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AfterFAAC Welding & Fabrication: The Tarzana Owner’s Guide
If you’ve got a FAAC gate with a cracked hinge, a torn post bracket, or a weld that finally let go, we stock and install FAAC-compatible welding and fabrication parts right here in Tarzana. Typical installed pricing for welded repairs on FAAC gates in this area runs $240-$560 depending on the part and how much fabrication the failure left behind, and we can usually have the gate operating same day when it’s a straightforward hinge or bracket job. Most Tarzana owners discover the failure the hard way: the gate starts grinding against the post, sags enough to scrape the driveway, or the motor strains because a mount broke loose and now the whole assembly is fighting itself.
The truth about welded steel is simple. It doesn’t fail quietly forever. It tells you first. The trick is catching it before the gate twists a hinge post, burns out a FAAC motor, or drops a leaf on somebody’s car. We’ve been cutting out failed welds and refabricating gate hardware in Tarzana since 2001, and most of the failures we see trace back to undersized brackets or welds that were never fit for the weight they carried.
Which FAAC Models This Applies To
The welding and fabrication work we do applies across the FAAC line that shows up in Tarzana driveways: the 400 series swing operators, the 415 and 412 compact operators, the 770 and 390 hydraulic units, and the S800H and C720 slide gate systems. The welded parts that fail are rarely motor-specific. They’re the steel around the motor: hinge plates, post brackets, gate leaf frames, rack mounts, and the operator mounting pedestals that FAAC bolts to. If your FAAC motor is still good and the steel around it isn’t, we weld it back.
One gotcha specific to FAAC installations: the 415 and 770 operators use a bolt-on mounting bracket with slotted holes for fine alignment. When that bracket wallows out or its weld to the post cracks, the gate doesn’t fail all at once; it slowly loses travel precision, and the motor compensates until it burns a capacitor or strips the release. We’ve replaced enough of those brackets in Tarzana to know the pattern. The OEM FAAC bracket is fine steel, but the original weld is often the weak point, not the bracket itself. We refabricate and weld them heavier than factory spec rather than bolting on another bracket that will shear the same way in five years.
As for OEM versus aftermarket on welded components: FAAC sells replacement brackets and mounting hardware, but most welded parts are not model-stamped. What matters is the thickness of the plate, the grade of the weld rod, and whether the fabricator fitted the piece to your gate instead of eyeballing it. We use steel matched or upgraded from the original spec, and we’ve got a published license number and shop address on Reseda if you want to come look at the work before we touch your gate.
Signs Your FAAC Welding & Fabrication Is Failing
- The gate sags toward the latch or scrape line. A gate always fails at the hinge post first, not in the middle of the leaf. If your FAAC gate is dipping, the hinge weld or the post itself has begun to let go.
- You hear a grinding or popping sound when the gate cycles. That’s typically a cracked weld flexing under load. It grinds when the two sides of the crack rub; it pops when they separate and snap back together.
- The FAAC motor strains or faults on the same spot every cycle. Motors don’t strain for no reason. A broken mount or a twisted bracket adds resistance, and your operator’s thermal sensor will start tripping before the weld fully fails.
- You can see daylight through a weld line or rust bleeding from a joint. Rust weeping from a weld means water got in and started working the crack from the inside. That joint is already structurally compromised.
- The gate stops square against the post, then drifts back a few degrees. That’s a hinge or mounting weld flexing elastically. It bends under load, then relaxes. Left alone, it becomes a permanent bend.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what welded FAAC gate repairs typically run in Tarzana, parts and labor included:
- Hinge plate or post bracket re-weld (single leaf): $240-$380
- Operator mounting bracket fabrication and install: $320-$480
- Gate frame crack repair (cut, sleeve, re-weld, blend): $280-$450
- Full hinge post replacement with new fabricated hinge plates: $420-$560
- Slide gate rack mount or guide roller fabrication: $300-$440
What drives the range is how much failed steel we’re cutting out and how much new plate we’re fabricating on site. A clean crack at a hinge is fast. A post that’s rotted at the weld line and needs a full sleeve plus a fabricated base plate is a different afternoon. Every quote is given upfront, in writing, before any work starts, and the price we agree on is the price you pay. We don’t roll a truck back to Tarzana with a different number on the invoice. Every job carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise, and we also offer $40 off any repair over $200 and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. Hal Gatewood has been handling these repairs in Tarzana since 2001, and if he says the steel’s still sound and the weld just needs redoing, that’s what the bill says.
DIY or Call Us?
If you’ve got a FAAC gate with a suspected weld failure, there are things you can safely check before you spend a dime. With the gate in manual release, walk it through its full swing and watch the hinge points. If the gap at a hinge changes as the gate moves, that’s your problem. If you see fresh rust dust under a bolt head or along a weld seam, that’s another. Mark the crack with chalk, take a photo, and then stop. Do not attempt to re-weld a load-bearing gate hinge or operator mount yourself unless you’re a trained welder with the right machine. A gate leaf weighs hundreds of pounds, and a failed weld under tension can let go without warning. We’ve seen more than one homeowner weld a hinge cold, get a pretty bead, and have it snap at the first full cycle. Welding gate steel properly means preheating the heavier sections, using the right rod for the base metal, and often refitting the leaf on a jack to take the load off the joint while it’s welded. That’s how we do it, and we do it in your driveway so the gate never has to leave your property. If you’ve already got a crack started, call us at (818) 514-7606 before it becomes a collapsed gate.
FAQs
A properly fabricated and welded hinge or mounting bracket on a FAAC gate should last 15 to 25 years in Tarzana’s dry heat, assuming the original install was sized right. What shortens that lifespan dramatically is a gate that was never rebalanced after the motor install, or a weld done without removing the load first. Coastal-adjacent neighborhoods that catch morning marine layer will see faster corrosion, but still decades, not years, on a quality weld. Call (818) 514-7606 for an exact quote on your gate.
A cracked weld can be repaired if the surrounding steel is still sound, which is often the case in Tarzana. We grind out the failed weld, inspect the base metal for fatigue, and re-weld with the load taken off the joint. If the crack has propagated into the plate or post itself, fabrication is required; we’ll cut out the compromised section and weld in fresh steel.
A single hinge or bracket re-weld typically takes 90 minutes to two hours on site, including cooling time and a full cycle test under motor load. Fabrication work, like a new post bracket or a frame repair, runs half a day because we’re cutting, fitting, and welding new steel to match your gate rather than bolting on a generic part. We’ll give you the time when we quote it, and Hal will call when he’s on his way. None of that four-hour window stuff.
Yes. We run with fabricated hinge plates, post brackets, rack mounts, and operator pedestal stock on the truck for the most common FAAC gates in Tarzana: the 415, 770, C720, and the 400 series. For less common models or custom frame work, we fabricate on site from plate and tube stock we carry. We also stock parts for LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and Ghost Controls if your property has more than one brand on it.
We’re an independent, locally owned gate repair and welding business in Tarzana. We’re not affiliated with FAAC, but we service their equipment daily and fabricate steel parts to match or exceed original specs. If you’d like a second opinion on a written estimate from any other shop, bring it by and we’ll tell you straight whether the work is necessary and whether the price is fair. The free second opinion is a standing offer, no strings.
If your FAAC gate is grinding, sagging, or tripping the motor, the fix is usually steel, not a new operator. Call Hal at (818) 514-7606 and describe what you’re seeing. We’ll quote it straight, schedule it properly, and do the work in your driveway with the gate right where it belongs.
Written by Hal Gatewood, Owner, Gatewood Fence & Gate at Gatewood Fence & Gate, serving Tarzana and nearby areas.