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
AfterFranchise FAQ
Latch & Post Gate Repair is part of the Cedarwell family of independently owned and operated gate specialists, serving homes and businesses since 2009. Here are direct answers to the questions prospective owners ask most before opening a location.
Common Questions
Do I need gate repair experience to open a Latch & Post location?
No. You need the willingness to run a local service business the Cedarwell way, not years of swinging a welder. We train every owner and technician on the brands families actually own: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. What you bring is local judgment and a commitment to the Care Promise. Many of our most successful operators came from outside the trades.
What is the total investment range to open a location?
Our owners’ total investment reflects a lean service model with no retail showroom and no large parts warehouse to carry from day one. You should expect startup costs to cover initial training, your service vehicle and basic tooling, local licensing and insurance, and working capital for the first months. Because every territory and market differs, we give each candidate a written breakdown during the discovery process rather than a single national figure. Call (626) 649-4572 and we will walk you through what a realistic first-year budget looks like for your area.
Do you offer financing or assist with startup funding?
We do not lend money or guarantee financing, and we will not make promises about what a bank will approve. What we do is help you prepare the numbers: equipment costs, working capital needs, and a plain-language operating plan you can take to your lender. Some owners self-fund, others use SBA or conventional small-business loans. Our job is to make sure you walk into any funding conversation with a realistic plan, not a sales pitch.
Is my territory exclusive?
Each Latch & Post location operates in a defined local territory so it can build the kind of repeat, word-of-mouth reputation that gate work depends on. We will define that territory with you before you sign anything, based on drive time, population, and where nearby Cedarwell locations begin. The point of a territory is not walling you in. It is giving you a real, defensible local market to serve well.
How long is training, and what does it cover?
Training runs in phases and covers both the hands-on and the business side before you take your first paid job. You will learn gate and opener diagnostics, repair, and installation across the brands we support, plus how the Cedarwell Care Promise works in practice: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the home, a photo of the clean-up before departure, and a written price before any work starts. We also train you on quoting, scheduling, and the systems that keep a small service operation running without chaos. Training continues after opening, not just before it.
Are there ongoing fees or royalties?
Yes, as with any franchise, there are ongoing fees in exchange for the brand, systems, training, and support you receive. The exact structure, including any royalty and marketing contribution, is detailed in the Franchise Disclosure Document you will receive during the process. We do not obscure these numbers or bury them in fine print. Before you commit, you will see every ongoing cost in writing, and you will talk to existing owners about what those fees actually return.
How long does it take from signing to opening my doors?
Most owners open within several months of signing, depending on how quickly you complete training, secure a service vehicle, and handle local licensing in your area. We do not rush you through to hit a sales target. A location opens when you are trained, equipped, and ready to deliver the 365-Day Done Right Promise from your first job, not before.
What kind of support do I get after I open?
Every location is independently owned and operated, but you are never out there alone. You get ongoing technical support on the brands we service, help with difficult diagnostics, marketing and local reputation guidance, and access to the Cedarwell systems that keep pricing, scheduling, and customer communication consistent. The support is built around real problems: a Viking control board that is not responding, a customer with a sagging gate and a tight budget, a technician call you cannot figure out. You will have people to call.
Who is the right person to open a Latch & Post location?
The right person is calm, specific, and careful with other people’s homes. They do not need to be the flashiest operator in town. They need to care that every gate comes down to two parts: the latch that holds it and the post that carries it, and that the family inside the house cares how the job is left. If you would notice a pair of shoe covers left on the floor or a hinge failing on the alley side where nobody looks, you probably understand the business already.
What is the next step if I’m interested?
Call us at (626) 649-4572. A live person answers, day or night, and will take your information and set up an initial conversation. There is no pressure and no obligation. You will get straight answers about the model, the investment, and whether Latch & Post is a fit for the market you want to serve.
Still Have Questions?
The best next step is a direct conversation. Call (626) 649-4572 and a live person will answer, answer your questions, and help you decide if Latch & Post is right for you. Or submit the form below and we will reach out.
Written by Cody Beckman, Owner at Latch & Post Gate Repair, serving the Cedarwell family of independently owned and operated gate specialists since 2009.