A gate that drops, sticks, or fails to self-close is the most common single-issue call we field. The good news is that most gate problems trace back to one of three causes — hinge wear, post movement, or frame deformation — and almost all of them can be fixed in a single visit. We diagnose on site, give you an honest number, and most of the time we are loading the truck back up the same afternoon.
Worn Hinges and a Sagging Latch Side
Hinge wear — the most common call we field across Roswell and Alpharetta — is the easiest failure to spot. If your gate sags only on the latch side and the hinge post is still plumb, the hinges are worn or undersized — usually a fix that costs a fraction of full aluminum gate replacement. Local pros in our network carry heavy-duty replacement hinges from D&D Technologies and Lee Valley and can swap most pairs in thirty minutes.
If the original install used standard T-hinges, the upgrade to self-closing strap hinges typically costs eighty to a hundred forty dollars in hardware and labor — and it is the last hinge fix you will ever need on that gate.
When the Hinge Post Itself Is Pivoting
Post movement is the next failure mode. If the hinge post is leaning toward the latch side, the post itself is pivoting in the ground — usually because the original install used inadequate post depth or skipped concrete. The fix is either a sister-post (galvanized steel sleeve driven alongside the original) or a full post reset with new concrete.
Sister-post is faster and cheaper; full reset is the better long-term answer if you are planning to keep the gate for another decade.
Diagonal Bracing Repairs for Frame Deformation
Frame deformation is the third failure mode. A gate is a rectangle, and rectangles want to become parallelograms under load. Without a diagonal brace running from the bottom hinge corner to the top latch corner, the rectangle deforms over time and the latch side drops.
We add a diagonal brace on every repair where the original gate did not have one — wood brace on wood gates, turnbuckle cable on metal frames. It is the kind of fix you only do once.
Pool Gate Self-Closure Failure and Re-Certification
Pool gates have a fourth failure mode unique to them: self-closure failure. Pool code requires the gate to close from any open angle without any human assistance, and the hardware that makes that happen — D&D MagnaLatch hinges with adjustable spring tension — wears or loses spring force over time. Contractors in our network carry replacement MagnaLatch hardware on every truck — the same kind local pros in our network hang on every new gate installation — and re-tension or replace as needed.
The gate has to pass inspection again before you sell the house, so vetted contractors in our network test it the way the inspector will, before we leave.
Recent Gate Repair Projects
Hands-On Experience With Gate Repair
We were called by a homeowner in Sandy Springs in mid-2024 because their pool gate had failed inspection at sale. The buyer's inspector had identified that the gate did not self-close from a thirty-degree open angle. We diagnosed worn spring tension on the original D&D hinges, adjusted to manufacturer-spec torque, and re-tested at every angle from five to ninety degrees.
The gate passed re-inspection the same week and the closing was not delayed. Total cost was under two hundred dollars — a fraction of what a full gate replacement would have run, and the closing happened on time.
Craftsmanship & Quality Standards
Self-closing hinge tension is adjusted via a hex-key on the upper hinge body, with manufacturer-specified turn counts published in the data sheet. Too little tension and the gate does not close from low-angle openings; too much tension and the gate slams hard enough to damage the latch over time. Contractors in our network adjust to the published spec — typically four to six turns clockwise from the relaxed position for most D&D MagnaLatch models — and verify with a five-degree, thirty-degree, sixty-degree, and ninety-degree test cycle.
That is how the inspector tests it, and that is how the contractor we match you with test it.
Why Homeowners Choose Our Gate Repair
Same-visit repair on most jobs
Hardware-stocked trucks complete most gate repairs in one visit.
Diagnostic-first pricing
We diagnose before we quote. No replacement when repair is the right answer.
Heavy-duty hardware upgrades
If the original used light-duty hinges, the repair includes the upgrade.
Pool code re-certification
Self-closing, self-latching adjustment to manufacturer spec for inspection passes.
1-year warranty on repairs
Workmanship and parts covered for 12 months.
How We Install Your Gate Repair
- 1
On-site diagnostic
Hinge, post, frame, and hardware checked in sequence.
- 2
Written quote
Repair scope and parts spelled out — no surprise add-ons.
- 3
Repair work
Most repairs completed same visit; larger fixes scheduled within the week.
- 4
Test cycle
Gate operated through full swing range and self-close angles where applicable.
- 5
Warranty
1-year written warranty on the repair.
Licensing, Insurance & Credentials
All of our contractors are licensed and insured, factory-trained on D&D Technologies and Lee Valley hardware, and have been repairing gates since 2020.
Gate Repair Questions, Answered
Why does my gate drag the ground?
Either hinges have worn, the hinge post is leaning, or the gate frame has lost square. Diagnostic visit identifies which one.
Can a sagging gate be saved?
Almost always. Hinge replacement, post sister, and frame brace cover 95% of sagging gate fixes.
Why won't my pool gate self-close?
Hinge spring tension has fallen out of spec, or hinges are worn out. Contractors in our network adjust or replace and re-test against pool code requirements.
How fast can you come out?
Most diagnostic visits scheduled within 3 business days; emergency calls (gate down on a pet-active yard) are same-day when possible.
Do you repair gates you didn't install?
Yes. We repair regardless of who built the original.