Motorized & Automatic Gates
Motorized & Automatic Driveway Gates in Fresno, CA
Open the driveway from the truck — swing or slide, solar or hardwired.
An automatic gate is two projects that have to agree with each other: a gate built stiff and true enough to be pushed thousands of times, and an operator sized to the leaf it is pushing. Get either one wrong and you end up with a motor that trips out in July, a gate that racks itself apart, or a system that stops halfway and has to be dragged open by hand. Our customers' reviews mention motorized and sliding gates specifically, and this is a job we take seriously.
AR Fence builds the gate and installs the automation as one package, so there is nobody to point at when something needs adjusting. That means the frame, the posts, the operator, the power, the entry devices and the safety equipment all get specified together against your driveway, your slope and how the gate will actually get used.
Options
What Goes Into an Automatic Gate
Every automatic gate is a handful of decisions. Here is what we will walk through at the estimate.
Swing operators
Arm or articulated operators mounted at the hinge post, one per leaf. Best where the driveway is flat and there is room for the gate to open inward.
Slide operators
A rack-and-pinion motor driving a gear rack along the gate frame. The right choice on slopes, short driveways and long, heavy leaves.
Solar or hardwired power
Trenching 120V out to the gate gives the most capacity. Where that run is long or expensive, a solar panel and battery is a genuinely good option in Fresno — we get the sun for it.
Battery backup
Batteries keep the gate working through a summer outage, and the operator can be set to fail open so you are never locked in.
Entry devices
Remotes, a keypad on a gooseneck at driver height, a phone-app receiver, a card or fob reader, or an intercom for a gated frontage.
Exit and safety detection
A vehicle exit loop in the driveway so you do not need a remote to leave, plus photo eyes and reversing sensors so the gate stops for anything in its path.
Emergency access
Fire and emergency services need a way in. We fit a Knox-box or a manual release as appropriate for your property.
Our process
How a Motorized Gate Job Runs
- Step 1
Assess the driveway
Width, slope, surface, how far the power is, where a car stacks while the gate opens, and where the sun falls if we are going solar.
- Step 2
Size the gate and the operator together
Leaf weight and length decide the operator class and the duty cycle. Undersizing here is the single most common reason automatic gates fail early.
- Step 3
Build the gate and the posts
Heavier posts, heavier frame. An automated gate takes a mechanical load a hand-operated gate never sees.
- Step 4
Power, conduit and control
Conduit run and power brought to the operator — trenched line voltage or a solar panel and battery enclosure — plus the control box and low-voltage runs for devices.
- Step 5
Safety equipment and testing
Photo eyes, reversing sensors and exit loop installed, then the whole system is cycled and adjusted until it stops and reverses the way it should.
- Step 6
Handover
We program your remotes and keypad codes, show you the manual release, and walk you through what to do in an outage.
Why it works
Why It Is Worth Doing Properly
Safety is not optional
Automatic gates are required to sense an obstruction and reverse. Photo eyes and reversing sensors are part of the job, not an upsell.
One contractor, one warranty conversation
We build the gate and install the automation, so adjustments are one phone call.
Real security for a rural frontage
A closed, powered gate on a long driveway is the most effective deterrent most acreage properties can add.
It still works in an outage
Battery backup and a manual release mean a power cut is an inconvenience, not a trapped vehicle.
Questions
Motorized / Automatic Gates FAQs
The questions we get asked most about this kind of work.
Do I need power run out to the gate?
Not necessarily. Hardwired 120V is ideal, especially for a heavy gate that cycles a lot. But a solar panel with a battery works well in the Central Valley and saves a long, expensive trench — we will price both.
What happens to my gate in a power outage?
With battery backup the gate keeps cycling for a while on its own. Every operator we install also has a manual release so the gate can be pushed open by hand, and it can be configured to fail open if you prefer.
Can you automate the gate I already have?
Sometimes. It comes down to whether the existing frame and posts can take the mechanical load. We will look at it honestly and tell you if the gate needs rebuilding first — automating a gate that racks is money wasted.
Can I open it from my phone?
Yes. Most current operators take a smart receiver, so you get phone control alongside remotes and a keypad. Tell us how you want to use it and we will spec it that way.
Keep looking
Other Fence Types
- Chain-Link FencingGalvanized or black vinyl-coated mesh, 4 ft to 12 ft, set in concrete.
- Privacy Slat Chain-LinkSlats woven into chain-link for backyard privacy in tan, brown, black, green or gray.
- Wood & Cedar FencingCedar and redwood board fence — dog-ear, board-on-board or horizontal.
- Wrought Iron & SteelBlack steel spear-top panels for security, estate and rural perimeter fence.
- Gates (Swing & Sliding)Custom walk gates, double drive gates and sliding gates in steel, wood or chain-link.
- Fence & Gate RepairLeaning posts, storm damage, sagging gates and re-stretched chain-link.
- Fence Staining & FinishingCleaning, sealing and semi-transparent or solid stain for cedar and redwood.
Get a free estimate on motorized / automatic gates
Tell us the property, roughly how much fence you need and when you would like it done. We will come out and price it.