Frequently Asked Questions

A live coordinator answers your call at (817) 562-7979 and schedules your visit. We come to your Fort Worth property, inspect the gate, opener, hinges, rollers, and posts, then explain what we found in plain language. You get a written quote before any work starts. Once you approve it, we do the work, test the gate through full open and close cycles, and walk you through what we did. The price you approved is the price on the invoice.

In many cases, yes. Common repairs like hinge replacements, opener adjustments, limit switch fixes, and keypad programming are usually completed in one visit. If a specific part needs to be ordered, we'll tell you that before we leave and give you a realistic timeline for when it'll arrive. We keep the most common opener parts and hinge hardware on the truck, which lets us finish most jobs in a single trip. Call (817) 562-7979 and we'll tell you what we can do once we see the gate.

Most repair jobs are finished in one to three hours. A hinge replacement, opener swap, or sensor realignment is typically done in an afternoon. Larger jobs, like replacing a long run of bent gate track or rebuilding a rotted post, can take a full day. When we quote the job, we'll tell you how long we expect to be there. We don't rush the work and we don't leave until the gate opens and closes the way it should.

We work on swing gates, slide gates, cantilever gates, and overhead-style gates found on Fort Worth properties. That includes ornamental iron, steel tube, chain link, wood-frame, and ranch-style pipe gates. We also handle the automation on all of them: opener arms, underground operators, keypads, intercoms, vehicle loop detectors, and safety edges. If you have a gate that wasn't originally automated and you want it to be, we can do that too.

First, don't force it. A gate that won't open may have a failed opener, a broken hinge, or a control board fault, and forcing it can bend the gate or damage the operator. If you need to get a vehicle out, most openers have a manual release that disengages the motor so the gate can be moved by hand. If the gate itself is seized or the hinges have failed, call us at (817) 562-7979. The phone is answered 24/7 and we'll get someone out to get your gate moving again.

We do both. Ironworks Gate Co. repairs existing gates and installs new ones, including the automation. If your old gate is beyond saving, we'll tell you straight and show you options for a replacement built to last in the Fort Worth climate. We weld, set posts, run wiring, and program the automation. A new gate from us is built, hung, and automated the same way we'd want it done on our own homes.

We repair most major gate opener brands, including Ghost Controls, Mighty Mule, and Elite. If we can get parts for it, we can usually fix it. Some older units have been discontinued and parts are no longer manufactured. In those cases, we'll tell you honestly and show you replacement options that fit your existing gate. We don't push a particular brand; we match the opener to the gate's weight, length, and how often it cycles. Call (817) 562-7979 and we'll assess what you have.

Yes. We install and service Ghost Controls and Mighty Mule systems on Fort Worth residential gates. Both are dependable for the right application. A Ghost Controls unit with its soft start and stop is a good fit for many single-family gates, and Mighty Mule has strong options for longer or heavier gates. The installer matters more than the brand name. We mount, align, and calibrate the opener so it cycles smooth and holds up under Texas sun and heat.

We work on DoorKing and Elite operators, which are common on commercial and multi-property gates in the Fort Worth area. These units run heavier cycles and need periodic maintenance like limit switch adjustment, chain tension checks, and loop detector testing. If your property has a DoorKing or Elite unit that's acting up, we can diagnose it and either repair or replace it. Give us a call and describe what the gate is doing; we'll bring what we need.

Not automatically. If your opener failed because it was undersized for the gate or poorly matched to the swing, replacing it with the same brand is just repeating the problem. We look at gate weight, length, hinge condition, and how often it opens before recommending a unit. If the same brand is the right fit, we'll use it. If another one is better suited, we'll say so and explain why. The goal is an opener you never think about again.

Ironworks Gate Co. carries the licensing and insurance required for gate work in the Fort Worth area. Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires. When you schedule work with us, we can provide documentation. We follow the Ironworks Gate Co. standards on every job, and those standards include doing the work to code, pulling permits when the job calls for it, and standing behind the finished result.

A trained gate technician from Ironworks Gate Co. comes to your property. This isn't a job for a handyman. Gate repair involves welding, heavy steel, high-tension springs on some designs, and line-voltage wiring on automated systems. The person we send knows how to work on all of it safely and correctly. Victor Salinas leads the local team, and the crew working under the Ironworks name follows the same process on every visit: inspect, quote, do the work, test, and clean up.

Most gate repairs don't require a permit. Repairs like hinge replacement, opener swaps, and keypad programming are considered maintenance. A new gate installation with footings or a new electrical run may require one, depending on Fort Worth's current requirements and whether your property is in a historic district or HOA-governed neighborhood. If a permit is needed, we'll tell you during the quote and handle the application. We don't cut corners on code.

Yes. If your gate won't open and a vehicle is stuck inside or you can't secure the property because the gate won't close, call (817) 562-7979 at any hour. The phone is answered 24/7. A live coordinator takes your information and connects you with the local team. We prioritize calls where a gate has failed open or failed shut and is creating a security or access problem for the homeowner. We'll be there when we say.

A slide gate that has jumped its track should not be forced back into place by hand. The gate is heavy and the rollers, guide posts, and track may be damaged. Forcing it can bend the frame or cause the gate to collapse. If the gate is blocking a driveway and you need access, call us at (817) 562-7979. We'll come out, assess the damage, and get the gate back on the track so it rolls the way it's supposed to. In the meantime, keep children and pets away from it.

Yes. Some Fort Worth properties have overhead-style driveway gates that use tension springs or cables, similar to a garage door but heavier. Those springs carry enough stored force to cause serious injury if they release while you're working near them. We don't give step-by-step instructions for spring work because it's genuinely dangerous. If your overhead gate is binding, creaking, or coming down uneven, leave it alone and call a trained technician. We handle those repairs with the right tools and respect for the stored energy.

First, unplug or disconnect the opener so the gate doesn't cycle unexpectedly while people or vehicles are near it. A gate that opens on its own usually means a failing control board, a shorted loop detector, or radio interference triggering the receiver. These are electrical faults, not something to ignore. Once the opener is disconnected, call (817) 562-7979 and we'll trace the cause. Leaving it connected risks the gate moving while a child or pet is in the path.

Ironworks Gate Co. stands behind every repair with the Keystone Standard applied to gates: 90 days, in writing, no arguing. If something we touched fails within that window, we come back and make it right. The details are in your written quote, spelled out so there's no ambiguity about what's covered. We've found that when the work is done right the first time, warranties are rarely needed. But they're there, in writing, because a square deal means you know what you're getting before the work starts.

Most opener motors, control boards, and keypads we install carry a manufacturer's warranty that runs one to three years depending on the brand. We'll tell you the warranty period on the specific part before we install it and provide the documentation. Our workmanship is covered by the 90-day Keystone Standard. If a part fails under its manufacturer warranty, we handle the replacement. You don't have to chase down a parts warehouse or file paperwork yourself.

Call us. If it's related to the work we just did, it's covered by the 90-day Keystone Standard and we come back. If it's a separate issue, we'll tell you honestly and quote it separately. Either way, you talk to a person who knows your gate and what was done to it. Standing behind the work isn't a slogan for us. It's the K in the K.E.Y.S. code that guides every job: Krafted right, Every time, Your home first, Standing behind it. Call (817) 562-7979 and we'll make it right.

We don't sell subscriptions. What we do is inspect, lubricate, and adjust every gate we touch, whether it's a repair, an installation, or a service call you've scheduled. If you want us to come out once a year to check hinge wear, roller condition, and opener function on your Fort Worth gate before small problems become big ones, we're glad to do that. It's straightforward hourly or quoted work, not a contract. The best maintenance is a trained eye on the gate before it fails.

Written by Victor Salinas, Owner at Ironworks Gate Co., serving Fort Worth since 2013.