Mobile welding and gate repair sound like the same service, but they solve different problems and cost different amounts. Mobile welding is structural metalwork on-site — fixing broken frames, snapped hinges, bent posts. Gate repair is operator and electronics service — motors, control boards, sensors, remotes. Most gate problems need one or the other; some need both.

Mobile welding in Austin runs $150 to $800 per visit. Gate repair runs $75 to $2,500 depending on the part. Knowing which to call saves money, time, and a second visit.

What is mobile welding?

On-site metal fabrication and structural repair. A welding truck arrives with MIG, TIG, and stick equipment, oxy-acetylene cutting, generator, and metal stock. The technician welds, cuts, grinds, and finishes metal directly on your property — no removal, no shop transport.

Mobile welding solves problems where the metal itself is the issue:

• Broken or cracked gate frames
• Snapped or worn hinges
• Bent posts from vehicle impact
• Welds that have separated over time
• Custom brackets and hardware fabrication
• Adding automation mounts to manual gates
• Access control mounting (keypad posts, intercom housings)
• Reinforcing structural sections weakened by rust

Most jobs complete in 1–4 hours. Single visit because the truck carries everything needed.

What is gate repair?

Automatic gate operator and electronics service. The metal panels are structurally fine; the system that opens and closes them has a fault. A technician arrives with operator parts, control boards, sensors, remotes, batteries, and diagnostic equipment.

Gate repair solves problems where electronics or moving parts are the issue:

• Gate won’t open or close at all
• Gate opens but won’t close (or vice versa)
• Grinding, squeaking, or chattering during operation
• Dead remotes or keypads
• Faulty photo-eye sensors causing false obstruction errors
• Motor humming without movement
• Burned-out capacitors or control boards (common after Texas summers)
• Solar gate batteries draining overnight

Same-day calls in Austin. We carry parts for LiftMaster, DoorKing, Viking, US Automatic, Apollo, and FAAC operators.

How do you tell which one your gate needs?

Three quick tests:

1. Look at the metal. Frame bent or cracked? Hinges broken? Post leaning? → Mobile welding.
2. Listen to the system. Motor tries to run but gate doesn’t move? Grinding sounds? Cycle starts and stops? → Gate repair.
3. Check what changed. Vehicle impact, fallen tree, broken metal? → Mobile welding. Storm, power surge, no apparent cause? → Gate repair.

Some situations need both. Vehicle impact may bend the frame (welding) and damage the operator (repair). When that happens, we coordinate one visit that handles both.

How much does each cost in Austin?

Mobile welding pricing:

• Service call + diagnosis: $75–$150
• Hinge re-weld: $150–$300
• Frame straightening + reinforcement: $300–$600
• Post replacement (welded): $400–$800
• Custom bracket fabrication: $100–$400
• Vehicle impact damage: $500–$1,500
• Automation mount on manual gate: $200–$500

Gate repair pricing:

• Service call + diagnosis: $75–$150
• Remote or keypad replacement: $50–$300
• Photo-eye sensor replacement: $100–$300
• Motor capacitor replacement: $150–$400
• Control board replacement: $300–$700
• Full operator replacement: $800–$2,500
• Solar battery + panel service: $200–$600

Both services include a free estimate. We don’t quote a fix until we’ve seen the issue.

Why offer both under one roof?

Most Austin gate companies are operator dealers — they install and service electronics but contract out structural metalwork. Most welding shops focus on commercial and industrial work and don’t carry residential gate operators.

Most real-world gate problems mix the two. A repair company that has to call a welder doubles your wait time and your cost. A welding shop that doesn’t carry operator parts can’t program your remote. After 17 years of running both crews under one roof, we’ve stopped seeing them as separate services. They’re the two halves of keeping a gate working.

When to call instead of figuring it out yourself

Call if the gate is stuck in a position that compromises security, you hear grinding or burning smells, you see structural cracks or separation in welds, the gate won’t respond to remotes/keypads/manual buttons, or you’re unsure whether the problem is structural or electronic. Diagnosis is free.