Operators for swing and slide gates
Swing gates get articulating arm or underground operators sized to the leaf weight. Slide and cantilever gates get a rack or chain drive on a proper footing. Every operator gets safety loops or photo eyes, obstruction reversal, and a manual release you can find in the dark. We size the operator to the gate we built, so it is never working at its limit.
Operate and monitor the gate from anywhere
Open it for a delivery from a job site in Ventura. Watch the intercom camera from a hotel in another country. See a log of every open and close, who used which code, and get a notification when the gate has been left open. The system runs on your phone, on any network, and it does not depend on you being within Wi-Fi range of the house. Guest codes can be issued and revoked remotely, so the housekeeper's code works Tuesdays and not Saturdays, and the code you gave a contractor dies the day the job ends.
What the system can do
One access system runs the driveway gate, the walk gate, the garage door, and any exterior door you want on it. Everything below is standard on what we install, not an upgrade list:
- Video intercom at the street. Two-way talk and a live camera view on your phone, wherever you are. Answer the gate from another country.
- Every way to open it. PIN keypad, phone tap, key fob or card, and camera-based recognition of a face or a license plate so the gate opens for your car as you turn in.
- Visitor passes. Send a guest a one-time or time-limited pass by text. It works for the window you set and dies on its own.
- Schedules and rules. The housekeeper's code works Tuesdays 8 to 2. The pool service gets the side gate only. The contractor's pass ends the day the job ends.
- Logs and alerts. A record of every open and close, who used which credential, and a notification if the gate is left open or forced.
- Cameras on the same system. Driveway, gate, and perimeter cameras recorded locally on your property, viewable from the same app, with motion and vehicle detection.
- No monthly fee. The system runs on hardware you own with local recording. There is no subscription to keep the app working.
- One app for every property. If you have a second home or a rental, both run from the same screen.
Power outages and battery backup
Malibu loses power in every wind event and every Public Safety Power Shutoff. The operator runs on battery backup through it, and the manual release is reachable from inside the property. Solar charging where the gate is far from the house and trenching power is not worth it.
Adding automation to an existing gate
We automate gates we did not build when the gate is sound. The site walk checks weight, hinges or track, post footing, and whether the gate is level. If it is, we add the operator and access hardware. If it is not, we say so, because an opener on a failing gate is money spent twice. See driveway and pedestrian gates.
Questions we get about gate automation and access control
Is there a monthly subscription for the app?
No. The system runs on hardware you own, with recording on your property. The app, the remote access, the logs, and the visitor passes all work without a subscription.
My canyon lot has no cell signal at the gate. Can an intercom still work?
Yes. Where cellular does not reach we run a hardwired intercom to the house, or place a cellular unit where the signal actually is and relay it. We test signal on the site walk before we spec the hardware.
Can you automate a gate you did not build?
Usually. We check the gate weight, the hinges or track, and the post footing. If the gate is sound we add the operator, power, and access hardware. If it is not, we tell you before you spend money on an opener that a failing gate will destroy.
What about power outages and evacuations?
Every operator we install has battery backup and a manual release you can reach. A gate that traps you in during an evacuation is a life safety failure, and we design against it.