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Carolina Fence Works

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Gate repair

Fence Gate Repair in Charlotte, NC and Nearby

A gate that drags, swings open, or will not latch is the part of the fence you touch every day. We fix the post, square the frame, and hang it right, across south Charlotte, Union County and Fort Mill.

Gate repair $225-$600 per repair visit installed, plus tax, confirmed after the final measure

Text us photos Call (704) 750-9173

Prefer a form? Get a free written quote from your photos and rough sizes. No visit needed to quote.

Price
$225 to $600 per repair visit
Quote
Free, in writing from three photos
Gates
Wood, vinyl, aluminum
Insurance
Fully insured

Four reasons a gate sags

A gate is a heavy door hung on two posts in the dirt. When it drops, one of these four things happened. A photo of the hinge side usually tells us which.

The hinge post moved

The post that carries the gate leans, is loose in its footing, or rotted at the ground line. The gate drops with it. Nothing else holds until the post is fixed.

The hinges gave up

Hinges too small for the weight, screws pulled out of soft wood, or a bent strap. The gate pivots down at the latch side.

The frame racked

A wood gate frame is a rectangle. Without a brace, gravity pulls it into a parallelogram, and the latch corner drags on the ground.

The brace runs the wrong way

A wood brace works by pushing. It must run from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner. Run the other way, it does nothing and the gate keeps dropping.

Which way a gate brace goesTwo gates side by side. The left gate has a diagonal brace running from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner and hangs square. The right gate has the brace the other way and sags at the latch.Right: brace from the bottom hingeThe brace pushes the latch corner upWrong: brace the other wayThe gate still drops at the latchhinge
A wood brace works by pushing. It must run from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner. The other way round, the gate keeps dropping.

The brace that stops the sag

Most gates we see have a brace. Many have it backwards. A wood brace is a strut: it holds the gate square by pushing the latch corner up from the bottom hinge corner. Run it the other way and it hangs there doing nothing.

A steel cable or an anti-sag kit works the opposite way, by pulling, so it runs from the top hinge corner down to the bottom latch corner. Both are right in their own direction. We use whichever fits the gate, and we set it tight.

On a gate wider than about four feet, or a double gate for a mower, the brace alone is not enough. The posts have to be sized for the weight and set deep in concrete. That is the part most sagging wide gates were missing from day one.

What a gate repair includes

One range, $225 to $600 per repair visit, installed, plus tax, confirmed after the final measure. Where your gate lands depends on how far down the list we have to go.

Low end

Hardware

New hinges sized for the weight, a latch that catches, a stop. The posts and the frame are sound.

Middle

Re-hang and brace

The frame pulled square, a brace run the right way, the gate re-hung and adjusted so it swings clear.

High end

New hinge post

The post dug out and reset in new concrete, then the gate hung on it after the concrete cures.

A gate repair together with other fence repairs in the same visit is quoted as one job. See the cost page.

How a gate repair goes

1

Send photos for a free written quote

Send a photo of the whole gate, one of the hinge side with the post, and one of the latch. Tell us whether the gate drags, will not latch, or both. We send a written quote from the photos.

2

We fix the post first

A hinge post that leans or wobbles is reset or replaced in new concrete. A gate hung on a bad post sags again in a season.

3

We square the frame and brace it

The frame is pulled back square and braced from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner, the direction that holds.

4

We hang it with the right hardware

Hinges sized for the weight, a latch that catches, and a stop or a drop rod where the gate needs one. We swing it, latch it, and clean up.

A gate around a pool

A gate in a pool barrier has its own rules: the height of the barrier, the size of the gaps, and a gate that closes and latches on its own, with the latch out of a small child's reach. The rules differ by town and county, so check with yours before you change the gate.

We repair and hang the gates in wood, vinyl and aluminum pool fences. For a frameless glass pool fence, our sister company Carolina Glass Railing installs those.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a gate repair cost?
A gate repair is a repair visit, $225 to $600, installed, plus tax, confirmed after the final measure. New hinges and a latch on a gate that still hangs square sit low. A new hinge post set in concrete, with the gate re-hung and braced, sits higher. If the gate needs a new frame, we say so in the quote.
Why does my gate drag on the ground?
Four reasons, and a photo usually shows which one: the hinge post leans or is loose in the ground, the hinges are too small or have pulled out, the frame has racked out of square, or the brace is missing or runs the wrong way. We fix the post first, then the frame, then the hardware. Read our guide on why gates sag.
Can you make the gate close on its own?
Yes. A spring hinge or a gate closer and a gravity latch make the gate swing shut and catch by itself. Tell us if that is what you want and we put it in the quote. For a gate around a pool, the rules on self-closing and self-latching gates differ by town, so check with yours first.
My gate is vinyl. Can you fix it?
Yes. Vinyl gates usually have a metal frame inside the vinyl and aluminum hinges. We re-hang them, replace the hinges and latch, and replace a bent frame if needed. Send a photo of the hinge side and the latch so we can see what is there.
Do you build new gates?
Yes, when the old gate is past saving or you want a wider opening. A new gate in an existing fence is quoted from your photos and the width of the opening. A double gate for a mower or a car needs two sound posts and a drop rod, and we size the posts for the weight.
How soon can you come?
Send photos today and we send a written quote, usually the same business day. The work day is usually 6 to 10 days after you accept the quote, and it goes in writing. If the gate needs a new post set in concrete, the gate is hung after the concrete cures, which can mean a short second visit.

Get a Free Written Quote

Tell us about the fence and we text or call you back during business hours, usually the same day. Photos get you a faster quote: send them here.

Not sure what to measure? See our 1-page measuring guide.

2-yr warranty Fully insured Free written quote
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Our Fence Services

Fence repair, gate repair and storm damage repair, plus new wood, vinyl and aluminum fences, across south Charlotte, Union County and York and Lancaster County, SC.

Cities We Serve

Cities with their own page. We also serve the towns around them, and larger fence projects up to about an hour from Waxhaw, NC. If you do not see yours, call us.

Ready to fix the fence?

Text us two or three photos and the rough sizes, and we send you a free written quote. No visit needed to quote. We answer during business hours, usually the same day.

(704) 750-9173 Send photos for a quote

Free written quote • Fully insured • English and Spanish

Not sure what to measure? See our 1-page measuring guide.