Fence Brothers, a residential and commercial fencing contractor based in Kentwood, has formalized gate operator installation as a standalone service, pairing motorized gate systems with fence and gate construction under a single project scope. The company said most fence contractors in West Michigan install a gate and refer the motorized opener to a separate electrician or automation company.
A gate operator is a motorized system that opens and closes a gate automatically, using a keypad, remote, smartphone app or vehicle sensor instead of manual latching. Fence Brothers said the electrical conduit for an operator has to be planned before the gate posts are set, since running power to an already-installed gate typically means trenching through a finished driveway or lawn. By scoping the gate and the operator together from the start, the company installs the conduit path during the same visit it sets the posts, before concrete or landscaping is in place.
Fence Brothers has offered gate installation since it opened in 2013, and expanded into gate operator installation as its own service years ago rather than treating it as an afterthought. Access options include keypad entry, remote control, a smartphone app or a vehicle sensor loop that opens the gate automatically for arriving cars, and installations run on standard household power or, for driveways far from an outlet, a solar panel. The company, which holds an Angi 5.0 rating and was named a 2025 Angi Super Service Award winner, installs operators on both residential driveway gates and commercial access points, including slide gates for high-traffic commercial entries.
Driveway gate posts carry more load than standard fence posts, since every open-and-close cycle transfers force through the hinge side. Michigan's frost line sits at 42 inches per state code, and Fence Brothers evaluates gate post depth on a site-by-site basis to account for it, setting posts in bell-bottom concrete footings that resist the lateral rocking created by repeated swings and seasonal ground movement. The same principle applies to wood driveway gates, where a diagonal brace running from the top latch-side corner to the bottom hinge-side corner keeps the gate from sagging over time.
Most residential fence contractors in West Michigan do not install gate operators themselves, referring that portion of the job to an electrician or a separate automation company, according to Fence Brothers. Splitting the work between two contractors can create scheduling gaps and, if the electrician sets a junction box in the wrong spot, may require reopening a section of driveway or lawn to relocate it. Fence Brothers also fits operators to meet Michigan's pool-barrier code on properties with in-ground pools, which requires gates to close and latch on their own without someone pushing them shut.
"Homeowners don't think about the electrical part until the gate is already in and they realize there's no power out there," said Alec Trierweiler, co-owner of Fence Brothers. "At that point you're trenching a driveway you just paid to have poured. We'd rather ask the question on day one."
Homeowners and commercial property owners considering an automated gate can request a free on-site estimate through the Fence Brothers website or by phone, with estimates typically scheduled within 48 hours of an initial request. Its completed gate and fence installations are available for review through its Google Business Profile.
About Fence Brothers
Fence Brothers is a residential and commercial fence contractor based in Kentwood, Michigan, serving the West Michigan region since 2013. The company is co-owned by brothers Alec and Kyle Trierweiler and installs wood, vinyl, aluminum, chain link and ranch-style fencing, along with gate installation and gate operator services. Fence Brothers holds an Angi 5.0 rating and was named a 2025 Angi Super Service Award winner. More information is available at www.fencebrosmi.com.
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For more information about True Wrap, LLC, contact the company here:
Fence Brothers
Alec Trierweiler
(616) 901-8492
alec@fencebrosmi.com
4477 E Paris Ave SE
Kentwood, MI 49512