Vetted gate and garage technicians in Cape Town. Book now.

In Cape Town, budget for a call-out fee of R350 – R650 and labour at R450 – R800 per hour, with parts quoted separately. Common jobs include a replacement backup battery at R300 – R600 fitted, a lithium upgrade at R1,500 – R3,500 and a new sliding gate motor at R5,000 – R9,500 installed. Always ask for a clear labour and parts breakdown.

Yes, it is the biggest killer of motors on the Peninsula. Water gets into the housing and the controller board corrodes, while salt air near the coast eats terminals and the rack. Fit a weather cover, check the housing seals before winter and ask your technician to apply corrosion protection to the connectors, and the motor will last far longer.

A standard 7Ah lead-acid battery lasts two to three years and gives you perhaps 20 to 30 openings during an outage. Lithium costs R1,500 – R3,500 fitted but lasts five years or more, charges faster and handles load shedding cycles without degrading. If you are replacing a battery every year, the upgrade pays for itself.

The motor is sensing an obstruction, either a real one like a stone or leaf litter on the track, or a false one from misaligned safety beams or a rack with a high spot. Cape Town wind blows a lot of debris into tracks. Clear the track first, then have a technician check the beams and collision sensitivity setting.