Bay Cities Automatic Gates would like to share our experience in an effort to help single-family residential customers with their automated vehicle gate project.

Some answers will help to focus the design and scope of the project

• What are the main reasons for a vehicle gate, access control system at your home?
  • Beauty, image, fit into the house design
  • Keep children and pet safely on the property
  • Keep out deer
  • Keep out unauthorized visitors
  • Other
• What are the design considerations, constraints?
  • Swing or slide gate (Is the area for the gate flat?)
  • Columns or posts
  • Gate construction and design (wood vs. ornamental iron)
  • Major foliage, landscaping considerations/constraints
• Budget/schedule considerations
  • What other home projects is this project competing with; what is its priority; what budget is available?
  • Is there an important time period during which the project must be completed?
  • Can the project be completed in one or more phases or all at once?
• How will visitors gain access to the property?
  • When residents are home
    • Regular, authorized visitor (house cleaners, car pool pick-up, etc.)
    • One-time visitors (UPS package delivery, meter reader, Girl Scout selling cookies)
  • When residents are not home
    • House cleaner, etc.
    • Authorized UPS delivery
  • Emergency vehicles

The process and typical order of events

• Call Bay Cities Automatic Gates (BCAG) to meet on site and discuss the project.
• Agree with BCAG on scope of project and scope of work you would like BCAG to perform. Confirm other contractors (if any) with whom BCAG needs to coordinate.
• BCAG prepares a proposal quotation.
• Discuss, refine, adjust, and finalize quotation. Quote signed by homeowner or representative. Deposit paid.
• BCAG (or whoever is providing the gate and posts/columns) provides elevation shop drawings of the gate. Refine if necessary. Drawings signed by the homeowner.
• Site preparation work including some or all of the following:
  • Final site grading
  • Set posts/column
  • Run electrical and phone wiring
  • Vehicle detection loops installed
  • Concrete pads poured for gate operator mounting
  • Post for phone entry system installed
• Once gate posts/column are in place, final measurements taken for gates. Gate fabrication and powder coating takes place.
• Gate(s) installed.
• Gate automation equipment, safety equipment and phone entry/intercom system installed.
• Final touch-up and homeowner walk through and sign-off. Preventive maintenance agreement signed. Training on use and upkeep of gate system and what to do in case of no power or reliability issue.
• Final invoicing and payment.

Regulations and permits

• UL 325 and ASTM F2200 safety standards
  Since 2000, there have been standards in place established by Underwriter Laboratories that establish minimum requirements for safe automatic vehicle gate operators and their installation. Since 2002 there have been additional standards established by industry groups that set minimum requirements for the safe automated gates. Because these are thoughtful standards and are well known, it is imperative in Bay Cities Automatic Gates’ view that any new installed system fully complies. Please review these standards below in the UL 325 section.
• Emergency Vehicle Access
  Each local fire department has its particular rules about how emergency vehicles will gain access to a property with an automatic vehicle gate in the event of an emergency. When we install the gate, system we will make sure it complies with these local requirements. In most cases in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, this means installing a Knox Switch. This is a key switch with a red “Emergency” sticker above it to which only the local fire department has the key. When fire department personnel need to gain access to the property, they will turn the key switch and the gate will hold open until they re-turn the switch back to its non-emergency orientation.
• Planning permits
  Often planning guidelines require certain rules be followed that govern the siting and design of a gate system. These rules may limit:
  • The height of the gate.
  • The distance the gate must be from the road or sidewalk.
  • The design of the gate.
  • The depth to which the gate swing post must be set.
• Building permits
  Often no building permits are required. However, depending on the jurisdiction and scope of the project, electrical permits may be required and the electrical contractor will need to have their work signed-off before finalizing their work. Some jurisdictions also require permits for the installation of columns or even gate posts. There is a charge for each permit.

Ongoing maintenance, changes, repairs, upgrades

• Preventative Maintenance (PM)
  It is important to keep your automated gate system in good repair for its reliability and its safety and its durability. We recommend at least annual Preventive Maintenance checks by a professional. When BCAG performs PM’s, we check the mechanical operation of the gate and operator and lubricate and adjust it as needed. We also check the phone entry system, check the performance of the transmitters, the batteries and check the performance safety devices including vehicle detection loops, photo eyes, reversing edges and the inherent safety of the operator itself. This is also a good chance to address homeowner questions and issues.
• System changes
  If you would like to change the time an automatic gate closes, the codes in the phone entry system, or the range of the transmitters give us a call. We may be able to walk you through how to do these on your own. If not we can schedule a visit or address these items as part of a regularly scheduled preventive maintenance.
• Repairs
  Inevitably, the gate system will need repairs as it grows old or someone bumps the gate with their vehicle.  In any case, please call us and we will come out and make the necessary repairs. In many cases, we can do this in one quick visit. If the damage or problem is more extensive, we will give you an estimate and seek your approval before completing the work.
• Upgrades
  After a period of time, customers may want to upgrade their system. They may want to add CCTV cameras, a phone entry system,  vehicle detection loops, hands free vehicle ID or other capabilities. Bay Cities Automatic Gates is happy to discuss upgrade ideas and provide a proposal for the best solution.