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Get your free estimateGhost Controls Keypad & Intercom Repair: The Houston Owner’s Guide
Ghost Controls keypad and intercom repair in Houston typically runs $145 – $385 installed, depending on whether we’re replacing the keypad, the intercom module, or the wiring between them. Most keypad-only swaps are done in under an hour, and our trucks leave the shop stocked with Ghost Controls-compatible keypads for common models, so we can usually handle it in a single visit. The way most Houston homeowners discover the problem is simple: the keypad lights up but the gate doesn’t move, or the intercom crackles and drops the call halfway through “come on in.” Sometimes the whole pad goes dark after a hard rain, which is its own clue in this city’s humidity.
Which Ghost Controls Models This Applies To
Ghost Controls builds keypad and intercom units across three main lines: the AXP Series (their newer solar-ready models), the TSS Series (torque-sensing swing operators), and the older GTR Series that’s been in Houston driveways for years. The compatibility gotcha most owners hit is that the AXP keypad uses a different mounting plate and wiring harness than the TSS and GTR units, even though the keypads look nearly identical at arm’s length. Before we quote a replacement, we match the model number off the back of your existing pad or off the control board. We’re an independent service company, not affiliated with Ghost Controls, so we carry both OEM Ghost Controls parts and quality aftermarket equivalents that match the voltage and weather-sealing specs. For Houston specifically, we lean toward aftermarket keypads with silicone-sealed membranes on the older GTR models, because the factory pads on that series tended to let moisture in around the number keys after a few heavy summers.
Styles & brands we work with





Signs Your Ghost Controls Keypad & Intercom Repair Is Failing
- Keypad lights up, gate ignores it. This usually means the keypad is transmitting, but the receiver on the control board has drifted off the code. On Ghost Controls units, this often follows a power surge or a lightning strike nearby, which is a regular occurrence in Houston’s storm season.
- Intercom audio cuts out mid-call. The microphone or speaker wiring at the gate post has corroded. Houston’s humidity plus the temperature swings between a shaded drive and full sun causes condensation inside the intercom housing that eventually eats the connections.
- Some keys work, others don’t. The membrane under the keypad has worn through or split. On the TSS Series keypads, the membrane sits directly under the silicone pad, and after three to five years of Houston sun, the material turns brittle and stops rebounding.
- Keypad is completely dead after rain. Water found its way past the weather seal. Even a small gap at the top edge of the housing lets enough rainwater in to short the board, and once a Houston downpour gets in, the corrosion starts within days.
- You have to press the call button twice or three times. The intercom’s relay contact is pitted. Each press sends low-voltage current through a small relay, and over time the contacts arc and burn, especially on systems wired to older gate operators that draw slightly more current on the trigger line.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what Houston homeowners should expect to pay, parts and labor included:
- Keypad replacement (aftermarket, weather-sealed): $145 – $210
- Keypad replacement (OEM Ghost Controls): $190 – $270
- Intercom module replacement: $180 – $285
- Intercom + keypad together: $275 – $385
- Wiring repair or re-run (per run): $45 – $90
The range depends on whether we’re reusing your existing mounting post, how far the wiring run is from the house, and whether the old unit left corrosion we need to clean off the terminals. Every quote is written down before any work starts, and it covers the part, labor, programming the new unit to your existing Ghost Controls operator, and testing the whole loop from keypad to gate. If the replacement fails within the 365-day guarantee period, we come back and correct it at no charge under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
We won’t pretend there’s anything dangerous about swapping a keypad, and if you’re handy, replacing the pad itself is a low-voltage job you can reasonably attempt. The places where DIY goes wrong on Ghost Controls keypad and intercom systems are the wiring splices at the base of the gate post and the code-programming step. We regularly see Houston homes where a weekend repair left the splice exposed inside a wire nut, and six months later the gate won’t respond because that splice turned green with corrosion. The programming side is fiddly too: Ghost Controls uses a specific sequence of button presses to relearn a new keypad to the board, and getting it wrong can knock out the remotes you already have paired. If the keypad is dead after a storm or the intercom is cutting out, that’s a wiring problem most of the time, and that’s when we recommend calling us at (325) 378-0676. Tell me what the gate is doing, or not doing, and I’ll give you a real number before I ever touch a wrench.
FAQs
In Houston’s climate, expect four to six years out of a keypad and five to seven from an intercom module before weather intrusion or membrane wear forces a replacement. Units installed on east- or west-facing gate posts, where afternoon sun beats directly on the housing, tend to fail a year or two sooner than those on shaded north-facing posts. Call (325) 378-0676 if yours died early – the problem may be wiring, not the unit itself.
We can clean corroded terminals, replace a cracked membrane on some TSS and GTR keypads, and rewire bad splices, but once water has gotten inside the board, repair stops making financial sense because the cost of a new aftermarket pad is close to the labor of a board-level repair. If the keypad is responding intermittently, it’s worth a call to see if it’s a fixable wiring issue rather than a dead unit.
Most keypad swaps take 45 to 75 minutes on site, including programming and testing. Replacing an intercom module runs closer to 90 minutes if the old wiring needs to be stripped back and reterminated. We give you a real arrival window when you book, and the tech who shows up already knows Ghost Controls systems.
Yes. Our Houston technicians carry aftermarket and OEM Ghost Controls keypads for the AXP, TSS, and GTR series, plus intercom modules and mounting hardware. We also stock parts for LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and DoorKing systems, so if a neighbor’s gate is down while we’re on your street, we can usually handle that too. Call (325) 378-0676 and we’ll confirm the part is on the truck before we head out.
Get a Written Quote for Your Ghost Controls Keypad or Intercom
If the keypad at your Houston driveway stopped talking to your Ghost Controls operator, or the intercom sounds like it’s underwater, call Portcullis Gate Repair at (325) 378-0676. Dean Prescott and the team will match your model, quote the repair in writing before we touch a bolt, and stand behind the work with a written 365-day guarantee. A live person answers around the clock, and we show up in the window we gave you.
Written by Dean Prescott, Owner, Portcullis Gate Repair Houston at Portcullis Gate Repair Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.