Gates and operators sized for real traffic
A gate that cycles 20 times a day needs different equipment than one that cycles 300. We count your traffic first, then spec the gate and operator to match: cantilever or track sliding gates for wide openings, swing or bi-parting gates where the site allows, and continuous-duty operators from HySecurity, LiftMaster, DoorKing, Nice/Apollo, FAAC, and Viking for high-cycle sites. Undersized operators are the number one reason commercial gates fail early. We do not install them.
- Sliding, swing, and bi-parting commercial gates
- Continuous-duty and high-cycle operators
- Cantilever gates that stay off wet, debris-filled tracks
- Battery backup so the gate works through an outage
- Custom fabrication in-house: no waiting on a third-party shop
Barrier arms where speed matters
When the problem is throughput (a parking garage, a gated HOA entrance, a truck yard at shift change), a barrier arm clears a vehicle in a couple of seconds instead of fifteen. We install and service barrier gates from LiftMaster, DoorKing, and FAAC, with EMX loops and sensors cut into the pavement so the arm knows a vehicle is there and never drops on one. Many sites pair a fast arm for daytime traffic with a sliding gate that locks the property down at night.
Access control that keeps a record
Keypads, fob and card readers, phone-based app entry, and video intercoms from DoorBird and ButterflyMX. Each tenant, employee, or vendor gets their own credential, and you get a log of every open. Codes can be limited by schedule, revoked in seconds when a tenant moves out or an employee leaves, and tied to your cameras so every entry has a face and a plate attached. Property managers can run all of it from a phone.
- Per-user codes, fobs, and app credentials
- Entry logs with time stamps for every open
- Video intercoms with remote release
- Gate and camera integration
- Fire department access (Knox and siren-activated entry)
Repair on every brand, on your schedule
A gate stuck open is a security hole. A gate stuck closed stops your business. We repair commercial operators from LiftMaster, DoorKing, Nice/Apollo, FAAC, Viking, HySecurity, Linear, Chamberlain/Elite, and Mighty Mule, including systems we did not install, and we offer emergency repair when the gate is down and trucks are waiting. Most operator failures come down to boards, limit switches, chains, or loops, and our vans carry the common parts.
Maintenance plans built around UL 325 and ASTM F2200
Two standards govern an automated commercial gate. UL 325 covers the operator: usage classes from residential through industrial, and monitored entrapment protection, meaning photo eyes and contact edges the operator actively checks, in every zone where the gate could trap a person. ASTM F2200 covers the gate itself: openings screened or spaced so hands can't reach through near pinch points, rollers guarded, positive stops so a slide gate can't travel off its track, no protrusions along the path of travel. A gate can pass one standard and fail the other, and both kinds of failure develop quietly. An edge sensor dies, a roller guard gets bent, and nobody notices until something gets caught. Our maintenance plans exist to catch that drift. On each scheduled visit we test every entrapment device, verify force and limit settings, inspect the gate hardware against F2200's construction requirements, service the drive, and leave you a dated record of what was checked and what we found.
- Visit frequency set by your gate's duty cycle, not a one-size calendar
- Every photo eye, edge sensor, and reversal function tested and documented
- F2200 hardware checks: screening, roller guards, positive stops, pinch points
- Wear flagged early, while it's a part on a truck instead of a gate out of service
- Dated service records for owners, HOA boards, and insurers
Frequently asked questions
How do you size a gate operator for a commercial property?
Three numbers drive it: the gate's weight, its length, and how many times it cycles per hour at peak. A duplex driveway and a distribution yard might have the same gate but need completely different operators, because duty cycle is what burns out motors. We also account for slope, wind load on solid-panel gates, and Pacific Northwest rain, which punishes underpowered equipment. If your traffic is heavy, we spec a continuous-duty operator rather than a light-commercial unit running past its rating.
What safety devices are required on an automatic gate?
UL 325 is the standard, and current versions require monitored entrapment protection, meaning photo eyes and contact edges the operator actively checks, not just installs. Where the gate can trap a person, you need protection in both directions of travel. Vehicle detection loops are not entrapment protection; they exist to keep the gate off cars, not people. We bring older gates up to current safety requirements during repairs, and we will tell you plainly if yours is out of compliance.
Should we use a barrier arm or a sliding gate?
A barrier arm is about traffic control: it cycles in two to four seconds, so it will not back up a line of cars at 8 a.m. But an arm does not stop a person on foot, so it is not a security device on its own. A sliding gate is real physical security but cycles slower. High-traffic secure sites often run both: arm by day for throughput, slide gate closed at night.
What affects the cost of a commercial gate project?
The big drivers are gate size and weight, the operator's duty class, and how much site work the installation needs: trenching for power and conduit, saw-cutting loops into asphalt, and concrete pads all add labor. Access control is the other variable: a standalone keypad is simple, while cloud-managed entry with logging, video intercoms, and camera integration is a bigger system. Fire department access hardware and permitting also factor in. We quote after a site visit so the number reflects your property, not a guess.
Can you add access logging and app entry to our existing gate?
Usually, yes. Most working operators can take a modern controller (DoorKing cloud systems, ButterflyMX, or DoorBird video entry) without replacing the gate or the motor. You get per-user credentials, time schedules, remote open from a phone, and an audit trail of every entry. It is one of the cheapest upgrades a managed property can make, because it turns an anonymous gate into one that keeps records.
Our gate was installed by another company. Will you service it?
Yes. We repair all major commercial brands, whether or not we installed the system: LiftMaster, DoorKing, Nice/Apollo, FAAC, Viking, HySecurity, Linear, Chamberlain/Elite, and Mighty Mule. We diagnose first and tell you honestly whether a repair makes sense or the operator is at the end of its life. Emergency service is available when the gate is stuck and the property is exposed.
Where we do this work
Across the Portland metro from our Tualatin HQ and across Clark County from our Vancouver hub. See every city we serve, or jump straight to Portland, Beaverton, Tigard, Vancouver, or Camas.