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 Kent
A broken gate in Kent isn’t something you can ignore for a week. Whether it’s a sagging wood swing gate off SE 256th Street or an automatic slide gate at a home near Lake Meridian that’s stopped responding to the remote, you need a tech who’ll show up, diagnose the real problem, and give you a written price before turning a wrench. Calder Gate Repair serves all of Kent, from East Hill down through the valley floor and over toward Panther Lake. We’re the dedicated Gate Repair team inside the Relay Home Co. family, and when you call (903) 417-0793, a live person answers, day or night. No voicemail. No call-back-whenever. Just a straight answer and a real arrival time you can track.
Why Calder Gate Repair Is Kent’s Preferred Gate Repair Company
Kent homeowners call us because we answer the phone and we stand behind the work, in writing. Every repair carries three guarantees you’ll never have to ask for: a written price before any work starts, a written guarantee on every repair, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise. That promise means if the repair fails within 365 days, we return at no charge. It’s not a vague “satisfaction” pledge, it’s a free second visit, stated on every job ticket.
Nico Alvarez oversees our Kent gate work, and the crews are all background-checked, uniformed techs who dispatch with a live, trackable arrival time. That’s The Relay Standard applied to gate repair: you see who’s coming, when they’ll arrive, and what the job costs before anything gets taken apart. For a gate near the Green River or up on the East Hill plateau, we know the drives, the neighborhoods, and the specific ways Kent soil and weather chew through gate hardware. Local knowledge isn’t a marketing line for us, it’s how we know to check the post footing first when a swing gate starts dragging.
Metal Gate Repair in Kent
Metal Gate Repair in Kent covers everything from a rusted-out hinge weld on an aluminum estate gate off 132nd Avenue SE to a bent steel slide gate track after a delivery truck clipped it near the Kent Station area. We cut out rusted sections, weld in new steel, re-hang panels, and replace rollers, guides, and wheels. Most metal gate repairs in Kent run $225 – $480 before parts; a full hinge and weld repair on a heavy steel gate typically lands between $400 and $700 depending on panel weight and access.
Weld and Rust Repair
Kent’s wet season means exposed steel gates near the valley floor rust faster than the same gate would on higher, drier terrain. We grind out rust, repair or replace the affected section, and treat the joint so it doesn’t re-corrode the same way. If the rust has compromised the hinge welds, we cut the old hinges off, re-weld, and re-hang the gate.
Hinge and Post Replacement
On steel gates, a failing hinge usually shows up as a gate that drops at the latch side or squeals when it moves. We replace the hinge, re-set the gate so it swings level, and when needed, sleeve or re-pour a steel post that’s rotted at the base. A hinge post replacement on a metal gate in Kent generally runs $350 – $650.
Wood Gate Repair in Kent
Wood Gate Repair in Kent often starts with a gate that drags on the latch post or won’t close evenly, not because the wood is bad, but because the post has moved. Kent’s glacial till soil expands when wet and shrinks when dry. That cycle slowly rotates posts out of plumb, especially on the East Hill side where the clay content is higher. The panel can be perfectly sound and the gate still sags. That’s why we treat the post footing, not the gate panel, as the first thing to check on any sagging swing gate in Kent.
Post Footing and Realignment
When a wood gate sags, we dig out around the post, re-pour or re-set the footing below the frost line, and re-hang the gate so it swings level. A typical post re-set and gate realignment in Kent runs $300 – $550. If the post itself is rotted at ground level, we replace the post and re-set the footing, which usually lands between $450 and $800.
Lock and Latch Repair
A gate that won’t latch is a security issue in a city the size of Kent, and it’s also the fastest way to burn out a gate opener that keeps cycling against a stuck latch. We repair or replace latches, install new lock hardware, and adjust strike alignment. Simple latch repairs run $125 – $250.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kent
Our techs are factory-familiar with Linear, Viking, and Ghost Controls, among six other major opener brands. That means we don’t show up and learn your system from the manual, we already know how the board’s wired, what the error codes mean, and which parts are worth replacing versus which ones aren’t. For Kent customers, we keep common Linear and Viking boards, receivers, and safety photocells on the truck, so a repair that would otherwise wait on a shipped part often gets finished the same visit. If you’ve got a Ghost Controls arm that’s lost its limits after a wet winter, we can re-program it and test the reversal function before we leave.
Common Gate Repair Problems We See in Kent Homes
- Hinge post rotation from clay-heavy till. On Kent’s East Hill, the soil expands and contracts through the wet-dry cycle, and gate posts heave or tilt within a couple of seasons unless they’re set below the frost line. The gate sags even though the panel and hinges are sound.
- Rack and pinion misalignment on slide gates. Winter ground movement shifts the track or the rack, and the operator starts binding or tripping its limits. We re-align the rack, shim the track, and re-test the full travel.
- Loop detector and photocell faults after rain. Kent’s wet season finds water intrusion in surface-mounted vehicle loops and exposed photocell wiring, which makes the gate refuse to close or reverse when there’s nothing in the way. We locate the ingress, reseal, and often replace the sensor rather than patch it.
- Corroded low-voltage wiring at the operator. Years of rain exposure leaves keypad wires and safety edge circuits green and intermittent. We run new low-voltage wire, seal the connections, and test every safety input before we pack up.
Pricing for Gate Repair in Kent, WA
We Also Serve Cities Near Kent
Calder Gate Repair handles gate work throughout the Kent area, including Gate Repair in Kent and the surrounding communities. We regularly serve homeowners in Renton, Auburn, Federal Way, and Maple Valley with the same written pricing and 365-Day Done Right Promise we offer right here in Kent.
Serving Kent, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kent 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 Repair in Kent
My Kent gate sags but the panel looks fine – what’s actually wrong?
The post is almost always the culprit. Kent’s glacial till soil swells and shrinks with the wet-dry cycle, which slowly rotates posts out of plumb, especially on East Hill. The fix is to re-set or re-pour the post footing below the frost line and then re-hang the gate. A post re-set and realignment in Kent typically runs $300 – $550. Call (903) 417-0793 and we’ll confirm the diagnosis and give you a written price before any digging starts.
Do you offer same-day gate installation in Kent?
No, and we’ll tell you that straight. A proper gate installation in Kent requires a measured post layout, footings dug below the frost line, a concrete cure, power run, safety edges, and UL 325 entrapment reversal testing. That work is measured, ordered, and scheduled, not rushed. We offer a free measure and a written installation price so you know the full scope before you book.
What brands of gate operators do you service in Kent?
We service nine major opener brands, including Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. If you’ve got a Linear operator near East Hill or a Viking unit near Lake Meridian, we stock common boards and sensors locally so we can often finish the repair the same visit.
Is my automatic gate required to have entrapment protection in Kent?
Yes. Under UL 325 and Washington codes, automatic gates must have entrapment protection, typically a safety photocell or edge, and the operator must reverse when the safety device triggers. On a recent job near Kent’s East Hill, we finished by testing the safety photocell and reversal function before we called the job done. That test is standard on every automatic gate repair we do in Kent. Never try to repair, bypass, or re-wire a high-tension gate opener or its safety sensors yourself, those systems store serious mechanical and electrical force. Call a trained tech.
Why does my Kent gate operator keep tripping after rain?
Water intrusion, usually. Kent’s wet season lets moisture into surface-mounted loop detectors, exposed photocell wiring, or corroded low-voltage connections at the operator, which causes nuisance tripping or a gate that won’t stay closed. We locate the ingress, replace the affected sensor or wiring, and seal it properly so the next rain doesn’t do the same thing. Same-day service is available for emergency repairs in Kent, call (903) 417-0793 and a live person will get you scheduled.
Written by Nico Alvarez, Owner at Calder Gate Repair, serving Kent and the surrounding South King County area.