Gate Repair in Seattle
Gate repair in Seattle often starts with a simple symptom—a latch no longer lines up, the gate drags, a hinge pulls away, or the frame shifts—but the cause can be in the gate, its posts, or the surrounding fence.
We look at the complete assembly before recommending a fix. When the gate remains structurally sound, adjustment or hardware replacement may be enough. When the support posts or frame are failing, the better answer may be partial or full gate replacement and installation.
Schedule your no-obligation on-site consultation today.
Common Gate Problems We Repair
Sagging, dragging, latch misalignment, loose hinges, cracked frames, and shifting posts are common gate symptoms. The repair should address the cause rather than repeatedly adjusting hardware around a moving structure.
Sagging Gates
A sagging gate drops at the latch end until it drags on the ground. Usually the frame has racked because it has no diagonal brace, the hinge screws have pulled out of soft wood, or the hinge post has started to lean. An anti-sag cable or a proper brace fixes the first; new hinges or a reset post fix the others.
Latch and Hinge Problems
Latches stop catching when the gate or its post moves even half an inch. Hinges loosen when the screws strip, rust through or were too small for the gate from the start. Replacing them with through-bolted, correctly sized hardware usually solves it for good.
Post Movement and Misalignment
If the gap between the gate and its latch post changes with the seasons, a post is moving — often a wood post rotting at ground level or set without enough concrete. No hardware adjustment will hold until the post is reset or replaced.
Repairing Wood, Chain Link, and Metal Gates
Different fence systems fail in different ways. Repair decisions should match the material so replacement parts, fasteners, tension, or panel sections integrate with the existing system instead of creating a mismatched weak point.
Wood Gate Repairs
Wood gates are repaired by squaring the frame, adding a diagonal brace or a turnbuckle cable, replacing rotted boards or rails and fitting heavier hinges. If the hinge post is soft at the base, it is replaced — often with a steel post behind a cedar face.
Chain Link Gate Repairs
Chain link gates usually need a bent frame straightened or replaced, new hinges or a new latch fork, or the fabric re-tensioned and re-tied. Where a gate post is bent from an impact, it is replaced and set in fresh concrete.
Metal Gate Repairs
On ornamental steel or aluminum gates, broken welds are rewelded or brackets replaced, hinges and latches swapped, and rust spots cleaned back to bare metal and recoated. A gate that has dropped usually needs its hinge post straightened or reset.
Gate Alignment, Hinges, Latches, and Hardware
Alignment problems often show up at the latch, but the source may be a post that moved or a frame that sagged. We check hinges, posts, frame geometry, and clearances together.
Realigning Gates
Alignment starts at the posts: both are checked for plumb, then the frame for square, then the hinges. Only once those are right is the latch moved, so the gate closes with an even gap top to bottom and stays that way.
Replacing Worn Hardware
Worn hinges are replaced with heavier, adjustable or ball-bearing hinges for gates that see daily use, and latches with gravity or lockable latches. Hardware is through-bolted rather than screwed where the wood is soft.
Improving Daily Operation
Small changes make a gate easier to live with: a spring or hydraulic closer so it shuts on its own, a gate stop so it cannot swing past its post, a cane bolt to hold the second leaf of a double gate, and trimming the ground where the gate scrapes.
Repair vs Gate Replacement
Repair is sensible when the structure is still serviceable and the issue is localized. Replacement is usually more logical when the frame or posts are badly deteriorated or the gate no longer fits the required opening.
When Repair Still Makes Sense
Repair is the right call when the frame is solid, the posts are firm and the problem is hardware, a missing brace or a few boards. Most of these repairs cost a fraction of a new gate.
When the Gate Is Too Far Gone
Replace the gate when its frame is rotted or cracked, it has been repaired more than once for the same fault, or it no longer fits the opening. A new gate on new posts usually costs less over time than repeated fixes.
When Adjacent Fence Problems Matter
A gate hangs off the fence, so if the posts and sections around it are leaning or rotted, fixing the gate alone will not last. In that case we look at the neighboring run as well and may recommend repairing or replacing that section together with the gate.
Gate Repair for Homes and Businesses
The same diagnostic principles apply to residential and commercial gates, but larger or more frequently used openings may need heavier-duty components and more careful traffic planning.
Residential Access Points
Home gate repairs are mostly side and backyard gates that have sagged, stopped latching or started dragging. Pool gates are a priority: they should close and latch on their own every time.
Commercial Traffic and Security Needs
Busy commercial gates wear hinges, rollers and latches much faster than home gates. Repairs use heavier-duty parts, and a damaged security gate can be secured temporarily until the replacement part is fitted.
Safety and Function
A gate that swings unexpectedly, drops when opened or pinches fingers is a hazard as well as a nuisance. Stops, closers, properly sized hinges and a secure latch make it predictable for everyone who uses it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of gate problems can you repair?
Sagging and dragging gates, latches that do not catch, loose or broken hinges, racked or cracked frames, leaning or rotted gate posts, bent chain link gates and broken welds on metal gates.
Can you fix sagging gates and bad alignment?
Yes. We check the posts first, then square the frame, add a brace or anti-sag cable and replace undersized hinges. If a post has moved, it is reset or replaced so the fix lasts.
Do you repair hinges, latches, and hardware?
Yes — hinges, gravity and lockable latches, drop rods, cane bolts, closers and gate stops, sized for the gate's weight and use and through-bolted where needed.
When should a gate be replaced instead of repaired?
When the frame is rotted or broken, the same fault keeps coming back, or the gate no longer suits the opening. If the hinge post has failed too, a new gate on new posts is usually the better value.
Do you repair wood, chain link, and metal gates?
Yes, all three, along with vinyl gates where matching parts are available. Photos of the gate, its hinges and the posts on both sides help us bring the right parts to the repair. Request a repair quote.