FAAC Welding & Fabrication Nationwide

FAAC Welding & Fabrication: The Houston Owner’s Guide

FAAC welding and fabrication work in Houston typically runs $220 – $680 depending on whether we’re repairing a cracked gate bracket, rebuilding a hinge mount, or fabricating a custom operator plate. We stock common FAAC-compatible steel brackets, hinge reinforcements, and operator mounting plates on the truck, so most weld repairs on FAAC swing and slide gates can be handled same-day after we see the damage. The way owners usually find out they need this: the gate starts sagging, a weld pops with a sound like a rifle shot, or the operator starts straining against a gate that no longer sits square on its hinges.

Call (325) 378-0676

Which FAAC Models This Applies To

Most of the welding and fabrication work we do on FAAC systems involves the gate itself, not the operator. That said, the mounting and reinforcement needs differ between model lines. The FAAC 400 and 402 hydraulic swing operators put serious torque through the gate leaf, and we commonly see cracked post brackets and torn hinge welds on those setups. The FAAC 750, 844, and S800 slide operators are less prone to mount failure, but the V-track supports and guide rollers take a beating, and the steel tabs they bolt through will fatigue over time. On the 390 and 391 residential swing models, the failure is usually at the operator’s rear mounting bracket or the gate’s top hinge, where the metal stretches before it cracks.

Identifying what you have is straightforward: the model number is printed on a label inside the operator cover. For the fabrication side, what matters more is the gate material. Wrought iron, square-tube steel, aluminum, and chain-link all weld differently, and each requires different filler rod or wire, different heat settings, and different prep. A bracket that fits a 400-series FAAC won’t necessarily give you the bolt pattern you need on a 391, so we don’t guess. We match the existing drilled holes or drill to the template, not the other way around.

On OEM versus aftermarket: FAAC’s original mounting hardware is fine, but for the steel brackets and plates themselves, a well-made local fabrication usually outlasts the imported stampings. We fabricate from 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch plate steel where the original was often 1/8-inch stamped sheet. The heavier plate costs a little more and lasts a lot longer, especially in Houston’s humidity and rain cycles.

Signs Your FAAC Welding & Fabrication Is Failing

• The gate sags at the latch end even after hinge adjustment. A sag that returns within weeks usually means a hinge weld has cracked or the post itself is flexing inside its concrete. The operator keeps working, but it’s pushing against a gate that’s slowly tearing itself apart.
• A loud pop or crack when the gate opens or closes. That’s a weld letting go under load. It’s often a hinge bar or a bracket tab. Once it pops, the gate loads the remaining welds harder, so it gets worse quickly.
• The FAAC operator’s mounting plate shows rust staining or movement. If the plate moves even an eighth of an inch when the operator cycles, the bolts are wallowing out their holes or the plate itself is cracked at a corner. The operator will eventually bind.
• Fresh rust bleed at a joint that was painted over. Water gets into a cracked weld, rusts from the inside, and bleeds through the paint. By the time you see the stain, the crack under it is usually deeper than it looks.
• The gate scrapes the driveway or the opener trips its obstruction sensor repeatedly. The FAAC board thinks something is in the way. What’s actually happening is the gate geometry has shifted because a weld failed and the leaf is dragging. The operator is fine; the steel is not.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

In Houston, small weld repairs on FAAC gates run $220 – $350. That covers cleaning the area, grinding out the crack, re-welding, and a rust-inhibiting prime and paint touch-up. A hinge rebuild or bracket replacement lands between $300 – $500, depending on how much of the old steel has to be cut out and whether we need to lift the gate leaf to re-set the geometry. Full custom fabrication, like a new operator mounting plate or a reinforced post base, runs $450 – $680 including the steel, cutting, drilling, welding, and paint.

Every price we quote is in writing before the first cut or weld. You’ll know the number, and that’s the number on the invoice. The work is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if a weld or bracket we installed fails within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge. That’s the Kingswell Guarantee, printed on every invoice.

DIY or Call Us?

You can safely inspect a lot of this yourself. Look at the hinge welds with a flashlight. Run your hand along the operator’s mounting plate and feel for movement while someone else cycles the gate. Watch the gate leaf as it swings; if it drops or shifts at any point in the arc, a weld has failed. Those observations help you describe the problem accurately, and they help us give you a real number over the phone.

What you shouldn’t do is fire up a welder on a gate that’s under tension or still mounted to a live operator. Gate leaves are heavy, and a failed hinge can shift and pinch without warning. Welding on a gate with the operator still connected risks frying the FAAC control board; welding near hydraulic lines risks a burst. This is one of those spots where getting it wrong costs more than getting it done right the first time. If the steel is broken, call us at (325) 378-0676. We’ll come look, give you a written price, and fix it clean.

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