be retrofitted with a modern radio receiver or wired relay that connects to your existing card access, telephone entry, or video intercom system. The operator motor and chassis often outlast the control board, so a retrofit makes sense when the motor itself is still solid. Call (877) 610-2993 for a written estimate.

Gate Access Control in Burlington

Gate access control installation in Burlington typically runs $850 to $1,900 for a keypad or card reader system on an existing gate, and $2,400 to $4,800 when phone entry or video intercom gets added. The quote you get on the phone is the number on the invoice. Burlington’s commercial properties along Mall Road and Network Drive lean heavily on access control, and the tech and pharma tenants there expect gates that talk to their security systems. Residential customers in Fox Hill and the Winn Street corridor usually want something simpler: a keypad that works and doesn’t corrode out after two winters. See our Gate Access Control page for the full scope.

Keypad Entry

A lot of Burlington homes with original wrought-iron driveway gates still use mechanical locks or a garage-door opener jury-rigged to a gate post. A standalone keypad with deadbolt or maglock costs $850 to $1,400 installed here. We run the low-voltage wire through conduit rated for freeze-thaw ground movement, because shallow direct-burial wire in Middlesex County frost heave is a call-back waiting to happen.

Phone Entry

Phone entry systems let a visitor call your cell from the gate and you open it remotely. Expect $1,800 to $2,800 for a cellular-based system that doesn’t depend on the house landline. Burlington’s commercial properties along Mall Road use these heavily for after-hours vendor access, and property managers like that we install systems with call logs they can pull for security audits.

Card Reader

Card readers are the standard for Burlington’s office parks and multi-tenant commercial buildings off Network Drive. A basic proximity reader and controller runs $1,200 to $2,200 per gate. We install systems that integrate with existing access control panels and meet ADA operator timing requirements, which is not a detail you want handled by a fence installer who doesn’t know the code.

What does a full gate access control installation include in Burlington?

A full installation includes the keypad or reader, mounting hardware, low-voltage wiring in conduit, connection to your existing gate operator, programming of codes or cards, and a full test cycle in both directions. We also confirm the gate closes and locks properly against the stop. The price is quoted and agreed before any work starts, and it includes the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.

Is gate access control more expensive in Burlington than Woburn or Lexington?

Residential pricing in Burlington is in line with Woburn, Pinehurst, and Lexington, usually within $50 to $100 on a typical keypad job. Commercial work along Route 128 can run higher because those gates are larger, heavier, and tied into building access platforms that require more integration time. We give the same free estimate to a homeowner as we do a property manager on Network Drive. Call (877) 610-2993.

Gate Parts & Welding in Burlington

Gate parts and welding in Burlington means dealing with two very different animals: the commercial slide gates along Route 128’s office park corridor, and the residential swing gates on 1950s and 60s colonials in neighborhoods like Fox Hill. Most gate failures here trace back to the same root causes: decades of frost heave working posts out of plumb, and road salt eating hardware from the inside. We fix what’s fixable, weld on site, and tell you plainly when a part is too far gone. The welder comes to your driveway, and your gate never leaves your property. For a deeper look, see our Gate Parts & Welding page.

Hinge Replacement

Burlington’s older ranches and split-levels, most built between 1958 and 1974, came with wrought-iron gates on iron posts. Fifty years of salt drift off Cambridge Street and Winn Street has corroded those hinge barrels down to ragged stubs. A residential hinge replacement on a wrought-iron gate runs $180 to $380 including hinge hardware and labor. We cut out the old hinge, weld in a new barrel and pin assembly, and re-hang the gate so the latch actually meets the strike.

Post Replacement

A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and that’s where we start. In Burlington, frost regularly penetrates 30 to 48 inches, heaving posts out of plumb every winter. Post replacement runs $450 to $950, with the higher end covering deeper frost-line footings. We set new posts below the frost line, usually 42 inches minimum in this soil, and pour a concrete collar wider than the old one. For commercial gates in ZIP 01803, that means cutting out old footings and pouring new ones while the gate stays on its track whenever possible.

Custom Welding

Sometimes the right part stopped existing years ago. Thirty-year-old gate operators from brands that got bought out or discontinued their parts lines leave Burlington property managers with a choice: pay for a full replacement, or have us fabricate a bracket, hinge, or mounting plate that does the job. Custom welding jobs run $150 to $600 depending on complexity. Our truck carries a stick welder and a MIG setup, and Hal has been welding since before some of the tech parks on Network Drive broke ground.

Why do slide gates on Network Drive seize up after January cold snaps?

January cold snaps push temperatures below single digits, and 1990s slide gate motors on Network Drive and along the Route 128 corridor have been running hard for 25 years or more. Cold thickens the grease, dead batteries fail, and worn limit switches misreport the gate position, causing the motor to fight its own track. It’s a predictable seasonal failure, and we see it every winter. Call (877) 610-2993 when it happens.

Can you weld a new rack onto an existing slide gate track without removing the gate?

Yes, in most cases. We can weld replacement rack sections onto the bottom rail of a slide gate while the gate remains on its track, which keeps loading docks and lobby entrances running during the repair. This matters on Burlington’s commercial side, where pulling a gate off-site means closing an access point for days. We match the rack pitch to your existing pinion, align the sections, and weld them in place.

Brands We Service in Burlington

We service LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule operators across Burlington. For Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing units, we stock common boards, remotes, and limit switches on the truck, which means most repairs happen same day without waiting on freight. See our brands page for the full list.

Pricing for Gate Repair in Burlington, MA

Neighborhoods We Serve in Burlington

We work all over Burlington, from the residential streets of Fox Hill and Winnmere to the commercial corridor along Network Drive. Typical response time for repairs anywhere in town is same day, and we tell you the window before we head out.

• Fox Hill
• Winnmere
• Burlington Town Center
• Cambridge Street area
• Havenville

Service Area - Cities Near Burlington

Beyond Burlington, MA, we run crews to the surrounding towns on a regular schedule. That includes Pinehurst, MA, Woburn, MA, Wilmington, MA, Lexington, MA, and Bedford, MA. Same crew, same pricing, same 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.

FAQs About Gate Repair in Burlington