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 Installation Across Fairfax
Gate installation in Fairfax runs between $2,800 and $9,500 for most residential projects, and the exact number lands in writing before we touch anything. The spread comes down to gate material, driveway width, whether you’re adding automation, and how steep your lot is. We’ve worked on enough Cascade Drive hillsides and shaded bungalow streets off Sir Francis Drake to know Fairfax gates fail differently than gates two towns over. Call (626) 649-4572 and a live person answers, any hour, to schedule a free measure and written quote.
Why Latch & Post Gate Repair Is Fairfax’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
We’re a Cedarwell-family gate specialist, which means gates are the only thing we do. Not fencing, not general carpentry. Every gate comes down to two parts: the latch that holds it and the post that carries it. That’s the job we focus on. Our technicians arrive in uniform, background-checked, and they bring shoe covers and drop cloths as standard on every Fairfax visit, not as an upsell. Before work starts, you get a written price. Before we leave, you get a photo of the cleanup.
Fairfax homeowners tell us the same thing again and again: they want a straight answer on whether to repair or replace, and they want a crew that respects the house. We lay drop cloths on the floor and put on shoe covers before we step inside, we ask before we move or touch anything, and we can schedule around nap time if quiet matters. Dogs and kids don’t need the stress of a loud, chaotic worksite. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every installation: if it isn’t right, we make it right, no argument and no fine print.
Led by Cody Beckman, our crew knows the brands families actually own around here: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing. That matters when a 1970s operator on a hillside gate needs a retrofit board instead of a full replacement, and it matters when a new install has to hold plumb on a 15-degree grade.
Automatic Gate Installation in Fairfax
Automatic Gate Installation in Fairfax usually means adding an opener to an existing swing or sliding gate, or installing a complete automated gate package on a new build. On Fairfax’s older hillside lots, the automation itself is rarely the weak point. The posts, the grade, and the control board are what determine whether the system works safely. A new automatic swing gate operator typically runs $1,800 to $4,200 installed in Fairfax, depending on gate weight and whether we’re pulling new power or working with an existing circuit.
Retrofit vs. New Operator
If the existing operator is a LiftMaster or Linear unit from before 2010, we check the control board first. Older boards often lack the entrapment protection UL 325 requires today, which means the gate won’t stop and reverse if a child or pet gets caught. Swapping the board and adding fresh safety photocells can cost $600 to $1,400, roughly a third of a full operator replacement. When the hinge posts are rotted or the gate has racked downhill, though, retrofitting automation onto a failing frame just moves the problem around. In those cases replacement is the cheaper long-term answer.
Solar Openers on Shaded Lots
Fairfax’s redwood and bay laurel canopy keeps many properties in shade year-round. A solar gate opener needs direct sun for six-plus hours a day to stay reliable, and on heavily shaded lots off White Hill or near Cascade Creek, solar panels routinely underperform. We’ll tell you honestly if your lot is too shaded for solar and recommend a low-voltage hardwired run instead.
Gate Installation Services in Fairfax
Gate Installation Services in Fairfax cover driveway gates, pedestrian gates, sliding gates, swing gates, double gates, and security gates. Most Fairfax jobs involve replacing an original 1950s to 1970s redwood gate that has rotted at the base or pulled its post out of plumb. A new redwood or cedar swing gate, including new posts and hardware, typically runs $3,200 to $6,800 in Fairfax. A powder-coated steel or aluminum driveway gate runs higher, usually $5,500 to $9,500, and holds up far longer in this wet, shaded climate.
Wood Gate Replacement on Hillside Grades
Wood gates on steep Fairfax driveways need hinge placements and gate geometry that account for the grade. A gate hung level on a 12-degree slope will bind on the latch side within a year as gravity pulls it downhill. We set posts plumb to the grade, not to a bubble level, and we size the hinge hardware for the added racking load. That’s a small adjustment with a big effect on how long the gate works before it sags again.
Steel and Aluminum Installations
For Fairfax homeowners done fighting wood rot, powder-coated steel and aluminum are the practical upgrade. Steel costs more up front, but it doesn’t swell in the wet season or split after a storm. We install driveway and security gates in steel and aluminum with the same written-price discipline: you see the full number, including the power run if we’re adding automation, before any work begins.
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 Fairfax
We’re factory-trained on Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing, plus LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Elite, and Mighty Mule. For Fairfax customers that translates to a faster fix when a control board dies or a safety sensor fails. We keep common replacement boards and safety edges stocked for these brands, and when a part isn’t on the truck, our San Francisco Bay Area office gets it routed to Fairfax quickly. You won’t wait two weeks for a part that should have been available locally.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Fairfax Homes
- Hinge post rot and heave from persistent moisture. Fairfax records more than 40 inches of rain most years, and shaded properties near Cascade Creek or White Hill rarely dry out between storms. The post fails from the base up, so replacing the panel alone leaves the gate to sag again within a season or two.
- Downhill racking on steep canyon grades. Gates off Cascade Drive and similar hillside roads twist as gravity pulls the panel downhill, eventually binding on the latch side. This failure mode is almost unknown in the flat subdivisions of central Marin, but it’s routine in Fairfax.
- Obsolete control boards on legacy operators. Older LiftMaster and Linear boards lack modern entrapment protection. They don’t reverse when they should, which is a genuine safety issue around kids and dogs, not a convenience problem.
- Worn hinges and latch hardware on original redwood gates. Fairfax’s older craftsman bungalows often still have their original 1950s to 1970s gate hardware. Iron hinges rust through fast in this fog belt, and the latch side is usually the first point of failure.
Pricing for Gate Installation in Fairfax, CA
The table below reflects what we quote for Fairfax work. These are honest ranges, not teaser numbers.
- Pedestrian wood gate replacement (posts + panel + hardware): $2,800-$5,200
- Driveway swing gate, redwood or cedar: $3,200-$6,800
- Powder-coated steel or aluminum driveway gate: $5,500-$9,500
- Automatic swing gate operator (installed, existing gate): $1,800-$4,200
- Retrofit control board + safety photocells: $600-$1,400
What moves the number most in Fairfax is the post condition and the grade. Rotted posts mean digging new footings, often by hand on steep, narrow driveways. A level lot off Sir Francis Drake is faster than a canyon driveway where equipment can’t reach. You will always see the exact price in writing before any work starts. Call (626) 649-4572 for a free measure and written estimate, no pressure to accept.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fairfax
Our crews cover Fairfax and the surrounding Marin towns: San Anselmo, Kentfield, San Rafael, and Larkspur. If you’re in one of those areas, you’ll get the same written price, the same shoe covers and drop cloths, and the same Gate Installation expertise we bring to every Fairfax job. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, so a live person answers when you call, day or night.
Serving Fairfax, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fairfax 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 About Gate Installation in Fairfax
Sometimes, yes. If the hinge post is still solid and the panel hasn’t warped out of plumb, we can reset the hinges, shim the latch side, and have the gate closing cleanly the same day, usually for $180 to $400. But on older Fairfax redwood gates, the post has usually rotted at the base or heaved from moisture, and adjusting hinges alone buys a few months at most. We’ll tell you which situation you have before quoting anything, and you’ll see the written number before we start. Call (626) 649-4572 and we’ll take a look.
You shouldn’t. Older LiftMaster and Linear operators from that era lack the entrapment protection UL 325 requires, which means the gate won’t stop and reverse if a child or pet gets caught. On some models we can retrofit a new control board and add safety photocells for $600 to $1,400, which keeps the old motor and brackets. On others the board isn’t available anymore, and a new operator is the only safe option. We’ll check the exact model and give you a straight answer on which path applies to your gate.
Differential racking. On a steep grade, gravity pulls the gate panel downhill over time, which twists the frame and pushes the latch side out of alignment. It’s the failure mode we see constantly on Fairfax canyon roads like Cascade Drive, and almost never on flat subdivisions in San Anselmo or central San Rafael. The fix is resetting the hinge post plumb to the grade, not to level, and often replacing the hinges with hardware rated for the added load. On gates that have been racking for years, a new panel is usually the cheaper answer than repeated adjustments.
It depends on the shade. A solar gate opener needs direct sun for six-plus hours a day to keep its battery charged, and Fairfax’s redwood and bay laurel canopy blocks that on many lots, especially near Cascade Creek. If your gate site gets consistent afternoon sun, solar works fine. If it doesn’t, we’ll recommend a low-voltage hardwired run instead, and we’ll show you both prices in writing before you decide. We won’t sell you a solar panel that can’t do the job.
In Fairfax, usually the posts too. The town’s fog-belt moisture rots gate posts from the base up, and by the time the panel is visibly sagging, the post has often been failing for years. We recently replaced a sagging original 1960s redwood swing gate off Cascade Drive where the hinge post had heaved and the panel had racked downhill, binding on the latch side. Our crew dug out the rotted post, poured a new post footing set plumb to the grade, and reused the owner’s older LiftMaster gate operator after swapping its obsolete control board and adding fresh safety photocells. If your post reads solid on inspection, we’ll happily replace just the panel and tell you the honest difference in lifespan. Call (626) 649-4572 for a free inspection and written quote.
Written by Cody Beckman, Owner at Latch & Post Gate Repair, serving Fairfax and the surrounding Marin County towns.