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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Gate Repair Across Cleburne
Gate repair in Cleburne usually means one of three things: a post that has shifted in Johnson County clay, an operator board that finally gave up, or storm damage from a wind event that pulled the gate out of square. We handle all three, and we handle them in your driveway. If your gate is dragging, binding, or refusing to open, call (877) 610-2993 and you’ll get a live person who can talk you through what you’re seeing. We’ve been fixing gates in this part of Texas since 2001, and we know Cleburne properties specifically: the older ranch-style homes off Nolan River Road, the historic houses near downtown with iron gates hung before photo-eyes existed, and the acreage gates out where the pavement turns to gravel.
Most Cleburne gate repairs run between $180 and $700 depending on what failed. A hinge and post reset on a residential swing gate typically lands between $350 and $600. A burned-out control board replacement on an older LiftMaster or Linear operator usually runs $250 to $500 installed. You’ll get the exact number before we touch a tool, and that number is the number you pay. No adjustments at the door.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Cleburne’s Preferred Gate Repair Company
Hal Gatewood started this company in 2001 and his name is still on the shop. That matters more in Cleburne than it does in a lot of places, because people here still ask who you are before they ask what you charge. We’re the repair-first shop: we fix what’s broken, we don’t sell you a replacement because it’s easier for us. If a gate post can be re-set and re-plumbed, that’s what we do. If the operator board is obsolete and no longer supported, we’ll tell you straight that repair isn’t the cheaper answer anymore and we’ll show you why with the parts in front of you.
Every job we do in Cleburne carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, on the invoice. If it’s not right, one call brings Hal back. No runaround, no “let me check with my manager.” We also answer the phone 24/7 with a live person - not a voicemail, not an answering service reading a script. If your gate won’t close at 11pm and you have dogs in the yard, you’ll talk to someone who can actually help. Calling during a storm when your gate is banging against the post? Same thing.
Our crews serve Cleburne from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we arrive in clean trucks with background-checked, uniformed people who introduce themselves by name. Cleburne customers see the same faces job after job. That’s the point. When someone comes back to a property they worked on three years ago, they remember what was done and why. That institutional memory saves you money on diagnostic time and prevents repeat failures.
Our Gate Repair Services in Cleburne
Electric Gate Repair
Electric gate repair in Cleburne starts with one question: is the gate itself hanging square, or is the operator fighting a gate that has been out of alignment for years? We see this constantly on older Cleburne properties where the operator was installed in the 1990s or early 2000s and the gate has slowly shifted on expanding clay ever since. A motor that keeps tripping its breaker is often just a symptom - the operator is working against a gate that’s binding. We diagnose the whole system before we quote a component, so you’re not paying for a new board when the real fix is a post reset.
We service current-model operators from Linear, LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. If the board is obsolete and the manufacturer quit supporting it years ago, we’ll tell you that on the first visit, before you spend any money. Retrofitting a new operator onto an existing gate is standard work for us, and we add safety photocells every time they’re missing - which on older Cleburne gates is most of the time.
Automatic Gate Repair
Automatic gates in Cleburne take more abuse than people realize. Between the clay soil movement, the summer heat baking the control boards, and the occasional severe storm, the average automatic gate operator around here works hard. In our experience, 2000s-era operators fail most often at the limit switch, the loop detector, or the control board - and when the board goes, the manufacturer has often moved on. We’ll tell you honestly when the repair makes sense and when you’re putting $400 into a 20-year-old operator that will fail again next season.
If you have a swing gate operator on a ranch entrance off a county road near Cleburne, we can service that too. Those gates are heavier, the cycles are more frequent, and the posts take a beating. The repair logic is the same but the stakes are higher - a stuck ranch gate means a stuck truck and an open property line.
Hinge & Post Repair
This is the heart of what we do in Cleburne, and it’s what separates a real gate repair company from a parts-swapper. The expansive clay soil throughout Johnson County shrinks during dry summers and swells during wet seasons, and it does so unevenly across a single fence run. A gate post set just 10 feet from the hinge post can move on an entirely different seasonal cycle because the soil type shifts from Blackland Prairie clay to Cross Timbers sandy loam over short distances. That differential movement racks the gate frame, pulls the hinges out of alignment, and eventually cracks the concrete footing at the base of the post.
When we rebuild a gate post in Cleburne, we dig deeper and pour wider than the original footing. We re-set the post in plumb, rebuild the hinge mounts, and re-hang the gate so it seats in the latch without forcing. Then we watch it through a full open-close cycle and check the gaps. A gate that sags in the middle doesn’t get fixed by tightening the top hinge - it gets fixed at the post, and that is where we start.
Gate Realignment
Gate realignment in Cleburne is not a tune-up. It’s a correction for years of slow movement that finally got bad enough to notice. We see gates where the latch post has leaned an inch, the gate panel has racked, and the homeowner has been lifting the gate by the handle just to get it closed. That gate is tearing itself apart every time it cycles.
A proper realignment involves resetting the posts if needed, re-squaring the frame, and adjusting the hinges so the gate hangs neutral when it’s open. If the gate has an operator, we also re-check the travel limits and photo-eye alignment so the automation isn’t re-stressing the gate every time it closes. Show me the gate closing on its own and I’ll show you where it’s failing - that’s our approach, and it works.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Cleburne
We service nine major gate operator brands: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Because we repair rather than replace wherever possible, we keep common board components, limit switches, and safety photo-eyes stocked so Cleburne customers aren’t waiting on a ground shipment from a distributor in Dallas. If your operator is a common model, we can often fix it the same day we look at it. If your board is obsolete, we’ll walk you through what direct-fit retrofit options exist on the current market. We’re certified on all nine brands, and we can source OEM parts when they’re still manufactured.
Common Gate Repair Problems We See in Cleburne Homes
- Racked gates from uneven clay movement. The Cross Timbers sandy loam near the Cleburne area meets Blackland Prairie clay, and those two soils expand and contract at different rates. A gate frame hung across that transition zone will rack within a few seasons, and tightening the hinges won’t fix it. The post has to come out and go back in plumb.
- Obsolete control boards on 1990s and early 2000s operators. Cleburne has a lot of legacy automatic gate operators that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. When the board dies, the choice is a used board from a salvage yard or a new operator with modern safety features. We usually recommend the latter, and we’ll tell you why with the old board in your hand.
- Storm damage from the June 2023 tornado revealing hidden post rot. That storm bent gates and fences all across Cleburne, but the worst cases were the ones where the gate fell over and exposed a footing that had been cracked for years. The grass had hidden the lean. Once the gate was down, you could see the concrete was done.
- Missing safety photo-eyes on older automatic gates. Many automatic gates in Cleburne were installed before safety photocells became standard, especially on ranch-style properties where the gate has been there since the 1990s. A gate that reverses on a child or a pet is a liability no one wants to think about. We add photo-eyes and safety edges on every repair where they’re absent.
Pricing for Gate Repair in Cleburne, TX
Most Cleburne gate repairs land between $180 and $700, but the spread breaks down differently depending on what failed. Here’s what we see in this market:
- Hinge replacement and gate re-hang: $180-$320
- Post reset with new concrete footing: $350-$600 per post
- Gate realignment (frame re-square, hinge adjustment, latch re-seat): $250-$450
- Control board replacement on a supported operator: $250-$500 installed
- Full operator retrofit on an obsolete system: $600-$1,200 depending on gate weight and operator model
- Weld repair and rust remediation on iron gates: $150-$400 depending on the extent
You’ll get a written quote before any work starts, and that quote is the price. No trip charge inside Johnson County. Free second opinion on any written estimate from another company. $40 off any repair over $200, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll get you a real number.
We Also Serve Cities Near Cleburne
Our Gate Repair team works throughout Johnson County. If you’re in Keene, Joshua, Burleson, or Crowley, the same crew that handles Gate Repair in Cleburne can get to you, usually within the same week depending on the workload. Rural properties on acreage around Cleburne are a regular part of our schedule too - we’re used to crossing county roads and working at the end of long driveways.
Serving Cleburne, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cleburne 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 Cleburne
Because the sag isn’t in the hinge - it’s in the post, and the post is moving with the clay soil under it. Cleburne sits right where Blackland Prairie clay meets Cross Timbers sandy loam, and those two soils expand and contract at different rates over the same season. A hinge post that shifts even an inch out of plumb will make the gate sag no matter how many times you crank the hinge bolts. The fix is a post reset: dig out the old footing, set a deeper and wider pour, re-hang the gate. That’s a $350-$600 repair in Cleburne, and it’s the kind of work we do every week. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll tell you if your post is actually the problem before you spend anything.
It depends on what failed and whether the manufacturer still supports the board. On a 2000s-era operator in Cleburne, a tripping breaker usually means the board is drawing current it shouldn’t, or the motor is overloaded because the gate is binding. If the board is still available, a repair runs $250-$500 installed. If the board is obsolete and only available used, we generally recommend replacing the operator with a current model - you’ll get modern safety features and a warranty. We’ll show you the numbers for both options before you decide.
Not necessarily. A bent gate panel can often be straightened and re-welded if the steel hasn’t buckled, and a leaning post usually means the footing cracked rather than the post itself bending. We’ll assess both on site. What we frequently find after that storm is that the post footing was already compromised by years of clay soil movement before the tornado even hit - the wind just finished the job. In those cases we reset the post properly and repair the gate panel, which is cheaper than a full replacement.
Older automatic gates that pre-date modern UL 325 safety standards are grandfathered in many cases, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. A gate that reverses on a child, a pet, or a delivery driver is a liability no one wants. We add safety photocells and safety edges to every automatic gate we repair in Cleburne, regardless of the gate’s age. It’s a few hundred dollars, and it brings the gate up to current safety expectations. It also protects you legally if something happens.
Every two to three years is the honest answer. The shrink-swell cycle in Johnson County clay works on gate post footings continuously, and the movement is slow enough that you won’t notice it until the gate starts dragging or binding. A quick inspection catches a post that has moved half an inch before it causes a cracked board or a snapped hinge. We do inspections as part of our regular service calls, and if you’re in 76031 or 76033, we can add you to a reminder schedule. Estimates are free, and we’ll tell you if your posts are fine and there’s nothing to do yet.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Gate Repair in Cleburne
If your gate is dragging, sagging, or not opening, call (877) 610-2993 for a free estimate. You’ll talk to a live person, not a robot. We’ll schedule a time that works, show up when we say we will, and give you a written price before any work begins. The name is on the shop, and the shop answers the phone. That’s how it works.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Cleburne and Johnson County.