Smart gate openers and access control in Austin and Round Rock
Open your driveway gate from your phone, or run a community gate without a landline. We check your operator and control board first, explain the monthly costs before we install, and set the safety devices to UL 325 entrapment-protection requirements.
Signs it's this
- You sit in the rain at the driveway gate, hunting for a remote or a code
- Guests and delivery drivers can't reach you because the call box dials a phone line you no longer have
- A whole neighborhood shares one gate code and nobody knows who gave it out
- You can't tell whether the gate was left open, or when it opened
- A call box still runs on a copper phone line you want to drop
- The HOA board or property manager has to visit the gate to add or remove a resident
Do this now
A gate you can open from your phone moves when you can't see it. Keep people, pets and cars clear of its path. If the gate sticks, use the operator's manual release key to free the drive and move the gate slowly by hand. If a photo eye or sensing edge has been unplugged, stop using the gate on automatic and call us. Don't wire a module or call box yourself.
What it costs
Starting prices, installed. You get the exact price in writing before any work starts.
| Gate app or Wi-Fi module, installedIf your operator accepts one | $249 |
|---|---|
| Keypad, installed | $349 |
| Cellular or cloud call box | Free estimate |
| License plate recognition | Free estimate |
| Gate service callWaived when you approve a gate repair | $95 |
What we check on the visit
- Operator brand, model and control board, since that decides which app modules fit
- Power source, whether line power, solar or battery, and the state of the battery
- Wi-Fi or cellular signal at the gate itself, not at the house
- Entrapment protection at each point where the gate can trap someone, with monitored photo eyes or sensing edges to UL 325
- Gate class, residential or commercial, because it sets which safety devices apply
- Existing keypad, call box, loops and readers, with their wiring and power
- Who manages codes and credentials, a homeowner, a property manager or an HOA board, and who gets the alerts
Where it fails
The ringed numbers are the parts this entry covers. Tap any number to see what fails and where the price starts.
Ringed in green: the parts this page covers.
1 Torsion spring
Springs are rated for a set number of cycles. When one snaps, the door suddenly weighs 150 to 250 pounds.
from $229Read the entry
2 Cable drum and cables
Cables fray and slip off the drum, and the door hangs crooked or stops partway.
from $149Read the entry
3 Opener motor
The motor hums or clicks but will not lift. Stripped gears and burned boards are common.
from $129Read the entry
4 Track
A bent or loose track throws the rollers out, and the door jams or comes off.
from $149Read the entry
5 Hinges and rollers
Worn rollers grind, wobble and wear the track. Cracked hinges let panels flex.
from $139Read the entry
6 Door photo eyes
Bumped out of line, the safety eyes make the door reverse or refuse to close.
from $120Read the entry
7 Solar panel
Dust, shade and summer heat cut the charge the gate battery needs overnight.
from $149Read the entry
8 Gate control box
Storm surges and heat burn control boards and wear out the backup battery.
from $149Read the entry
9 Gate operator arm
A worn or undersized arm strains and stalls on a long, heavy gate.
from $2,495Read the entry
10 Gate photo eye, left post
A blocked or misaligned eye stops the gate mid-swing for safety.
from $95Read the entry
11 Gate photo eye, right post
The matching eye on the far post. Both have to see each other.
from $95Read the entry
12 Vehicle loop
A cut or worn loop in the drive means the gate will not open for cars leaving.
from $95Read the entry
Equipment and options
- App and Wi-Fi modules
- Add phone control, alerts and schedules to many existing operators. Fit depends on the operator and its board, and a module needs a signal at the gate. Brands we commonly see include LiftMaster, Mighty Mule and Ghost Controls.
- Operators with smart features
- Swing and slide operators that have app control built in or accept a module, and some can run on solar power. We match the operator to the gate's size, weight and traffic.
- Cellular and cloud video call boxes
- A visitor calls from the gate with video, and a resident answers on a phone. No landline needed. These systems carry a monthly service plan from the maker or provider. DoorKing and LiftMaster are brands we commonly see.
- Keypads, phone credentials and guest passes
- A code for each household, passes for guests and delivery drivers, and on cloud systems a phone that acts as the key. What a system supports depends on the maker, so we confirm per product.
- Card, fob and long-range readers
- Tags for residents, staff and vendors. A lost tag can be cancelled without changing everyone else's access.
- License plate recognition
- A camera reads registered plates and opens the gate for residents. It does not handle visitors, so the community keeps a call box. Quote only, after a site visit.
- Solar and battery power
- A solar kit suits a swing gate that is far from power. The size depends on the operator, the gate, how often it cycles and how much sun the panel gets.
- Safety devices
- Monitored photo eyes and sensing edges, plus warning signs. Gates need them whether or not they have an app.
Which upgrade fits your gate?
A driveway gate with an operator you like, and you only want phone control
An app or Wi-Fi module on the operator you have, if the board accepts one. We check before we quote.
The gate is at the street and Wi-Fi from the house barely reaches it
A cellular unit. We test the signal at the gate first.
There is no power at the gate
A solar swing operator with a battery, if the gate's size and weight suit it.
A home with deliveries, guests and caregivers
A call box or keypad that rings your phone and gives out temporary codes.
An HOA, apartment community or business with many residents and several gates
Cloud video call boxes with a resident directory, phone credentials, an entry log and remote management for the manager. No landline.
Residents sit in a queue and want the gate open as they arrive
Add plate recognition to a gate that already has a call box, if your HOA documents allow cameras.
HOAs, storms and Texas sun at the gate
Many Austin-area community gates were built years ago on phone lines, and a cellular call box replaces the line. Your HOA documents and the board decide what goes in, and some documents require a vote before cameras are added. Heat is hard on batteries and electronics, so we mount call boxes and control boxes in shaded, weather-rated housings where we can. Lightning and storm surges can damage a control board, and a surge protector is cheap insurance. A swing gate far from the house can often run on solar, as long as the panel gets clear sun.
D.L., 304 E Main St #204, Round Rock
Questions people ask on the phone
Can my existing gate get an app?
Often, depending on the operator and its control board. Some older boards can't take a module, and then the board or the operator needs replacing. We check what you have and tell you which it is before you spend anything.
Do cellular call boxes have monthly fees?
Yes. Cellular and cloud systems usually carry a monthly service plan from the manufacturer or provider, and the amount varies by system. We explain the options and the costs before we install, so a homeowner or a board knows the yearly cost up front.
Can residents let guests in from their phone?
On cloud systems that is the usual design. A resident gets a call or a prompt on a phone and opens the gate, or sends a guest pass. Features differ by maker, so we confirm what a product does before you buy it.
Is license plate recognition right for a small HOA?
Sometimes. It reads plates that are registered and opens the gate for residents. It does nothing for visitors, so you still need a call box, and a dirty, bent or oddly angled plate can fail to read. Check your HOA documents for any vote required to add cameras.
What safety devices must a gate have?
UL 325, the U.S. standard for gate operators, calls for two independent, monitored entrapment-protection means at each point where the gate can trap someone. That is usually the operator's built-in reversing system plus a photo eye or sensing edge. The devices needed depend on the gate class and type. We install to those requirements.
Can you set up several gates for a property manager?
Cloud call boxes are built for it. One account can cover several gates, residents are added or removed from a dashboard, and the system keeps a log of entries. Features differ by maker, so we match the system to your property and quote after a site visit.
Something broke? Call the office.
(512) 777-0412Open daily 7am to 8pm. After-hours emergency line. 304 E Main St #204, Round Rock.