Electric Gate Installation in Galveston, TX

What you are buying: gate, operator and safety system

The gate. ASTM F2200 sets how a gate that will be automated is built: no latch, no walk door in the moving leaf, smooth bottom edges, and for slide gates, screening to 6 ft, guarded rollers and positive stops. A manual gate "that is to be automated shall be upgraded to conform", and the same applies when an old operator is replaced. Choosing the gate itself is covered on driveway gates.

The operator. Swing gates use an arm-type operator beside the gate or an underground operator below the hinge. Slide gates use a pad-mounted operator that drives the gate along its length. Each is listed for one or more UL 325 classes and rated for a maximum gate weight and length. Power is either hard-wired or solar, usually running a 24-volt motor with battery backup (AC vs DC operators, solar gate openers).

The safety system. UL 325 requires entrapment protection: the operator's built-in sensing and, for most gates, external photo eyes or edge sensors placed at each spot where a person could be caught. It is part of the installation, not an optional extra (UL 325 and ASTM F2200 explained).

The controls. Remotes, keypads, telephone entry and app control decide who can open the gate. Those choices are covered on gate automation and access control and keypad vs remote.

The safety rules, in plain terms

UL 325 is the safety standard for gate operators, and DASMA's summary of it for installers is clear about what a gate system needs:

• Two independent protections, each direction. Where there is a risk of entrapment, at least two independent means of protection are required in each direction of travel. Every external device (photo eye, edge sensor) must be monitored, so the gate won't run if one is missing or broken.
• Stop and reverse. After sensing an obstruction, the gate must start reversing within 2 seconds and travel at least 2 inches.
• Speed. Class I and II slide operators may not exceed 1 ft per second when pulling 75 lb or more.
• Controls and signs. Controls must be at least 6 ft from the gate to prevent reach-through injuries, and at least two warning signs must be visible from both sides.
• People and vehicles apart. Operators are for vehicular gates only, never pedestrian gates, and a separate walk gate is required where people are likely to walk.

Choose the operator class for the property. UL 325 defines Class I as residential (a home of one to four single families), Class II as commercial or general access (including multifamily housing of five or more units, hotels and retail), Class III as industrial sites not open to the public, and Class IV as guarded, restricted sites. For businesses, HOAs and apartments, see commercial gates.

Power, batteries and outages

Many operators run a 24-volt DC motor from a transformer, with batteries that keep the gate working through an outage. The swing operator manual we cite recommends replacing its batteries every 3 years, and lets the owner choose whether the gate opens or stays closed when the battery runs critically low. Every operator also has a manual release. Ask to be shown how it works at handover. More in what happens to an automatic gate in a power outage.

Hard-wired or solar? Solar saves running power to the gate. It works when the daily cycles fit the panel and battery size; the slide operator manual we cite rates solar cycles per day by sunlight zone. See how many cycles a solar opener gets.

Lightning and surges. Both manuals call for an earth ground rod within 3 ft of the operator; without it the operator is "more susceptible to lightning and surge damage".

From estimate to working gate

1. Free on-site estimate. We look at the gate (or the opening), its weight and length, the swing or slide room, power, the flood level, and how people and vehicles use the entrance.
2. Design and written price. Gate changes needed for ASTM F2200, the operator and its class, sensors, controls and power, in writing.
3. Installation. Pad or mounting, operator, wiring and grounding, entrapment protection, warning signs and controls.
4. Setup and test. Limits and force set, every sensor tested to stop and reverse the gate.
5. Handover. We show you the manual release, the battery setting and the controls.

What affects cost and timing

• Gate weight and length. Heavier or longer gates need higher-rated operators.
• Existing gate condition. Automating an existing gate may mean upgrading it to F2200 first, and reinforcing hinges or posts (repair or replace?).
• Power. Trenching for power, or solar panels and batteries sized for your daily cycles. A power trench dug by machine 16 in or deeper counts as excavation under Texas law, so the 811 ticket comes first (calling 811 before you dig).
• Safety devices. The number of entrapment zones sets the number of sensors.
• Access control. A basic keypad costs less than multi-user or telephone entry (what a telephone entry system is).
• Flood-level work. Raised pads and separate high-mounted enclosures.

For typical cost ranges and payment options, see automatic gate installation cost and monthly payments. Financing is available through the providers on our financing page, subject to credit approval.

Questions we get about this