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 Parts & Welding Across Pontiac
When a gate post heaves out of plumb or a hinge weld snaps, Pontiac homeowners need a fix that holds through the next freeze-thaw cycle, not a patch job that fails by June. Most Gate Installation - Pontiac and welding repairs run $180-$650, and we can usually be on site within a few hours for emergencies. Call (877) 610-2993 and you’ll get a live person, not a voicemail.
Hal Gatewood has been fixing gates since 2001, and his crew knows exactly what Pontiac’s soil, salt, and frost do to steel. We weld on site in your driveway, we reset frost-heaved posts below the 40-inch frost line, and every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not done right, one call brings us back. No runaround.
You can read more about the full scope of our Gate Parts & Welding work or see what we do across Pontiac right here.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Pontiac’s Preferred Gate Parts & Welding Company
We’re locally owned and owner-operated. Hal’s name is on the shop, his address is published, and his license number is available for anyone who wants to check. That’s the oldest accountability there is when you add it up. When a national outfit quotes one price on the phone and sends a crew that charges another at the door, you never see the same face twice. When Hal says he’ll be there, he’s there. Or you can drive to the shop and look him in the eye.
Pontiac customers keep calling us because we actually answer. A live person picks up 24/7, not a call center three states away. For gate emergencies in Pontiac, we typically arrive within 2-4 hours, depending on where you are in the 48340-48342 ZIPs. That matters when a windstorm throws your gate against a car or leaves your driveway exposed overnight.
We’ve worked the craftsman bungalows off Baldwin Road, the chain-link security gates in the 48340 area, and the older ornamental iron gates throughout the 48342 ZIP. The same patterns show up every April. We know what we’re looking at before we even pull into the driveway.
Our Gate Parts & Welding Services in Pontiac
Post Replacement
Pontiac’s ground frost penetrates 30-40 inches every winter. That’s deep enough to heave any post footing that wasn’t poured below the frost line. When a gate post leans or shifts, the gate drags, hinges bind, and welds crack under the load. We cut the old post, dig a new footing to frost depth, set the post in fresh concrete, and re-weld everything square. A new post in Pontiac clay, installed correctly, typically runs $350-$650 depending on gate size and whether the operator needs re-mounting.
Custom Welding
We’re a repair-first shop, which means we’d rather weld a cracked hinge strap or a broken rail than sell you a whole new gate. On-site welding keeps your gate in your driveway, not hauled off to a fab shop across the county. Whether it’s full-penetration welds on a wrought iron swing gate or stitch welds on a chain-link top rail, we get it done same day in most cases. Custom welding on existing steel in Pontiac typically runs $120-$300 per repair point.
Hinge Replacement
Road-salt runoff from Pontiac streets does a number on hinges, especially the lower hinge on swing gates that sits close to the curb. By the time you see visible rust, the inner barrel may already be seized or cracked. We replace hinges with heavier-gauge steel and weld them on so the gate hangs square. Hinge replacement in Pontiac runs $150-$400 per hinge, including cutting off the old hardware and welding the new plate.
Rail Repair
A sag in the middle rail is usually a symptom, not the disease. The post moved, the rail took the load, and a weld or the rail itself failed. We square the frame, weld the rail back with full penetration, and reinforce it if the steel is thin from rust. Rail repair in Pontiac generally runs $100-$250 per rail, more if the post also needs attention.
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 Pontiac
We’re certified to service nine major Pontiac Gate Motor & Opener brands, including Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing. That matters when your operator fails after a spring storm and you need parts that actually fit. For Pontiac customers, we stock common hinge plates, weldable steel stock, latch hardware, and rollers in the truck, so most repairs don’t wait on a parts order. If your operator is a DoorKing or a Ghost Controls unit, we can usually have you running the same day.
Common Gate Parts & Welding Problems We See in Pontiac Homes
- Spring sag from frost heave. Every April, posts that were fine through December lean visibly out of plumb. The ground thaws, the footing shifts, and the gate drags. Hardware replacement won’t fix it; the post has to come out and be reset below frost depth.
- Salt-rusted hinges and latch hardware. Pontiac’s road salt aerosol gets onto every low-mounted hinge and latch on gates near the street. The corrosion works from the inside out, so the part looks okay until it snaps under wind load.
- Broken welds from wind on solid infill gates. Solid wood or metal infill gates catch wind like a sail. The weld at the hinge post takes the full load and fatigues over time. We see this most on the older ornamental iron gates in the 48342 ZIP after spring storms.
- Operator shorts from flooded conduits. Low-lying parts of 48340 and 48342 pool water during the spring thaw. Underground wiring conduits flood, and operators short out. We trace the run, dry or replace the conduit, and re-seal the connections.
Pricing for Gate Parts & Welding in Pontiac, MI
Here’s what Pontiac homeowners can expect, in the ranges we quote before any work starts:
- Hinge replacement: $150-$400 per hinge
- Post replacement (dug to frost depth, set in concrete): $350-$650
- Rail repair and re-weld: $100-$250 per rail
- Custom welding (crack, strap, bracket): $120-$300 per repair point
- Latch and lock replacement: $80-$220
- Gate roller replacement: $90-$250 per roller
The price you’re quoted is the price you pay, agreed before we touch anything. No trip charge inside the county. $40 off any repair over $200. Free second opinion on any written estimate. And if you’re a senior or veteran, you get a permanent 10% discount. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you over the phone what we think it is, then confirm in writing before we start.
We Also Serve Cities Near Pontiac
If you’re in Gate Parts & Welding in Pontiac territory, you’re covered. We also work regularly in Auburn Hills, Waterford, West Bloomfield Township, and Troy. Same crew, same 90-Day Done Right Promise, same live person answering the phone.
Serving Pontiac, MI - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Pontiac 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 Parts & Welding in Pontiac
It’s frost heave. Pontiac’s ground frost runs 30-40 inches deep, and when the soil thaws in April, gate post footings shift and the post leans just enough to drag. The fix is resetting the post in fresh concrete below the frost line, not shimming the hinges or trimming the gate. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact quote; estimates are free.
It depends on how much steel is left. If the post is sound after we grind off the rust, we can weld a new hinge plate on and you’ll be fine for years. If the rust has thinned the post wall, welding won’t hold and the post needs to be sleeved or replaced. We’ll tell you which one you need before we start, and the price is set before any work happens.
First, unplug the operator or switch off its breaker, then locate the manual release mechanism, usually a pull cord or a release lever on the operator arm. Pull it to disengage the motor so the gate can be moved by hand. If the gate is chain-driven, the release disengages the chain from the sprocket. This is just a way to move the gate manually in an emergency; if the operator is water-damaged or the gate itself is out of alignment, call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll come out.
Yes, in most cases. The gap under the gate is usually there because the post leaned, not because the gate shrank. Once the post is reset plumb and the hinges are re-welded square, the gate closes tight again. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you over the phone if it’s a post reset or something simpler.
Almost always, yes. We grind the broken weld clean, check the post for lean or rust damage, and re-weld the top rail back to the post with full penetration. If the rail itself is too rusted to hold a weld, we’ll cut in a new section. Either way, you’re not buying a whole new gate for one broken weld. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate.
The Repair Sequence Pontiac Actually Needs
Here’s the part that only applies to Pontiac. Most gate repair advice online starts with hinges and latches. Around here, the real sequence starts underground. Frost-heaved post footings crack and shift every winter, pulling swing gates out of alignment and snapping hinge welds by April. Road-salt runoff accelerates rust on hinges, latches, and steel frames, causing hidden corrosion that fails under wind load before visible surface rust appears. And Gate Access Control in Pontiac systems short out in spring when pooling water in low-lying parts of 48340 and 48342 floods underground wiring conduits and loop detectors.
So the repair sequence goes like this: check the post plumb first, then the weld integrity, then the hardware, then the operator. Skip the post and you’ll be calling us again next spring. Fix the panel without the post and you’ll fix it twice.
A Pontiac Job We Won’t Forget
At a 1920s bungalow off Baldwin Road in the 48342 ZIP, our crew found an original ornamental iron swing gate with a fresh coat of paint but a hinge post leaning 3 inches out of plumb from frost heave. The investor-rehab team had replaced the latch and hinges, but the gate still dragged and caught. We cut the old weld, reset the post in a new concrete footing below frost depth, and re-welded the hinge straps with full penetration. The gate now swings clean, even after the next spring thaw. That’s the difference between freshening a gate and fixing it.
Call Before You Patch It
If your gate is dragging, leaning, or has a broken weld somewhere around Pontiac, don’t wait for the next storm to finish the job. Call (877) 610-2993 and talk to a live person. We’ll give you an honest read over the phone, then back it up with a written estimate before we start. Hal’s name is on the shop, and the shop is down the road. That’s the oldest warranty there is.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Pontiac since 2001.