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AfterFAAC Gate Installation in Encino: What to Know First
FAAC gate installation in Encino typically runs $2,400-$7,800 depending on whether you’re putting in a swing or slide system, single or double gate, and which operator series you need. We’re an independent FAAC service provider, and we quote the job before we touch a single bolt, in writing. You won’t get a “revised” number after the post holes are dug.
This page is for Encino homeowners who already own a FAAC opener or are planning a new FAAC-powered gate and want straight answers about what it takes, what it costs, and what goes wrong. If you’ve got questions, call (350) 247-4763 and talk to a live person, any hour. Hal Gatewood has been at this since before FAAC’s 770 series was a familiar sight in driveways off Ventura Boulevard.
How FAAC Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
FAAC builds good equipment. The problems we see in Encino usually aren’t the operator’s fault, they’re the installation’s. Here’s what actually shows up on service calls:
- 770 and 400 series swing operators: limit switch drift on uneven Encino pads. The 770’s magnetic limit switches are sensitive to vibration, and when a gate leaf gets slightly out of level because a pad settled, the operator loses its stop point. The gate slams open or bounces off the stop. We don’t just reprogram the limits, we check the pad and the hinge post first. Re-programming a limit on a shifting foundation means you’ll call us again in four months.
- Slide gate gear racks coming loose from the gate frame. FAAC slide operators force a nylon or steel pinion against the rack bolted to the gate. If the rack was mounted with the wrong fasteners or without a backing plate, those bolts shear and the gate chatters or refuses to move. We see this on FAAC 844 and 884 installs where somebody used drywall screws. We weld or through-bolt the rack properly, which means taking the gate down and doing it right.
- Photo eye faults on 415 and 390 models caused by afternoon sun and sprinkler overspray. Infrared safety eyes don’t like direct glare off a white stucco wall at 4 p.m., and Encino yards with automatic sprinklers that mist the sensor every morning will trigger nuisance reversals. We relocate or shield the eyes rather than simply bypassing them, because bypassing a safety device on a gate that can move a 600-pound leaf is not something we will ever do.
- Capacitor swelling in the 844 control board after voltage drops from overloaded neighborhood transformers. The 844’s board is picky about input voltage. During Encino heat waves, when every house on the block runs the AC, voltage sags and the capacitor works harder. It swells, the gate loses torque, and eventually the operator just sits there and hums. We test incoming voltage before blaming the board, and we’ll tell you if the problem is actually LADWP’s transformer, not your FAAC.
- Battery-backup 770 models that pass a self-test but die mid-cycle. The 770’s battery tray can look fine on a bench test and fail under real load when the gate is heavy or the wind pushes against the leaf. The operator thinks the battery is charged, the battery’s actually sulfated from sitting through three Encino summers, and the gate quits halfway through a cycle. We load-test batteries, we don’t just read voltage.
Our FAAC Gate Installation Process
Every FAAC job we install in Encino follows the same sequence. No shortcuts, no exceptions.
- 1
Site check and measurement. Hal or one of his crew shows up at the address on the ticket. We measure the gate, check the hinge posts, look at the electrical service, see where the sun hits at different times of day. We want to know what the gate is doing wrong today and what it will do wrong in five years.
- 2
Straight talk on parts. We use FAAC OEM parts when they’re the right call, which is most of the time. When an aftermarket part genuinely makes more sense, like a heavier-duty capacitor or a sealed limit switch for an older 415, we tell you why and the price difference is on the quote.
- 3
The actual install. Operator mounted, arms or rack aligned, limits set, photo eyes placed where glare and sprinklers won’t defeat them. If we see a hinge post that’s soft at the base, we fix that too, because a good operator cannot save a gate that’s twisting off its post.
- 4
Cycle and safety test. We run the gate through open, close, obstruction, and reverse at least a dozen times. We put our own hands on the gate to feel for hesitation, because a gate that passes a beep test can still be failing under load.
- 5
Walkthrough and paperwork. We show you what was installed, what it does, and how to operate the manual release. You get the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing before we leave the driveway.
- 6
Cleanup. We don’t leave wire ends, old capacitors, or lunch wrappers in your driveway. The job isn’t done until the site looks like we were never there, except the gate works.
What FAAC Gate Installation Costs in Encino
Every property is different, but here’s what FAAC installs actually run around Encino:
- Single swing gate, FAAC 770 operator, 12 ft leaf: $2,400-$3,600 installed
- Double swing gate, FAAC 400 or 770, total 20 ft opening: $3,800-$5,800 installed
- Slide gate, FAAC 844 or 884, 10-14 ft travel: $3,200-$5,200 installed
- Replacement of an existing dead operator, same post and gate: $1,300-$2,200 installed
- Adding battery backup or keypad/card reader at install: $400-$1,100 depending on the model
The big cost movers are gate weight, post condition, and whether we’re running new electrical or tying into an existing circuit. If a post has to be replaced or a concrete pad re-poured, that’s a line item on the quote, not a surprise later. You get one price, on paper, before we start. Call (350) 247-4763 and we’ll come measure, for free inside the county.
Why Encino Homeowners Call Gatewood Fence & Gate for FAAC Work
Because when a FAAC gate acts up, you want somebody who has actually touched a 770’s limit switch and knows where Encino’s power dips happen. That’s us. Hal Gatewood opened this shop in 2001, grew up two blocks from Balboa Park, and has been fixing gates in this neighborhood longer than some gate companies have existed. We’re certified on FAAC and four other major brands, LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, Ghost Controls, and DoorKing, which matters when a house has a mismatched system from a previous owner’s “budget” installer. Every job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise, written on the invoice, not explained in footnotes. A live person answers the phone at 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. And if we do the work and it’s not right, you call and we come back. That’s the whole guarantee.
FAQs
No. Installing a FAAC operator through an independent service provider like Gatewood Fence & Gate does not void the manufacturer’s parts warranty, as long as the installation follows FAAC’s published specifications, which we do. We are not an authorized FAAC dealer, and we are upfront about that. What you get with us is a straight warranty on the work itself: the 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, plus our own standing behind every install. Call (350) 247-4763 if you want to talk through warranty questions before you commit.
In most cases, yes, we can have a FAAC install on the Encino schedule within 5-7 business days, sometimes sooner depending on parts availability. Standard 770 and 400 series operators are usually in stock locally. Special-order models, like a 844 with specific rail length, can add a few days. We will give you a straight answer on timing when you call, not an optimistic guess.
If the operator is less than 10 years old and the failure is a capacitor, limit switch, or gear drive, repair almost always makes sense financially, usually $300-$900 in parts and labor. If the board is fried and the motor is dragging and the unit is a 15-year-old 415 that has lived through a decade of Encino heat, replacing the operator is the honest call. We will show you the failed part and explain the decision either way, because we fix more than we replace, and when we tell you to replace, it is because replacing genuinely costs less over the next five years. Just call me, if I can’t fix it, I’ll tell you straight and we’ll figure out what makes sense.
Yes. Our FAAC gate installations include the power wiring from your panel to the operator, the safety photo eyes, the edge sensors, and any keypad or card reader you want tied in at the same time. We don’t sub out the electrical to a third party, and we don’t leave a job until the safety reversing system has been tested with an actual person standing in the gate’s path. If you’ve got an existing panel that’s maxed out, we’ll tell you before we start and that gets added to the written quote. Estimates are free, so call (350) 247-4763 and we’ll come look.
The FAAC 770 is a 24-volt operator built for residential use, quieter and with a battery backup option, and it’s the model we recommend for most single and double swing gates in Encino. The FAAC 400 is a more powerful 24-volt unit designed for heavier or wider leaves, like a 16-foot steel gate on an estate property in the hills. If your gate is standard weight and under 14 feet per leaf, the 770 gives you better value and a longer service life. We install both, and we’ll tell you which one actually fits your gate instead of selling you the more expensive box.
Contact Gatewood Fence & Gate for FAAC Gate Installation in Encino
If you’ve got a FAAC gate that needs installing, replacing, or simply fixing the right way, call (350) 247-4763. Hal Gatewood or one of his crew will answer, not a phone tree. We’ll schedule a free measure, give you a written price, and do the job the way it should have been done the first time. We’ve been serving Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, and the surrounding San Fernando Valley since 2001, and we are not going anywhere.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner, Gatewood Fence & Gate at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Encino and nearby areas.