Cedar double swing gate with operators in Mill Plain, WA

Yes. Operators are rated by gate weight and length, so a heavy ornamental steel gate may push you past what a residential unit like a Mighty Mule or Chamberlain/Elite can handle, into a LiftMaster, Nice/Apollo, FAAC, or Viking sized for the load. For very heavy or high-cycle gates, hydraulic and industrial operators such as HySecurity are the right tool. We size the operator to the gate we're building, not the other way around.

Once your gate is fabricated, most residential installations take one to two days on site: setting posts, hanging the gate, mounting the operator, cutting loops, wiring, and programming access. Concrete footings need time to cure before the gate hangs on them, so some projects split into two short visits. Custom fabrication adds lead time up front, which we give you when we quote, and we stick to it.

The UL 325 standard requires monitored entrapment protection on every automated gate. In practice that means photo eyes across the opening, contact edge sensors on surfaces that could pinch, and an operator that reverses when it senses obstruction. We also install vehicle loops in the driveway: an exit loop that opens the gate for outgoing cars and a reversing loop that keeps it from closing on a vehicle in the path. These are not upsells. We treat them as part of every installation because a gate that can't sense a child or a car bumper should not be automated at all.