Vetted gate and garage technicians in Alberton. Book now.

Alberton homeowners can expect a call-out fee of R350 – R650 and labour at R450 – R800 per hour, with parts quoted on top. A standard backup battery is R300 – R600 fitted, an anti-theft cage R800 – R1,500 installed and a new sliding gate motor R5,000 – R9,500. Ask your technician to separate labour from parts on the quote.

A flat or worn backup battery is nearly always the reason. Lead-acid batteries hate being cycled repeatedly, and after a year or two of load shedding they cannot hold enough charge to move the gate. A technician can test it in minutes and swap it for a new one, or upgrade you to lithium if outages are a regular headache.

A standard 7Ah lead-acid battery lasts two to three years in normal use, less with heavy load shedding. Lithium costs R1,500 – R3,500 fitted but typically lasts five years or more, charges faster and gives you many more openings per outage. For a family home with practical budgets, lithium is often cheaper over its lifetime.

A welded anti-theft cage locked with a padlock or coded bolt is the most effective and affordable measure, at R800 – R1,500 installed. Mount the motor on the inside of the gate where it cannot be reached from the street, fit a tamper alarm if your motor supports one and note the serial number in case it is recovered.