Someone Hit the Gate: What Happens Next

It happens more than you would think, usually reversing. Here is how the repair is assessed and what determines the cost.

First, stop using it

A gate with a bent frame or a damaged post will keep working for a while and cause more damage while it does. If it is automated, disengage the operator.

Cycling a damaged gate is how a panel repair becomes an operator repair.

What we look at

The frame first: is it still square. Then the hinges or rollers, then the post, then the operator and its mounting.

Impact damage travels. A knock at the leading edge frequently shows up as a bent hinge or a cracked footing rather than where the car actually touched.

Panels and pickets are the easy part

Individual pickets, slats or panels can usually be cut out and replaced, then refinished so the repair disappears into the run.

On powder-coated metal we can get close on colour, though an exact match on a weathered gate is not always possible and we will say so.

Frames and posts are the real job

A racked frame has to be pulled back square or rebuilt. A post that has taken the impact usually needs replacing, which means concrete and cure time.

This is the part that determines whether a repair is a day or a week.

Insurance and documentation

Photograph everything before anything is moved, including the wider entrance. We provide a written breakdown of what was damaged and what the repair involves.

That documentation is worth having whether or not a claim is made in the end.