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 Kendall
Gate motor and opener work in Kendall, FL typically runs $450-$1,850 for motor replacement, $250-$600 for loop detector work, and $180-$400 for hinge and post sag correction on ornamental iron gates, with most repairs completed the same day we arrive. We work throughout Kendall’s HOA-governed subdivisions, from the gated communities off Killian Drive to the neighborhoods behind Dadeland Mall and along SW 97th Avenue. Call (877) 610-2993 if your gate won’t open, won’t close, or starts and stops on its own.
Our Gate Motor & Opener team has been working in this part of Miami-Dade long enough to know that a gate failing in Kendall is rarely a simple motor swap. It usually traces back to a 30-year-old underground conduit, a post-Andrew gate that was welded heavier than the operator was rated for, or a control board that salt humidity has been eating for a decade.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Kendall’s Preferred Gate Motor & Opener Company
Hal Gatewood has been fixing gates since 2001, and his name is on the shop and every invoice. That isn’t marketing. If your gate motor fails again in 89 days, one call brings him back, and the 90-Day Done Right Promise is stamped in writing on every job. No runaround. No third-party call center routing your call to a stranger three states away.
Kendall homeowners call us because we answer the phone with a live person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not a voicemail tree. Not a chatbot. When your gate motor dies at 11:30 PM and your car is stuck in the driveway, you talk to a person who actually knows Kendall’s neighborhoods, not an automated greeting.
We also know the local drill. Kendall’s HOA boards don’t approve gate work casually. They want a licensed contractor with a published address, a license number they can verify, and a written quote that doesn’t change at the door. That’s how we’ve always operated. We quote the price up front, in writing, before any work starts, and the number you agree to is the number you pay.
Free second opinions on any written estimate, no trip charge inside the county, $40 off any repair over $200, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. These aren’t gimmicks. They’re standing offers so you don’t have to haggle to get a fair price.
Our Gate Motor & Opener Services in Kendall
Motor Installation
A new gate motor in Kendall typically runs $1,200-$2,900 installed, depending on gate weight, operator type, and whether the existing wiring or loop detector can be reused. We handle swing and slide operators, and we install battery backup so your gate still works when Florida Power & Light goes down after a storm. We also do the Miami-Dade County operator permitting paperwork that Kendall HOA boards require before any work begins.
Motor Repair
Repair is usually $150-$450 for control board diagnosis and component replacement, assuming the failure is isolated to a single part. We always check the full system before quoting a repair, because in older Kendall communities, the motor usually fails because the hinge post is sagging or the loop detector is shorted and causing the motor to run constantly until it burns out. Fix the post without the motor and you’ve fixed nothing. We tell you the truth, even when the cheaper-sounding repair isn’t the repair that holds.
Linear Motor
Linear motors, particularly the swing-arm operators installed in Kendall’s 1990s HOA communities, fail most often in the control board and the internal limit switches. We service the full Linear line and keep common control boards and limit switches on hand for Kendall jobs, which means we often complete a Linear motor rebuild the same day instead of ordering parts and leaving your gate open for a week.
Slide Motor
Slide gate motors in Kendall take a beating from the limestone dust and salt-laden humidity. Rack and pinion systems pit and bind, and the motor overheats fighting the drag. A slide motor replacement in Kendall generally runs $900-$2,200 depending on gate weight and whether the rack is salvageable. We weld on site, so if the rack is worn, we can often cut and re-weld rather than replacing the entire gate.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Kendall
We service and stock parts for DoorKing, Viking, Linear, Ghost Controls, LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Elite, and Mighty Mule. In Kendall specifically, we keep extra DoorKing and Viking components on hand, because those two brands appear on a disproportionate number of the post-Andrew gated communities and we don’t want your gate sitting open for a week waiting on a board from a distributor. We service what’s already in your community rather than selling you a brand swap you don’t need.
Common Gate Motor & Opener Problems We See in Kendall Homes
- Control boards failing from salt humidity. Kendall sits a few miles west of Biscayne Bay, so the air carries enough salt to corrode unprotected control boards inside motor housings within 8 to 12 years. Boards that would last 20 years in drier inland markets die early here.
- Loop detectors shorting from shallow limestone conduit. The original post-Andrew communities running along SW 97th Avenue and Killian Drive often had underground conduit set shallow in porous limestone. Moisture wicks in, the wire insulation breaks down, and the loop stops sensing your car. The gate then either won’t open or opens and won’t detect a vehicle and reverses.
- Hinge post sag on 30-year-old ornamental iron swing gates. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and that’s where we start. When the post shifts, the motor has to work harder than it was rated for, and it fails early. We weld post-to-frame brackets and re-hang the gate before installing a new operator.
- Hurricane wind damage to slide gate arms. After a wind event, we get calls from communities where slide gates were left in the open position and the wind caught the panel, bent the arm, or snapped the weld at the drive bracket. The motor then runs but the gate doesn’t move. Repair is usually possible without replacing the entire slide assembly.
Pricing for Gate Motor & Opener in Kendall, FL
| Service | Typical Range in Kendall |
|---|---|
| Motor replacement (swing or slide) | $1,200 - $2,900 |
| Control board replacement | $180 - $450 |
| Loop detector replacement | $250 - $600 |
| Hinge post sag correction | $180 - $400 |
| Battery backup installation | $300 - $700 |
| Full system diagnostic | $75 - $150 (waived with repair) |
These ranges reflect what we’ve actually quoted on Kendall jobs in the last twelve months, not generic national averages. What changes the price most is gate weight: a 16-foot ornamental iron swing gate needs a heavier operator than an 8-foot aluminum gate, and heavy operators cost more. We quote the exact price in writing before any work starts. No surprises at the door. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
Why Kendall’s Post-Andrew Gates Are Failing All at Once
After Hurricane Andrew tore through southwest Miami-Dade in 1992, hundreds of Kendall HOA communities rebuilt their entrance gates with heavier ornamental iron than what had been there before. Those gates were installed between 1993 and 1995, which means nearly every community built or rebuilt in that window is now, right now, hitting the simultaneous end-of-life of its LiftMaster, FAAC, and Viking operators. Kendall is the only South Florida market where a single gate motor failure in one cul-de-sac often triggers a 30-home HOA-wide discussion about retrofitting the entire perimeter. When one board member’s community gate fails, they talk to their neighbors, and suddenly we’re quoting a system-wide plan instead of one operator. We’re ready for that conversation.
Here’s a real recent example from Kendall. We replaced a corroded FAAC 844 slide gate operator at a 1994-built HOA community off SW 97th Avenue near Killian Drive, where the original loop detector had failed and the rack and pinion showed salt pitting. Our crew pulled new wire through shallow limestone-set conduit, installed a LiftMaster LA500 with battery backup, and recalibrated the safety photocells to meet UL 325 entrapment standards before the board’s next inspection. That’s the kind of fix that takes a morning, not a franchise tech with a tablet telling you to replace the whole gate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kendall
Beyond Kendall, we work regularly in Pinecrest, Glenvar Heights, South Miami, and Cutler. If you’re in one of those nearby areas and dealing with a gate motor that won’t cooperate, give us a call at (877) 610-2993 and we’ll get you on the schedule. We know the Kendall streets well enough to find your community without a ten-minute phone debate about which entrance you’re at.
Serving Kendall, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kendall 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 Kendall
Gates installed between 1993 and 1995 after Hurricane Andrew are now 30 years old, and in Kendall’s salt-laden humidity, the entire operator, not just the control board, has usually accumulated enough corrosion on the motor windings, limit switches, and gear train that board-only repair fails within six to twelve months. We’ll tell you honestly when a board is worth replacing and when the motor itself is at end-of-life. That’s a judgment call that only comes from working on hundreds of these exact communities. Call (877) 610-2993 for a straight answer.
Yes, often. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle, and we start there. If the post has shifted in the stucco-over-CBS wall, we weld post-to-frame brackets and re-hang the gate so the motor isn’t fighting a load it was never rated for. Then we assess whether the existing motor has survived the strain or needs replacement. Fix the post without the motor and you’ll fix it twice.
Kendall sits on porous limestone, and the original conduit runs in 1990s HOA communities were often set shallow. Moisture collects, wire insulation degrades, and the loop detector stops sensing vehicles. Replacing the loop usually means trenching and re-pulling wire, and sometimes we can re-route the loop above ground where it can be protected. It’s more labor-intensive than a sandy-soil market, which is why loop replacement in Kendall runs $250-$600 rather than less. Get an exact quote by calling (877) 610-2993.
After a wind event, the slide gate arm is often bent or the weld at the drive bracket is snapped. The motor runs but the gate doesn’t move, so the motor overheats while it’s pushing against resistance. We fix the mechanical damage first, then test the motor to see if it survived. If it didn’t, we replace it and the gate works like it should.
Yes. Miami-Dade County requires a permit for gate operator and motor work, and most Kendall HOA boards require proof of permit and licensed contractor status before approving any work on a community gate. We handle the permitting and provide written documentation for board review before we touch the gate.
Contact Gatewood Fence & Gate in Kendall
If your gate won’t open, won’t close, or is making a noise it never made before, call (877) 610-2993. We answer live, 24/7. We’ll ask the right questions, give you a real quote, and show up when we say we will. Free estimates, no trip charge inside Miami-Dade County, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job in writing. If it’s not done right, we make it right. That’s the whole deal.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Kendall since 2001.