Gate Repair & Rebuild in Lincoln, CA
Every wood gate is in a slow-motion argument with gravity, and gravity is patient. The latch that needs a hip-check, the corner that drags a groove in the concrete, the gate you now lift-and-swing by muscle memory — that's not character, that's a repair that's been on the list too long.
Why Every Wood Gate Sags
A gate is a lever hanging off two hinges, and the load tries to rack the rectangle into a parallelogram — high on the hinge side, low on the latch side. Builder-grade gates fight that with nothing but fasteners, which is why they lose. A gate done right fights back three ways: a rigid frame, real diagonal bracing (or a steel anti-sag kit run the correct direction — from the bottom hinge up to the top latch corner), and hinges sized for the door's weight rather than whatever was cheapest per hundred.
What We Do
- Square and re-hang. Rack the gate back square, add proper bracing, re-set hinges with structural screws, adjust the latch. The everyday fix — $150–$300.
- Rebuild on existing posts. When the gate itself is done but the posts are sound, we build a new framed-and-braced gate to match your fence — $400–$650.
- Fix the hinge post. If the post is moving, no gate will stay square on it. Post gets reset or replaced first (post repair), then the gate hangs true.
- Hardware upgrades. Self-closing hinges and lockable latches — including the self-closing, self-latching setups pool barriers need — plus keyed latches for side yards.
The Lincoln Side-Yard Gate
The hardest-working gate in town is the side-yard gate: garbage cans through it twice a week, dogs testing it daily, afternoon sun cooking it, sprinklers soaking its bottom rail. They're usually the first thing on a house to sag and the last thing to get fixed. It's a one-visit repair — and if you're listing the house, it's the cheapest curb-appeal fix on the property, because a dragging gate is the first thing a buyer touches.
Double Gates and RV Gates
Double drive gates carry all the same physics twice, plus a center latch that only works when both leaves hang true. RV gates in particular — common on Lincoln's wider lots — are heavy enough that we'll often recommend a steel-framed rebuild: wood face to match the fence, steel skeleton so it swings the same in year ten as day one.
Gate Repair Questions
How much does gate repair cost?
Squaring, bracing, and re-hanging a standard gate runs $150–$300. A full rebuild on your existing posts — new framed and braced gate matched to your fence — runs $400–$650. Written quote before work either way.
Can you fix my gate without replacing it?
Usually, yes. If the wood is sound, re-squaring plus a correctly-run brace and proper hinges brings most gates back true. If the frame is rotted or the joints are gone, we'll tell you a rebuild is the honest fix.
My gate sags again every year. Why?
Either the bracing runs the wrong direction (very common on builder gates), the hinges are undersized, or the hinge post itself is moving. We diagnose which one it is before quoting — fixing the wrong one is why it keeps coming back.
Do you install self-closing pool gates?
Yes. We install self-closing, self-latching hardware of the type pool barriers require, with latches positioned out of a child's reach. If the gate serves a pool enclosure, tell us up front so the hardware is specced right.
Can you build a wider gate for RV or trailer access?
Yes — single and double drive gates, typically steel-framed with a wood face to match your fence. Post footings get sized for the extra weight so the gate still swings true years later.
Related Services
- Leaning Fence & Post Repair — $150–$600
- Wood Fence Repair — $200–$900
- Wrought Iron & Metal Fence Repair — $250–$1,200
Also serving: Lincoln Hills (Sun City) · Granite Bay