Frequently Asked Questions

First, we look at the whole system: the gate leaf and hinges, the operator, the power supply, and every safety device on the loop. We photograph what we find and take current readings where relevant. Then we walk you through what's wrong in plain language and hand you a written quote with a flat price and a scope of work. You approve it, we do the work, and when we leave you get a wiring diagram and photos of everything we touched so the next technician doesn't have to guess.

Most residential repairs are done in one visit, often within an hour or two once the problem is found. Things like sensor replacements, hinge tightening, or reprogramming a remote are quick. A full operator replacement or a gate that needs to be lifted and re-hung takes longer, usually half a day. We give you a realistic window when we schedule, and we text when the tech is on the way.

You don't have to be, but you'll want to be around when we finish so we can run through what we found and show you the documentation. If you can't be there, we'll handle everything by phone: quote approval, payment, and then a call back with photos and a written summary of the work. The gate worked when you left, and it'll work when you get home is not good enough. You're getting the evidence either way.

Yes. We service every major brand, including Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, and Mighty Mule. Some manufacturers use proprietary boards and remotes, which means parts for certain units are special-order, but the mechanics of a swing-arm or slide operator don't change much from brand to brand. We keep common parts on the truck and order what we don't have. If a board is discontinued and can't be sourced, we'll tell you that before you spend a dollar on it and price a full replacement instead.

A full installation includes the gate itself, the operator, mounting, power connection, safety edges or photo eyes, and programming for your remotes and keypad. We run the low-voltage wiring, set the limits, and adjust the force settings so the gate stops if it meets resistance. The job ends with a written wiring diagram, photographed limit-switch settings, and a walkthrough of how everything works. Free measure and a written price come first.

Heat and dust kill gate electronics faster than cold does, and Fort Worth summers have both. We've had good results with higher-end residential swing operators like Ghost Controls and commercial-leaning units from DoorKing, especially on heavier gates. Mighty Mule is fine for light gates and is easy to source parts for. The honest answer is that installation quality matters more than brand: a well-mounted motor with sealed connections outlasts a premium unit that's installed sloppy every time.

We do. Mighty Mule is common on residential gates in the Fort Worth area, and parts are generally easy to get. The most frequent failures we see are control board corrosion after heavy rain and limit switch drift after a season of hot-and-dry shrinking the gate itself. If your Mighty Mule is beeping but not moving, or opening halfway and reversing, call (817) 476-9945 and we'll diagnose it before quoting anything.

Yes, and you don't always need to replace the whole operator. In many cases we can add a smart control module that works with an app and integrates with your existing motor. That's a lower cost path than a full replacement and gives you remote operation, alerts, and scheduled opening. If your current operator is old enough that a control module won't integrate, we'll tell you that plainly and price a replacement that does what you want.

It depends on the operator's age and frequency. Older units use fixed-code remotes, and newer ones use rolling code. We can match remotes and keypads to nearly any working operator from Ghost Controls, DoorKing, Elite, or Mighty Mule, and program them while we're on site. If your remote died but the gate still opens from the hardwired button, the motor is fine and this is usually an inexpensive fix.

Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires, and our crews are background-checked before they ever get a truck. That's not a sales line; it's clause 3 of the Haven Standard and it applies to every job we do in Fort Worth. We're independently owned and operated, meaning the local business is the one accountable to you, not a call center somewhere else. The license number is on the page, and you can ask for proof on site.

Most gate repairs don't need a permit in Fort Worth. Replacing an operator, changing hinges, or adding a keypad are maintenance items. If you're installing a new automated gate, some areas of Tarrant County want a permit because of electrical work involved, and we'll tell you during the quote whether one applies to your property. If it does, we handle it and include any permit costs in your written price.

Licensed, insured, and background-checked, with the license number on the page. Every technician who shows up for a Vance Gate Repair job has been through that verification before they ever put a truck in your driveway. The local team here in Fort Worth has its own reputation on the line every time, and the standard holds every crew to the same documentation and pricing rules. You get the name of the tech who's coming, and you get a text when they're on the way.

In most cases, yes. If your gate is stuck open or stuck shut and you call before mid-morning, there's a good chance a tech can be out the same day. If your gate is stuck shut trapping a car in the driveway, that's an emergency, and we treat it like one. Call (817) 476-9945 and tell us what's happening. We'll give you a straight answer about when someone can be there.

Yes. The phone is answered 24/7, seven days a week, including holidays. When you call, a live coordinator answers and connects you with the local team here in Fort Worth. If it's two in the morning and your gate won't close and your dog is in the yard, you are not leaving a voicemail and hoping. Someone picks up.

Call us immediately at (817) 476-9945. A gate stuck open is an urgent situation for most people; it's not just an inconvenience, it's a security risk for your home and, if you have pets or children, a safety risk. Don't force the gate manually if it's motorized, especially if it's mid-cycle; you can damage the operator or hurt yourself against the motor's resistance. Our phone is answered 24/7, and we'll get someone out as soon as we can.

Yes. A moving gate has a motor with enough torque to cause serious injury, and the electrical side carries current that can shock you if you don't know what you're doing. High-tension springs, pinch points, and the gate's own weight all make DIY work riskier than it looks. What seems like a simple fix can easily become a hospital trip. We're trained for this and we'd rather show up for a $200 fix than read about you on the news.

Yes. Every repair leaves with a written warranty that tells you exactly what's covered and for how long. If something we touched fails inside that window, we come back and fix it. That guarantee is part of the documented record you get when the job is done, not a handshake and a hope. Since 2014, across more than 22,000 gates repaired and installed, every one has been priced in writing before it started and documented when it left.

Your written warranty covers the parts we replaced and the work we did. If a new sensor fails or a board we installed goes bad within the coverage window, the part and the labor to swap it are on us. It doesn't cover damage from things outside our work: a car hitting the gate, a tree limb falling on it, or someone driving through before the gate fully opens. You'll see the full terms in writing before you ever approve a job.

Then we come back. If the same issue reappears and it's traceable to our work, the warranty covers the return visit. If it turns out to be a different problem in the same general area, we'll show you what we found and price that fix separately in writing. That's the whole point of the documentation: when you get the wiring diagram and photos of our original work, there's no debate about what happened the first time.

The Haven Standard is the set of operating rules every Vance Gate Repair job runs on. Clause 1: Have it in writing, flat price, written scope, written warranty before anyone starts. Clause 2: Arrive on schedule, real window, named tech, text when en route. Clause 3: Verified crews, licensed, insured, background-checked. Clause 4: Evidence on every job, photos and readings of what we actually found. Clause 5: No surprises, no upsell, no scope creep, no "while we're in here." Since 2014, every gate has left with a documented record under that standard.

Written by Adrian Vance, Owner at Vance Gate Repair Fort Worth, serving Fort Worth since 2014.