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 Repair Across Chelsea
Gate repair in Chelsea comes down to one thing: salt. The tidal water off Chelsea Creek and Boston Harbor pushes salt air into every hinge, post base, and latch on every driveway gate in 02150, and it eats metal faster here than almost anywhere else in the metro. We know because we’ve been cutting out rotted posts and re-welding gate frames in Chelsea’s narrow shared driveways for years. If you’re dealing with a gate that sags, drags, or won’t open, call (877) 610-2993 and a live person will pick up, any hour.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Chelsea’s Preferred Gate Repair Company
Hal Gatewood has been fixing gates since 2001, and his name is on the shop and on every invoice. That matters in Chelsea, where most of the housing stock is older triple-deckers and the landlords are often not on site. A tenant calls us because a gate won’t close. The hinge post is rotted through at ground level from years of salt exposure. We don’t sell them a whole new gate. We cut out the rotted section, weld in a new steel post in the driveway, and the gate swings true again the same day.
Chelsea customers call us because the person who answers the phone is the person who shows up. No dispatch queue, no call center three states away. When you call about a gate dragging on the pavement off Broadway or a keypad that works but a motor that only opens halfway near Bellingham Hill, you’ll talk to someone who knows exactly what those streets look like. We serve the whole city, from the creek side up to the Revere line, and we’re usually at your driveway within the hour.
Every repair we do in Chelsea carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not done right, one call brings Hal back. That’s not a warranty buried in fine print. It’s stamped on your invoice. We also offer $40 off any repair over $200, no trip charge inside Suffolk County, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. A free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve gotten from another company is ours to give, no haggling required.
Our Gate Repair Services in Chelsea
Here’s what we handle most in Chelsea, where shared driveways, triple-decker lots, and salt air shape the work.
Electric Gate Repair
Electric gate operators on Chelsea shared driveways fail in predictable ways. The safety photocells get crusted with salt, short out, and the gate stops closing or reverses halfway. The control board sits in a housing that may not be sealed well against the damp air off the creek. We test the cells, clean or replace them, check the board, and get the auto-close working again. If your gate opens halfway and reverses, that’s often the photo-eyes, not the motor.
Automatic Gate Repair
Automatic gate repair in Chelsea frequently involves gate operators from Linear, Viking, or Ghost Controls mounted on posts that are themselves failing. You can’t fix the operator if the post it’s bolted to is leaning six degrees. We service the operator and the structure together, which is the only way a repair survives more than one winter. We service LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule.
Hinge & Post Repair
This is the most common call we take in Chelsea. Salt air works its way down the hinge pin until the pin seizes or the post rots at ground level. The gate starts sagging, then dragging, then the latch won’t line up. We cut out the rotted section, weld a new steel post or hinge plate in place, and rehang the gate so it clears the ground. Fix the panel without the post and you’ll fix it twice. We start at the post.
Gate Realignment
A gate that drags on the ground and won’t close all the way doesn’t mean you need a new gate. It usually means the hinge post has settled or the pivot points are worn. We realign the gate in the driveway using shims and welded plates, restoring the original swing and latch alignment. On Chelsea’s tight shared driveways, we work in whatever space exists. Tenants keep using the driveway while we work.
We also handle Gate Repair of every type, including lock repair and weld and rust repair, all across Chelsea.
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 Chelsea
We carry parts for the operators Chelsea homeowners actually have, not just the brands that advertise the most. Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing operators are common in 02150 because they’ve been around since these triple-deckers were converted to multi-family rentals. We keep common boards, photocells, remotes, and hinges on the truck, so a repair doesn’t turn into a two-week wait for a part from a warehouse. If we don’t have it, we fabricate or weld what’s needed on site.
Common Gate Repair Problems We See in Chelsea Homes
- Salt-corroded hinge posts. Near Chelsea Creek, a galvanized steel post can rot at ground level in five to seven years. The gate sags, drags, and eventually jams against the fence. We replace the post and rehang the gate, often the same day.
- Frozen hinge pins. Salt and moisture seize hinge pins solid. You can’t open the gate without breaking the latch or the post. We extract the pin, drill out the rust, and fit a new pin with a grease fitting so it doesn’t seize again next winter.
- Shorting safety photocells. Salt crust builds on the photo-eyes of automatic gates on shared driveways, disabling auto-close and leaving the property unsecured. The gate opens halfway, then reverses. We clean or replace the cells and seal the housing.
- Wrought iron rot at ground level. Older Chelsea gates, especially the original wrought iron on late-1800s and early-1900s triple-deckers, corrode from the bottom up. We cut out the rotted section and weld in new steel, preserving the original gate where possible instead of replacing it.
Pricing for Gate Repair in Chelsea, MA
Here’s what you can expect to pay in Chelsea for the most common repairs.
- Hinge pin replacement (single gate): $180-$320
- Post replacement with on-site welding: $450-$900
- Gate realignment and latch repair: $200-$400
- Safety photocell cleaning or replacement: $150-$350
- Operator control board replacement: $350-$750
- Weld and rust repair (per section): $150-$500
Every price is quoted and agreed before we start. No trips charges inside Suffolk County, and $40 off any repair over $200. Call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate. Estimates are free, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
We Also Serve Cities Near Chelsea
Our Gate Repair in Chelsea work regularly takes us to neighboring communities like Everett, Revere, Malden, and Winthrop. If you’re in one of those towns and your gate is giving you trouble, the same crew, the same 90-Day promise, and the same live-answer phone apply.
Serving Chelsea, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Chelsea 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 Repair in Chelsea
Salt air off Chelsea Creek gets into the hinge pin bore and causes galvanic corrosion between the steel pin and the steel or iron hinge. Grease can’t push the salt out once it’s in there. Our fix is to remove the pin, drill and clean the bore, replace the pin with a greasable type, and add a weather seal where the hinge meets the post. That stops the seasonal seizure instead of just lubing over it. Call (877) 610-2993 for an exact quote.
Usually, yes. A dragging gate in Chelsea almost always means the hinge post has settled or rotted at ground level, not that the gate itself is shot. We cut out the bad section, weld in a new steel post or plate, and rehang the gate so it clears the ground and latches properly. You don’t need a whole new gate for a bad post. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you what it needs.
Yes. Most of Chelsea’s multifamily stock is two- and three-family triple-deckers with shared driveways, and we’re used to working in those conditions. We do the repair in stages so vehicle and pedestrian access stays open. If we need to take the gate off its hinges, we plan it with you and block off the time so tenants can still get in and out. And because we weld on site, the gate usually goes back up the same day. Call (877) 610-2993 to schedule around your tenants.
Probably not. That’s a classic safety-eyes fault. The photo-cells at the base of the gate get a crust of salt on the lens from the harbor air, the beam gets interrupted or shorts out, and the operator reverses because it thinks something is in the way. We clean or replace the photocells, check the wiring, and the gate cycles fully again. It’s a $150 to $350 job in Chelsea, not a motor replacement. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll confirm over the phone.
Twice a year at minimum, ideally fall and spring. Salt air from Chelsea Creek builds up on the lenses faster than inland, and the freeze-thaw cycle here means condensation gets into the housing. A ten-minute check in November and April prevents most mid-winter failures. We do inspections as part of a service call, and if we’re already out for a keypad or hinge issue, we’ll check the photo-eyes while we’re there. Call (877) 610-2993 to book one.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Gate Repair in Chelsea
If your gate is sagging, seized, or shorting out, call (877) 610-2993. A live person answers, any time, day or night. Hal or one of his crew will come out to Chelsea, quote the work in writing before starting, and stand behind it with the 90-Day Done Right Promise. You can also drive to the shop and look Hal in the eye. The name is on the shop, and the shop is down the road. That’s the oldest accountability there is.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Chelsea since 2001.