Wrought iron
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LiftMaster operatorsFree 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.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable Gate Installation Across Novato
Gate installation in Novato runs anywhere from $1,400 for a basic pedestrian gate to $9,500+ for a custom steel driveway gate with automation. That’s the honest range we quote, in writing, before a single bolt comes off the truck. We’ve installed, repaired, and rebuilt gates across Novato since 2009 as part of the Cedarwell family of independently owned and operated gate specialists, so we know exactly what the fog and salt air off San Pablo Bay do to metal. If you’re in Hamilton, Ignacio, Indian Valley, or anywhere in between, call (628) 227-2771 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Latch and Post Gate Repair San Francisco Is Novato’s Preferred Gate Installation Company
Novato homeowners keep calling us back because we treat a gate installation the way they’d treat it themselves: carefully, cleanly, and with the exact price on paper before work starts. Our technicians arrive in uniform, background-checked, and with shoe covers and drop cloths as standard kit, not an upsell. That means when we walk through your Hamilton rancher or your Ignacio hillside home to reach the side yard, your floors stay exactly as we found them.
What really sets us apart in Novato is that we don’t just hang a gate and leave. We document the cleanup with a photo before we go, we follow the Cedarwell C.A.R.E. values on every visit (ask before we touch anything, explain the price before the work, respect quiet hours when kids are napping), and every installation is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not right, Latch & Post makes it right. No argument, no fine print. Homeowners in Novato who’ve dealt with crews that leave a mess or disappear when something fails usually tell us that’s the part they appreciate most.
We’re coordinated out of the brand’s San Francisco Bay Area office, and our crews serve Novato locally, which means we can schedule around your week instead of asking you to wait for a window that never comes. Cody Beckman leads our team, and his name is on every installation we do. When you call (628) 227-2771, you get straight answers from someone who actually knows Novato gates.
Styles & brands we work with
Gate Opener Installation in Novato
Gate Opener Installation in Novato is where we see the biggest difference between inland jobs and what actually works here. The salt fog that rolls off San Pablo Bay corrodes circuit boards and limit switches years faster than anywhere east of the hills. We stock surge-hardened boards and marine-grade connectors for exactly that reason. A basic swing gate opener install in Novato typically runs $800 to $2,000, and a slide gate operator with battery backup on a steep Ignacio driveway can reach $3,500 to $5,500 once you factor in the post reinforcement and wiring.
Operators Built for Steep Driveways
In Ignacio and Indian Valley, driveway slopes put constant load on the motor every time the gate cycles. We spec operators with higher torque ratings and recommend solar or battery-backup models so the gate keeps working when wind-driven power spikes knock out the controller. Ghost Controls and DoorKing both make units we’ve installed successfully on Novato hillsides.
Surge Protection for Windy Season
Novato’s windy stretch from late fall through spring sends voltage spikes through older wiring and fries operator boards. We install dedicated surge protection at the operator and at the panel, which costs about $150 to $300 and saves you a $400 to $900 board replacement later. It’s a small line item we include in every quote, not a surprise add-on.
Gate Fabrication in Novato
Gate Fabrication in Novato means choosing materials that can handle decades of marine-layer fog, not just a few wet winters. Most stock gates from big-box stores are painted steel, and paint fails first at the welds and the post footings. We fabricate with galvanized steel and stainless fixings, then powder-coat over the galvanized layer. A custom galvanized pedestrian gate in Novato starts around $1,800 to $4,000. A double driveway gate, fabricated to your opening, runs $4,500 to $9,500 depending on height, style, and automation.
Galvanized Steel vs. Painted Steel
On Novato’s west side, a painted steel gate can show rust at the weld points within three to five years. Galvanized steel, properly done, gives you fifteen to twenty before you’ll think about replacement. The difference in material cost is usually $300 to $800 per gate, and it’s the best money you can spend up front.
Rust-Through Repair vs. Full Replacement
If your Hamilton tubular steel gate has rusted through at the welds but the panel is still solid, we can sometimes splice new galvanized sections and rebuild the hinge points. That runs $600 to $1,500 compared to $2,500 to $6,000 for full replacement. We’ll tell you which route makes sense after we look at the corrosion, and the price is on paper before we cut anything.
Trusted Brands We Service in Novato
Our technicians are factory-trained on the equipment Novato families actually have: LiftMaster, FAAC, BFT, Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. We keep common parts for Linear, Viking, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing operators on our trucks when we head into Novato, so a repair that would take a week for parts from a catalog often happens the same day. When we install, we match the operator to your gate’s weight, your driveway’s slope, and your home’s electrical setup rather than selling you whatever’s on the shelf. That’s how you end up with a gate that still works ten years later instead of one that quits on the first foggy morning.
Common Gate Installation Problems We See in Novato Homes
- Rust-through at welds on Hamilton tubular steel gates. The original gates built when Hamilton Field converted to civilian housing are now hitting forty to fifty years old, and the welds are the first point to fail in salt air. We see hinge posts rusted clean through at grade, which means the post has to be cut out and replaced, not just patched.
- Operator boards shorting during windy-season power surges. Hillside homes in Ignacio and Indian Valley get hit by power fluctuations during high wind events, and surge spikes are the leading cause of dead gate operators up there. A surge protector at the panel is cheap insurance.
- Wooden gates swelling and binding in damp morning fog. Marin fog keeps wooden gates damp for hours every morning, which swells the panels and shifts the post alignment over a season or two. The hinge post takes the extra load and eventually leans, making the gate drag or fail to latch.
- Undersized operators on steep driveways. We regularly replace motors that were sized for a flat suburban lot but installed on a 15 or 20 percent grade. The motor burns out from cycling under load, and the fix is a heavier operator with a stronger swing arm and battery backup.
See the difference
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AfterPricing for Gate Installation in Novato, CA
Most Novato gate installations land between $1,400 and $9,500, and the spread comes down to three things: the size of the opening, the material you choose, and whether you’re adding automation. A basic pedestrian gate with a manual latch runs $1,400 to $3,000. A single swing driveway gate with a Linear or Ghost Controls operator typically costs $3,500 to $6,500. A fabricated double gate with battery-backed automation reaches $6,000 to $9,500. Every quote includes the written price before work starts, and that’s the price you pay. Call (628) 227-2771 for a free estimate; we’ll walk the site, measure the opening, and give you numbers you can plan around.
We Also Serve Cities Near Novato
If you’re just outside Novato, we also cover Gate Installation in Novato neighbors in San Rafael, Vallejo, San Pablo, and Richmond. The same written pricing, the same cleanup standard, and the same live-person phone answer apply wherever we go. Many of our Novato customers send family in San Rafael our way, and we’re glad to help.
Serving Novato, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Novato 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 Novato
A galvanized steel gate with powder coating and stainless fixings typically lasts 15 to 20 years in Novato’s marine fog before you’ll see meaningful corrosion. A painted steel gate in the same yard often shows rust at the welds within 3 to 5 years. The difference is the galvanized layer protecting the steel underneath, even when the paint eventually chips. Call (628) 227-2771 if you’d like us to look at your existing gate and tell you which end of that range you’re on.
For steep driveways in Ignacio, we spec a slide or swing operator with a higher torque rating and battery backup, typically a BFT, DoorKing, or Ghost Controls unit rated for continuous cycling under load. The grade means the motor works harder on every open and close, so undersized residential units burn out fast. We’ll match the operator to your driveway’s actual slope and your gate’s weight, and the exact number is in your written quote.
Yes, we can replace just the hinge post on an old tubular steel gate in Hamilton as long as the gate panel itself is still structurally sound. The job involves cutting out the rusted post and footing, setting a new galvanized post in concrete, and re-hanging the panel with stainless hinges. It typically runs $600 to $1,500, compared to $2,500 to $6,000 for a full new gate. Call (628) 227-2771 and we’ll tell you which route your gate actually needs.
Yes, we install solar gate openers for Novato homes, and they’re a popular choice for properties where running a new electrical line would mean trenching hundreds of feet or cutting through a hillside. A solar setup with a battery bank and a Linear or Ghost Controls operator typically runs $2,800 to $5,000 installed. Novato gets enough sun even with the morning fog that solar operators work well, but the panel placement has to account for shade on the north side of a hill. We’ll factor that into your written estimate.
Your automatic gate likely stops working after windy days in Novato because a power surge or voltage spike from the wind event has tripped or fried the operator’s control board. This is most common on hillside properties in Ignacio and Indian Valley where overhead lines get buffeted. The fix is usually a surge protector at the operator and panel, which costs $150 to $300, plus a board replacement if the board is already damaged. Call (628) 227-2771 and we’ll diagnose it, usually the same day you call.
Contact Latch and Post Gate Repair San Francisco for Gate Installation in Novato
If you’re ready to replace a rusted Hamilton gate, automate a steep Ignacio driveway, or just get an honest opinion on what your gate needs, call (628) 227-2771. A live person answers around the clock, and the estimate is free. We’ll measure your opening, talk through materials and operator options for Novato’s climate, and give you a written price before any work begins. Shoe covers on, drop cloths down, cleanup photo before we leave. That’s the standard.
Written by Cody Beckman, Owner at Latch and Post Gate Repair San Francisco, serving Novato with written pricing, clean work, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise since 2009.