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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Before
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AfterFast, Reliable Gate Access Control Across Aubrey
Gate access control in Aubrey comes down to one thing more than any other: how the gate handles our soil and our weather. We work on rural pipe gates three miles east of US-377 and automated driveway gates inside Sandbrock Ranch in the same week. The equipment is different, the problems are different, but the fix usually starts with the same question: is the post still plumb? If you need a keypad that works, a remote that actually opens from the road, a phone entry box your delivery driver can use, or a video intercom that shows you who is at the gate before you let them in, call (979) 291-0947. We answer the phone, and we drive to Aubrey regularly. Not “we’ll try to route somebody up there.” We come.
Why Gatewood Fence & Gate Is Aubrey’s Preferred Gate Access Control Company
We have been doing Gate Access Control since before most master-planned communities in Aubrey had their first street poured. Hal Gatewood started this company in 2001, and his name is on the shop and on every invoice. That matters to Aubrey homeowners because a gate access system is not something you want repaired by a guy in a rented van who is three jobs away from an exit.
Aubrey customers call us because we show up when we say we will. The live person who answers the phone at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m. is the same person who schedules the repair. No phone tree. No voicemail that says “your call is important to us.” When you call about a gate that will not close before you leave for work, we treat that as urgent because it is. Homes in Aubrey have livestock, kids, and equipment behind those gates. You need the gate working, and you need the access control working. Every job we do carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the gate binds, the keypad dies, or the intercom stops carrying audio, one call brings Hal back. Not “we will look into it.” He comes back and fixes it.
Our techs are background-checked and uniformed. We service nine major gate brands including LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. And we do our own welding on-site, right in your driveway or on your easement. That means the fix stays fixed instead of getting hauled to a shop two counties over.
Our Gate Access Control Services in Aubrey
Aubrey’s access control needs span two different worlds. On the east side of US-377, we see old ranch gates where the new homeowner bolted a motor onto a 14- or 16-foot pipe gate that was built for a tractor, not a remote. On the west side and in the newer developments, we see HOA-standard ornamental gates with LiftMaster or FAAC operators and owners who want their neighbors to stop using a shared code. The services below cover both.
Keypad Entry
A keypad on an Aubrey gate takes a beating. Sun, ice, dust from gravel driveways, and the occasional horse nosing at the box. A basic keypad install in Aubrey might start around $250 to $450 for the hardware and wiring, depending on whether we are extending power from the house or setting up a solar loop. Most people want a keypad with a rolling code so the neighbor you gave the code to last spring cannot pass it along to anyone else. We program them, hardwire them, and mount them inside a weather-sealed box that survives a Texas hailstorm.
Remote Control
A clicker that only works from your driver’s seat window is useful. A remote that opens the gate from 150 feet away while you are still on the gravel county road is better, and that is what most Aubrey acreage owners need. We install dual-button or visor-clip remotes matched to your operator, whether it is a newer LiftMaster LA400 or an old Mighty Mule that still has life in it. Remote programming and replacement on an Aubrey gate typically runs $75 to $180 for the remote and programming if you already have a functioning receiver. If we are adding a receiver to an older operator, expect another $120 to $250 in parts and bench time.
Phone Entry
Phone entry boxes are the workhorse for Aubrey homes with long driveways. UPS drivers, feed delivery trucks, and guests all need a way in that does not involve you walking to the gate. A cellular phone entry box install in Aubrey runs about $700 to $1,400 depending on whether we mount it on a pedestal, a square post, or the gate column itself. The higher end includes a cell signal from the major carriers and no landline needed. We also service older Multi-Link or DoorKing systems that have gone dark after a storm or a SIM card failure.
Card Reader
Card readers show up more on newer gated communities and a few Aubrey acreage owners who run weekend operations or have staff. We install proximity card readers tied to vehicle gates and pedestrian gates, usually $400 to $900 per reader including the controller integration, and we can pre-issue cards for anyone who needs regular access. If a reader stops reading after an ice storm, we swap it on-site rather than telling you to replace the whole system.
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 Aubrey
We stock parts for LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Mighty Mule, and six other major brands, and we carry cold-weather lubricants and replacement gearboxes that matter specifically in Denton County winters. A LiftMaster operator on a Sandbrock Ranch driveway gate and an FAAC hydraulic operator on a legacy pipe gate east of US-377 require different parts, different torque settings, and different installation approaches. We know which one is which before we pull into your drive. We also do on-site welding, so if the brand-specific hinge bracket is backordered, we can fabricate a bracket that fits the gate and the operator rather than leaving your gate disconnected for two weeks.
Common Gate Access Control Problems We See in Aubrey Homes
The problems we find in Aubrey are not the same ones we find in Frisco or Celina. Aubrey has a specific property pattern that creates specific failures. Here are the four we see most:
- Heaved posts and binding swing gates. Denton County’s Blackland Prairie clay swells in wet springs and shrinks in August. A hinge post set three feet deep can still heave an inch out of plumb after an extended wet spell, and that inch is enough to bind the rack and pinion and overload the operator. We reset post footings deeper and weld in new brackets that hold in this soil.
- Retrofitted operators on legacy ranch gates. East of US-377, many subdivided ranch parcels kept their original wide-clearance pipe swing gates sized for cattle trailers. New owners bolt a residential LiftMaster onto a 16-foot pipe gate that weighs three times what the operator was rated for. The gearbox strips, the hinge welds crack, and the gate works for a season and then quits. We often reinforce the gate frame and hinge post before remounting an operator that can actually handle the load.
- Ice-weakened welds and seized operators. Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 cracked weld joints on steel gates all over Aubrey, and operators that lacked cold-weather lubricants seized when the thaw refroze. We still find freeze damage on older systems that were “fixed” with a quick patch two winters ago. We re-weld, re-grease, and replace seals so the next ice event does not finish the job.
- Dead solar kits on long driveways. A gate sitting 400 feet from the nearest outlet cannot run on an extension cord. We install solar gate openers sized for the gate’s cycle count, and we replace undersized solar kits that die every winter. Aubrey acreage owners tell us this all the time: the previous owner installed a solar opener, the new owner inherited a dead battery, and now the gate sits open. We fix that.
Pricing for Gate Access Control in Aubrey, TX
Here are straight numbers for Aubrey. A new keypad install runs $250 to $450. Remote programming and replacement: $75 to $180. Phone entry cellular box: $700 to $1,400. Card reader per unit: $400 to $900. A full solar gate opener package for a 12- to 16-foot gate on a rural Aubrey lot: $1,800 to $3,200 installed, depending on gate weight and cycle count. A video intercom added to an existing operator: $600 to $1,200. Repair work is quoted before any part gets ordered or any wrench gets turned. If we come inside Denton County, there is no trip charge, and we will take $40 off any repair over $200. Seniors and veterans get a permanent 10% discount. The price we quote is the price you pay. No “discovered additional issues” surprises at the end.
We Also Serve Cities Near Aubrey
Our Gate Access Control in Aubrey service area runs through the surrounding communities. If you live in Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper, or Celina, the same crew that handles Aubrey’s ranch gates and subdivision gates covers you too. Same live phone answer. Same 90-Day Done Right Promise. Same on-site welding. Call (979) 291-0947 and we will put you on the schedule for the next run through your area.
Serving Aubrey, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Aubrey 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 Access Control in Aubrey
Aubrey sits on Blackland Prairie Vertisols, a shrink-swell clay that expands after wet spring rains and contracts during summer droughts. Posts set in shallow concrete move with the soil, and even a half-inch shift binds a swing gate and overloads the operator. We reset posts at a deeper footing depth and use concrete blends that resist the swelling. If your post has already moved, you need it reset and re-braced, not just readjusted. Call (979) 291-0947 and we will come check the plumb and the operator’s draw before it strips a gear.
Sometimes, but not with a residential opener. Many Aubrey acreage lots east of US-377 still have their original wide-clearance pipe gates sized for cattle and tractors. Those gates weigh far more than a standard residential operator can cycle. We inspect the hinge post, gate weight, and clearance first, then match an operator rated for the load. In some cases we reinforce the gate frame or weld in a new hinge post bracket before any motor gets mounted. If the gate is too far gone, we will tell you that too, and replace it with a properly built gate at a price you approve before we start.
If the gate is automatic and opens when vehicles pull in, yes. A loop detector buried in the drive reads a vehicle’s metal mass and tells the gate when to open and when not to close on a car. Without one, you are relying on photo eyes and hope, and on a long Aubrey driveway with cattle trailers and ranch trucks, the gate eventually closes on something. We install loop detectors for new slide gate systems and add them to existing systems that keep stopping short or reversing for no reason. Call (979) 291-0947 for a quote on a loop detector install or replacement.
For a gate 200-plus feet from the house on an Aubrey acreage lot, we recommend a solar-compatible linear actuator or ram-style opener with a panel sized for the gate’s daily cycles, not a cheap battery box from a big-box store. We size panels based on winter sun angles and gate weight, and we use Mighty Mule and LiftMaster solar kits when they fit the gate, plus FAAC for heavier pipe gates. The key is battery capacity and a panel that charges in Denton County’s short December days. If you already have a solar opener that dies every winter, the fix is usually a larger panel and a fresh deep-cycle battery, not a whole new motor. Call (979) 291-0947 for an honest read on your existing solar system.
Yes. Automatic gates in Texas, including Aubrey, must have entrapment protection, meaning photo eyes, contact edges, or both, that stop and reverse the gate if a person, animal, or vehicle is in the way. A gate that closes on a child or a dog is a serious injury and a liability. We check entrapment protection on every automatic gate we service in Aubrey, and if your old ranch gate has a motor bolted on with no safety eyes, we will flag it before we do anything else. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the safety devices we install. Call (979) 291-0947 to have your gate’s entrapment protection checked.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Aubrey and the surrounding Denton County communities since 2001.