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 San Anselmo
Gate repair in San Anselmo usually costs between $180 and $650 depending on whether we’re fixing a hinge post, replacing a control board, or re-hanging a sagging wooden gate. Most repairs here take one visit, and we carry the common parts for Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing operators on the truck. If your gate is stuck, sagging, or dead, call Hal at (877) 610-2993 and a live person answers. The same person who answers is the one who shows up.
We’ve worked on gates along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, in the flats near downtown, and up in the hills off Butterfield Road. San Anselmo has its own set of gate problems, and they start with the creek. When San Anselmo Creek floods, the ground under your gate posts moves. That changes everything about how a repair should be done here. More on that below.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is San Anselmo’s Preferred Gate Repair Company
We’re not a franchise and we don’t send a different tech every time. Hal Gatewood has been fixing gates since 2001, and his name is on the shop. The crew that works in San Anselmo knows the difference between a Craftsman-era gate that can be saved and a waterlogged panel that’s past saving. That knowledge keeps you from paying for a repair that fails next winter.
San Anselmo homeowners tend to ask the same questions: Can you match the original hardware? Will the fix hold through a wet Ross Valley winter? Can you come look at it before I commit? The answer to all three is yes. We quote the price before any work starts, and that price doesn’t change when we show up. Every job is covered by the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. If it’s not right, Hal comes back. No runaround.
Our shop is nearby in the San Francisco Bay Area, so a San Anselmo call doesn’t bounce to an out-of-state call center. You call, a person answers, and we schedule a time we actually keep. We’re licensed and insured, and the address is published. That’s the kind of accountability that matters when someone is welding on your driveway gate.
Our Gate Repair Services in San Anselmo
We handle the repairs that older San Anselmo gates actually need. Not every job means a new gate. Most don’t. Here’s what we do most often in the 94960 and 94979 zip codes.
Hinge & Post Repair
Most sagging gates in San Anselmo aren’t sagging in the middle. The hinge post has moved, or the hinge has worn through the wood. Fix the panel without addressing the post and you’ll fix it twice. We reset posts with proper drainage and re-seat hinges so the gate swings clean. On homes along the creek corridor, we check the post footing as a standard part of the job. Flood-saturated soil shifts concrete-set posts, and what looks straight in July can be off-plumb by February.
Gate Realignment
A gate that scrapes the driveway or won’t latch is usually a realignment problem, not a hardware problem. We re-hang gates so they close square and latch without forcing. On sloped lots around San Anselmo, where driveways pitch toward the street, this is often a one-visit fix. We also check the hinge post for movement while we’re at it, because in this town, realignment and post shift go together.
Electric Gate Repair
Older electric gates around San Anselmo often run on control boards that are decades old. A power surge during a wet storm season can kill them, leaving your gate stuck open or dead. We repair and retrofit operators for Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Viking, and other brands. If your gate motor hums but the gate doesn’t move, call us before you assume the operator is done. Sometimes it’s a simpler fix than you’d think.
Automatic Gate Repair
Automatic gate operators in San Anselmo deal with more than just wear and tear. Damp conditions, creek-flood debris, and older wiring all contribute to failures. We service the operator, the safety photocells, keypads, and remote receivers. In flood-prone areas, we check for corrosion at the connections and re-seal what’s exposed. An automatic gate that worked before a high-water winter may not work after one, and the fix is often straightforward if you get to it early.
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 San Anselmo
We’re certified to service nine major gate brands, and in San Anselmo we see a lot of Viking swing operators on older hillside properties, Ghost Controls kits on ranch-style homes, and DoorKing slide operators on wider lots. We keep common parts for these brands on the truck, which means we can usually complete the repair in one trip. When we need a specialty part, we get it from a local supplier and schedule the follow-up when it’s convenient for you. Our Gate Repair team has worked on most makes and models you’ll find in Marin County.
Common Gate Repair Problems We See in San Anselmo Homes
San Anselmo’s housing stock and weather create specific failure patterns. Here’s what we see most often.
- Post heave from saturated soil. San Anselmo Creek’s flood history means the ground under many gate posts gets waterlogged. Concrete-set posts shift, gates go off-plumb, and suddenly the gate scrapes or won’t close. We check footing stability on every job here.
- Waterlogged wooden posts and bottom rails. Older Craftsman and Victorian gates were built with wood joinery that soaks up moisture. The Ross Valley’s wet winters slow drying, so rot works into mortise joints and post bases. A spongy bottom rail is usually the first sign.
- Obsolete operator control boards. Many San Anselmo gates still run on boards installed 15 or 20 years ago. A power surge during a storm can kill them. We can often retrofit a new board without replacing the whole operator. Retrofitting beats a full replacement when the motor and gearbox are sound.
- Debris damage after creek floods. Gates near the creek take hits from branches, mud, and debris during high-water events. Bent hinges, scratched powder coating, and jammed tracks all show up after a big storm season. We see this in the downtown-adjacent neighborhoods and creek-corridor streets more than anywhere else in Marin.
Pricing for Gate Repair in San Anselmo, CA
A typical hinge and post repair in San Anselmo runs $220 to $450 depending on the size of the gate and the condition of the post footing. Gate realignment usually costs $150 to $300. Electric gate repair starts around $180 for a basic diagnosis and simple fix, and can go to $650 or more if you need a new control board or safety photocell. Automatic gate operator replacement, when it’s genuinely needed, runs $850 to $1,600 for most residential systems in the 94960 area.
The price you’re quoted is the price you pay. No trip charge inside the county, and we don’t start any work until you’ve agreed to a written number. We offer $40 off any repair over $200, and a free second opinion on any written estimate. Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll give you an honest range over the phone before we even schedule the visit.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Anselmo
While this page is about San Anselmo, we work in the surrounding Ross Valley towns too. That includes Fairfax, Kentfield, San Rafael, and Larkspur. If you’re in one of those areas, the same crew and the same 90-Day Done Right Promise applies. You can learn more about our service area on the San Anselmo page, where we go into detail about how flood-driven soil movement affects gates across the Ross Valley.
Serving San Anselmo, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Anselmo 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 San Anselmo
Your gate is likely on flood-affected soil. San Anselmo Creek’s flood history means the ground around your posts gets saturated and shifts, pushing concrete-set posts off-plumb. Kentfield sits on better-draining ground in many areas. The fix starts with a footing assessment, not another hinge adjustment. We’ll check the post, the drainage, and the hinge hardware together. Call (877) 610-2993 and we’ll explain what’s happening on your specific property.
You can usually keep the original hardware. We specialize in matching period-style hinges, latches, and pulls for older San Anselmo homes. When the original piece is too worn or corroded to function safely, we’ll find a replacement that matches the look. A real Victorian gate with original hardware is worth preserving. We’ll tell you honestly what can be saved and what can’t.
First, check the hinges and post bases for mud and debris. Then look at the operator control board for moisture or burn marks. Finally, check that the gate still closes squarely on its track or hinges. If the post has shifted, forcing the gate closed can damage the operator. If your gate was in a flooded area of San Anselmo, call us before you run it again. We’ll do a full flood-damage inspection for the price of a standard service call, with no trip charge inside the county.
If the motor hums and the gearbox turns, the operator can usually be retrofitted with a new control board and safety sensors. That’s a $400 to $800 job in San Anselmo. If the motor is seized or the gearbox is stripped, replacement makes more sense. We’ll test it in your driveway and tell you straight. You’ll get a written quote before any work starts.
It’s the Ross Valley’s winter weather. San Anselmo gets 40 to 50 inches of rain most years, and the valley’s limited winter sun means wood never fully dries out. Bottom rails and post bases stay damp for months. The rot works into the mortise joints where water collects. There’s no perfect fix, but proper drainage around the post base and sealing the end grain helps more than most people realize. We can also rebuild the bottom rail with rot-resistant stock and keep the original look.
Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for Gate Repair in San Anselmo
If your gate is sagging, stuck, or dead, call (877) 610-2993. A live person answers, day or night. We’ll give you a straight answer about what’s wrong, what it costs to fix, and when we can be there. Free estimates, no trip charge inside the county, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job. Hal Gatewood’s 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 San Anselmo since 2001.