AUTOMATED GATES · SPRINGDALE & NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Automated gates in Northwest Arkansas, installed by a CGAT-certified crew
Swing, cantilever, V-track and pivot gates, with the operator, safety devices and access control installed together by one contractor.
Chapter 01
What goes wrong when a gate is automated badly
An automated gate is a heavy, fast-moving machine, and the failures are rarely about the motor. They come from a gate that was never built for an operator, a post that moves under load, or a safety device that was left off to save a line on the estimate. An operator without correct entrapment protection can cause serious injury.
UL 325 requires entrapment protection on every automated gate. Depending on the gate type that means safety edges, photo eyes or loop detectors, and each one has a right place to sit. Thomas Fence is one of the few fence contractors in Northwest Arkansas with the CGAT designation from the American Fence Association, which covers operator mechanics, UL 325 safety and installation practice.
Whether a gate can be automated at all comes down to its weight, the opening width, the post framing and the power at the site. We check all four before we quote an operator, so the answer you get is a real one.
Black ornamental double drive gate with grapevine scrollwork and gate operator arms in Fayetteville
Swing, cantilever or pivot, and how we choose
On the first visit our CGAT-certified crew measures the opening, reads the driveway grade, finds where power can come from and asks how the gate will actually be used. Then we specify the gate style, the operator model, the access control and the safety devices, and put it in a written estimate. The crew installs everything to manufacturer specs and UL 325, tests every safety device, checks the force settings, and walks you through operation and programming before they leave.
Swing gates, single or double panel, are a popular choice for residential driveways in Springdale and Bentonville, and they take operators well when the approach is flat and there is room behind the gate line. Cantilever gates slide without touching the ground: no V-track, no drainage problems, no wear on the driveway. That is why a cantilever is often the better call on commercial sites and on sloped or wet ground, and we build them in chain link, R-panel and ornamental steel. Vertical pivot gates, like the one we hung at a self-storage entrance in Centerton, suit tight security entries.
Most operators run on 120V AC. Where running power to the gate is impractical, we use solar-powered operators. For access control we install PIN keypads, remote transmitters, card readers, phone entry, intercoms and app-controlled entry such as LiftMaster MyQ.
Chapter 03
After the install, and when the gate is not ours
Every gate automation job carries a written 1-year workmanship warranty. The operator and the access control parts carry their own manufacturer warranties on top of it. Standard gate installations need no deposit, and the job is typically on the schedule 1 to 3 weeks after you sign.
Our Automated Gate Repair Service covers gates we did not build. If the operator has failed, the safety devices are malfunctioning or the system needs a retrofit, a CGAT-certified technician can assess and repair any brand or style of automated gate.
Call (479) 636-4732 for a free estimate anywhere in Northwest Arkansas, from Fayetteville and Lowell to Prairie Grove and Centerton.
Thomas Fence, Springdale since 1993. CGAT certified. Arkansas Contractor's License No. 0155010427. Call (479) 636-4732.
Two automated gates, running
A commercial cantilever R-panel gate in Springdale and a residential ornamental gate in Fayetteville, both filmed on the job.
More in the video gallery or on our YouTube channel.
Automated gate questions, answered
Want to spread the cost? See the financing page.