// Driveway & automatic gate repair · St. Louis metro
Gate stuck open or closed?
One call to reach an independent local gate pro for openers, remotes and keypads, sensors, sagging or hit gates, and commercial gates. Missouri and Metro East Illinois.
- Openers / operators
- Remotes & keypads
- Photo eyes
- Gate welding
- Commercial & HOA
STL Gate Repair is an independent referral service, not a gate company or opener dealer, and is not affiliated with any gate or opener manufacturer. We connect people in the St. Louis area with independent local gate pros, who set their own prices and are responsible for their own work.
01 You call (314) 673-5554
02 We match a local gate pro
03 They call back and quote
Free referral. No dealer ties.
Requests accepted any time.
Stuck open overnight? Car trapped inside?
Don't force a gate that's under power. Switch the opener off, use the manual release the way your manual shows, and keep everyone clear of the gate's path. Then call.
(314) 673-5554What's your gate doing?
Pick the symptom. Each one lists safe checks a homeowner can do before a tech arrives, and when to stop and call. General guidance only. Always follow your opener's manual.
Before you touch anything
- Keep people, pets and cars out of the gate's path while anything is being checked.
- Switch off power to the operator (switch, breaker or battery disconnect) before using the manual release.
- Use the manual release the way your opener's manual or label shows. It varies by model: a key, a knob, a lever or a pin.
- Never disconnect, tape over or bypass photo eyes or safety edges to make a gate close.
- Don't climb, ride or push hard on a gate that's damaged or off its hinges.
Switch, breaker, GFCI outlet, battery, solar panel.
Clean both lenses, clear the beam, check alignment lights.
Power off first. Then release per your manual and move it by hand.
S-01Won't open or close at allUsually power or batteries, a tripped safety device, or a failed board or motor.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Is the operator getting power? Check the switch, the breaker and any GFCI outlet that may have tripped.
- Solar or battery opener? A run of cloudy days, short winter days or an old battery can leave it dead.
- Try a second remote and the keypad. If one works, the problem is the remote, not the gate.
- Look for anything in the path or blocking a photo eye: bins, snow, a parked car, branches.
Stop and call if
- The motor hums or clicks but the gate doesn't move
- A burning smell, sparks or a scorched box
- Visible damage to the arm, hinges or post
S-02Opens partway, stops or reversesOften the opener sensing resistance: a binding hinge, drag, wind, ice, a sensor, or limits that need setting.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Walk the gate's path and clear gravel, leaves, snow or ice, especially at the bottom edge.
- Wipe both photo-eye lenses and check they face each other. Many have an indicator light that shows alignment.
- With power OFF and the operator released, move the gate by hand. It should swing or roll smoothly. If it binds, the problem is the gate, not the opener.
Stop and call if
- It binds or drags when moved by hand
- It reverses with nothing in the way, again and again
- It closes on something without reversing (a safety failure)
S-03Beeping, alarm or flashing lightMany operators beep to signal low battery, a sensor fault, or an alarm after repeated obstructions.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Count the beeps or flashes and note the pattern. The opener's manual or a label inside the cover usually explains it.
- Check the battery and charger or solar panel connection.
- Some openers need a reset after an obstruction alarm. Only do this as the manual describes, and only after checking the path is clear.
Stop and call if
- The alarm comes back after every reset
- The gate is closing on things
- You'd need to open the control box to check
S-04Remote or keypad deadA flat remote battery, a lost pairing, a damaged receiver or antenna, or a keypad that's failed in the weather.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Replace the remote battery and try again from close range.
- Try every remote and the keypad. If all fail, the receiver or the operator is the likely problem.
- Look at the antenna on or near the operator. Mowers and string trimmers knock them loose.
Stop and call if
- Nothing works but the operator has power
- The keypad is cracked or wet inside
- You need new remotes programmed
S-05Sagging, dragging or hard to moveWorn or broken hinges, a leaning post, a cracked weld, or frost heave moving the post or pad.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Don't keep running it. A dragging gate strains the opener and can burn out the motor.
- Look at the hinges and the hinge post. Is the post leaning? Is a weld cracked?
- Note where it drags: at the latch end, along the whole bottom, or only in cold weather.
Stop and call if
- A hinge or weld is broken
- The post is leaning or loose
- The gate could come off its hinges
S-06Hit by a car or a fallen treeBent leaves and frames, broken hinges, a damaged operator arm, or a knocked-over post.
Safe checks before the tech arrives
- Switch off power to the operator and don't try to run it.
- Keep everyone clear. A damaged gate leaf can be heavy and unstable.
- Take photos from both sides for insurance before anything is moved, if it's safe to.
- If it's stuck open and you need it closed, a chain and padlock can hold it temporarily, if that's safe.
Stop and call if
- Always. A hit gate needs a pro to inspect it
- LiftMaster
- Mighty Mule
- Apollo
- US Automatic
- Viking
- DoorKing
- FAAC
Names listed only so you can tell us what you have. STL Gate Repair is not a dealer or authorized service center and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any manufacturer.
Know your gate
The type of gate changes what goes wrong and what the pro will check. Pick the closest one on the form.
Swing gates
Single or double leaves on hinges, driven by swing-arm or linear operators.
Typical trouble: Sagging hinges, arm brackets, limits, and drag at the latch.
Slide gates
One panel rolling on a track or cantilevered on rollers, with an operator at one end.
Typical trouble: Rollers, track debris, chain or rack wear, and ice in winter.
Ornamental iron
Welded steel or wrought-iron leaves, often on stone or brick pillars.
Typical trouble: Cracked welds, rust at the bottom rail, hinge wear, and leaning posts.
Wood gates
Wood boards on a steel or wood frame. Heavy, and they move with the weather.
Typical trouble: Warping, sagging, and loose hardware that strains the opener.
Commercial
Barrier arms, heavy slide and cantilever gates for lots, yards and HOA entrances.
Typical trouble: High cycle counts, access-control wiring, and vehicle damage.
Six kinds of gate work
Each spec sheet covers symptoms, what a tech checks, and what to have ready when you call.
- SVC-01Gate opener repair
Swing-arm, linear and slide-gate operators that won't run, run slow, hum, grind or quit halfway.
Open spec sheet → - SVC-02Gate repair & welding
Sagging, dragging, bent or hit gates, broken hinges and cracked welds, motorized or manual.
Open spec sheet → - SVC-03Remotes, keypads & access
Remotes that stopped working, keypads that died in the weather, call boxes and entry systems.
Open spec sheet → - SVC-04Sensors & safety
Photo eyes, safety edges and loops that keep a gate from closing on people, pets and cars.
Open spec sheet → - SVC-05New opener installation
Automating a manual gate, or replacing an opener that's past repair.
Open spec sheet → - SVC-06Commercial & HOA gates
Business lots, yards, storage, apartment and HOA entrances: gates that run all day.
Open spec sheet →
Three steps, no runaround
We don't send anyone ourselves. We pass your request to an independent local gate pro.
- 01You call or send a request
Tell us what the gate is doing, the opener brand if you know it, and your ZIP.
- 02We match a local pro
Your request goes to an independent gate pro who works your area.
- 03The pro calls you
They talk it through, quote it, and schedule the work directly with you.
Where gate calls come from
Larger-lot suburbs, HOAs and business areas on both sides of the river. Not listed? Call anyway.
| Area | County | ZIPs | Common call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield, MO | St. Louis County | 63005 · 63017 | Subdivision entrance gates stuck open |
| Wildwood, MO | St. Louis County | 63038 · 63040 | Solar openers dying in winter or under summer tree cover |
| Town and Country, MO | St. Louis County | 63017 · 63131 · 63141 | Double swing iron gates out of sync or not latching |
| Ladue, MO | St. Louis County | 63124 · 63131 | Older operators with discontinued parts |
| O'Fallon, MO | St. Charles County | 63366 · 63368 | HOA amenity and pool access gates |
| Edwardsville, IL | Madison County | 62025 · 62026 | Solar openers on acreage and farm gates |