FAAC Gate Installation Nationwide | Gatewood Fence & Gate

FAAC Gate Installation in Arcadia: What to Know First

FAAC gate installation in Arcadia typically runs $800 to $2,400 for a new operator on an existing gate, and $4,500 to $11,000 for a full gate-and-operator package, depending on gate length, material, and whether you need a sliding or swing configuration. Most FAAC installations on an existing driveway gate take one day; full fabrications run two to three days once the gate is built. We quote a firm price before any work starts, and we don’t change it at the door.

Call (626) 628-9548

This page is for Arcadia homeowners who already own a FAAC operator or are considering one, and who want a local crew that actually knows the brand rather than a company that installs “whatever gate.” If you’re standing in front of a FAAC that won’t open, or you’ve got a new FAAC boxed up in the garage waiting for the right installer, call (626) 628-9548 and a live person picks up. Hal Gatewood answers, or one of his crew does, and they’ll tell you straight what’s involved.

How FAAC Products Fail - and How We Fix Them

FAAC makes a genuinely good operator. That said, every brand has its habits, and after 29 years of working gates in the San Gabriel Valley, we’ve learned what a FAAC does when it’s unhappy. Here are the failures we see most often, and how we handle each one:

• FAAC 412 and 415 operators losing travel limits. These compact operators are common on Arcadia residential swing gates, and their limit switches sit in a spot that collects dust and spider webs. When the limits drift, the gate over-travels and slams the post, or stops short and triggers a fault. The fix is usually a careful cleaning and re-setting of the limit cams, not a new board. We’ve watched other companies quote a full board replacement for what is a 20-minute limit adjustment.
• FAAC S418 and S450 sliding gates eating drive belts in the Arcadia heat. Slide gate operators run hot in the San Gabriel Valley summers, and belts stretch. A stretched belt slips on the pulley, the encoder loses count, and the gate stops mid-travel. We replace the belt, tension it properly, and check the encoder count. What we don’t do is sell you a new operator because a $40 belt wore out.
• Capacitor failure on older FAAC 750 and 760 swing operators. These are workhorse hydraulic operators, and the capacitor is the single most common age-related failure. Symptom: the gate hums but won’t move. A new capacitor usually brings it back. This is a $30 part and a 30-minute visit, not a system replacement. We carry capacitors in the truck.
• Photocell faults caused by morning sun glare. Arcadia’s east-west streets mean direct sun hits the safety photocells on a lot of driveways between 7 and 10 a.m. FAAC photocells are reliable, but they don’t like direct glare. The gate will refuse to close, or reverse for no apparent reason. The fix is often as simple as repositioning the cell or swapping in a hooded reflector. We see this constantly in the neighborhoods off Santa Anita Avenue.
• Hydraulic fluid bypass on older FAAC 750 units. When the hydraulic seals wear, the gate loses holding pressure and drifts off the closed position. You’ll notice the gate settled back a few inches after it closed. This is a pump-and-seal rebuild job, and it’s one we do in the driveway rather than hauling the operator to a shop. Doing it on-site keeps your gate swinging the same day.

Here’s the thing about FAAC: the operators are well built. Most failures come from the installation, not the product. We spend as much time fixing other companies’ rushed installs as we do on the operators themselves. The gears and motors are fine; it’s the wiring, the limit settings, and the ground-and-power connections that got sloppy.

Our FAAC Gate Installation Process

Every FAAC job follows the same path, whether it’s a new operator on your existing gate or a full ground-up build. Here’s how it goes:

1. 1
   Call and talk to a person. You reach Hal or one of the crew directly. We ask what the gate is doing, what make and model operator is there now, and whether it ever worked right. Tell me what it is doing and I will tell you what it needs - no runaround.
2. 2
   Measure and diagnose on site. We come out, measure the gate leaf weight and length, check the hinge posts, test the existing operator’s draw, and look at the power run. On a new install, we verify the 110V feed and the pad location before anything gets bolted down.
3. 3
   Parts decision: OEM vs. aftermarket, honestly. For FAAC, we use FAAC OEM parts on warranty-sensitive items like control boards, hydraulic pumps, and safety sensors. For commodity wear items, like batteries, transformers, and some drive belts, we’ll offer a quality aftermarket equivalent when it makes sense and costs you less. We’ll tell you which is which and let you decide.
4. 4
   The install itself. Operator mounted and leveled, gate travel and limits set, safety beams aimed and tested, keypad or intercom wired if you have them. On a full gate build, this includes setting the posts in concrete and hanging the gate. We weld the post brackets with the gate on-site whenever possible, because that’s how the alignment actually locks in.
5. 5
   Test it hard. We cycle every gate through 20 to 30 full open-close cycles, trigger the safety reverse repeatedly, and run it during the heat of the afternoon if we can. A FAAC that works at 2 p.m. in August will work year-round.
6. 6
   Paperwork and the 90-Day Done Right Promise. You get the written guarantee on every FAAC job, with our name and phone number on it. If anything’s off in the first 90 days, one call and we’re back. No charge, no debate.

What FAAC Gate Installation Costs in Arcadia

Here’s what we see across the Arcadia market for real FAAC work, as of this year. These are the numbers we quote when we come out, not a phone estimate that changes when we arrive.

• FAAC operator replacement on an existing gate: $800 to $2,400, depending on whether you’re swapping a 415, a 750, or an S450 sliding unit. Includes removal of the old operator, mounting, limits, safety devices, and full testing.
• New FAAC operator plus new gate panel (single swing): $4,500 to $6,800. Steel frame, aluminum or steel infill, operator, safety sensors, and hardware.
• Full double-swing driveway gate with FAAC operators: $7,000 to $11,000. Two operators or one dual-leaf master with a slave, heavier posts, concrete work, and full electrical tie-in.
• FAAC sliding gate package (S418 or S450): $6,500 to $12,500, depending on gate length, track vs. cantilever, and access control add-ons like keypads or intercom.

What moves the price: gate weight and leaf width (a 16-foot driveway gate weighs a lot more than a 5-foot pedestrian gate), whether we’re running new power or tying into existing conduit, and whether the posts are still sound. A gate sags in the hinge post, not in the middle - and that is where we start. If the posts are gone, the post work is part of the quote, not an add-on you discover later. Call (626) 628-9548 for a free estimate. The price we quote is the price you pay, and if you have a written estimate from another company, we’ll give you a free second opinion on it.

Why Arcadia Homeowners Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for FAAC Work

We’ve been at this since 2001, and our shop is in the San Gabriel Valley, not a corporate office park in another state. Hal Gatewood’s name is on the building and on every invoice. When you call, a person picks up - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - because a gate that won’t close at 11 p.m. doesn’t care that it’s after hours. We care that your driveway isn’t standing open.

Every FAAC job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. Not “up to” 90 days. Not “in most cases.” Ninety days, and if it’s not done right, we make it right. One call brings us back.

We also service the other major brands people have around Arcadia: LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing - plus BFT, Linear, Viking, Elite, and Mighty Mule. So if you’ve got a FAAC on the driveway and a LiftMaster on the pedestrian gate, you don’t have to juggle two companies. One number, one crew, and we know both systems.

And if you’re a senior or a veteran, it’s 10% off, every job, no haggling. $40 off any repair over $200. No trip charge inside the county. That’s just how we do it.

FAQs

Need FAAC Gate Installation in Arcadia? Call Us

If your FAAC gate is down, or you’ve got a new operator that needs a proper install, call (626) 628-9548. You’ll get a live person, day or night, and an honest answer about what it takes. We’ll come out, measure, diagnose, and hand you a written price before any work starts. The name is on the shop, and the shop is down the road - that is the oldest accountability there is. Hal Gatewood has been doing this in Arcadia since 2001, and he’ll be the one who shows up, or one of his crew. Either way, it’s someone who knows FAAC and who will stand behind the work for 90 days, in writing. Call for a free estimate. If you have a written estimate from another company, bring it - we’ll give you a free second opinion, no strings attached.

Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner, Gatewood Fence & Gate at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Arcadia and nearby areas.