Garage door repair
Compare local garage door repair pros in your city, including emergency service. 1,550 pros listed in 773 cities across 45 states.
Reviewed and updated by the Fixerlane editorial team · How we research
Garage Door Repair by city
What garage door repair covers
Most repairs fall into a handful of jobs: replacing broken torsion or extension springs, replacing frayed or snapped lift cables, putting a door back on its track, replacing worn rollers and hinges, replacing a damaged section, and fixing or replacing the opener and its safety sensors. A tune-up — lubrication, balancing and a safety check — is the routine version.
Emergency garage door repair
It is worth an urgent call when the door is stuck open and the house is not secure, when a spring has broken or a cable has snapped, when the door is hanging crooked or off its track, or when a car is trapped and you need it.
Until help arrives:
- Stop using the opener. Running it against a broken spring or cable can damage the opener and bring the door down.
- Keep people, children and pets out from under the door.
- Do not pull the emergency release on a door with a broken spring — without the spring, the full weight of the door is in your hands.
- Do not touch the springs, cables or bottom brackets.
Ask what the after-hours charge is before the technician sets off; companies frame it differently, as a higher rate, a flat emergency fee or both.
Garage door cable replacement
Lift cables run from the bottom brackets to drums at the top of the door and work with the springs to raise and lower it. Signs a cable is failing: fraying or broken strands, a cable that has slipped off its drum, a door that lifts unevenly or hangs lower on one side. A snapped cable usually leaves the door crooked or stuck.
Do not run a door with a damaged cable — it can fall without warning. Cables are attached to the spring-loaded bottom brackets, which is why replacing them is a technician’s job. Most pros replace both cables together so they wear evenly; ask, and ask them to check the springs while they are there.
Springs: why this is not DIY
Springs counterbalance the door’s weight and are kept under high tension. DASMA, the door manufacturers’ association, calls them “arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door”, and says the bottom brackets, which connect to the springs, are under extreme tension and should be adjusted or loosened only by a trained door systems technician (DASMA). Do not try to adjust, release or replace springs, cables or bottom brackets yourself.
Common signs of a broken spring: a loud bang from the garage, a visible gap in the torsion spring above the door, a door that feels very heavy or will only open a few inches, or an opener that strains and stops. Springs wear out with use, and many pros recommend replacing a pair together.
Opener safety: the monthly check
Openers made for the US since 1991 must have an automatic reversing system, and later rules added an external sensor such as a photo eye (16 CFR 1211). CPSC advises inspecting the door and opener every 30 days and testing the reverse by placing a 2×4 flat on the floor in the door’s path: the door should reverse when it touches it. A door that does not reverse, or a severely unbalanced door, should be serviced by a professional (CPSC).
How to choose a garage door repair company
- Ask for the price of the repair, including parts, before work starts — and what parts they are fitting (spring size and cycle rating, for example).
- Ask whether they will replace one spring or both, and why.
- Ask about the warranty on parts and labour.
- Check licensing and insurance. Some states and cities license garage door work as contracting; liability insurance matters either way.
- Credentials exist: the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation (IDEA) offers voluntary certification for residential garage door technicians (IDA).
- Be wary of a quote that changes sharply on site, or pressure to replace a whole door for a spring or cable repair.
What affects the cost
- The repair: springs, cables, rollers, a panel and an opener are different jobs.
- Spring type and size — torsion or extension, and the door’s weight.
- Door size and material: a heavy double door needs heavier hardware.
- Urgency: same-day, evening and weekend calls usually cost more.
- Whether related parts are replaced at the same time (both cables, both springs).
Common questions
- Is it safe to use my garage door with a broken cable?
- No. With a damaged or broken cable the door can fall unexpectedly. Stop using it and call a technician.
- Will my garage door work with a broken spring?
- Usually not properly, and you should not force it. The spring carries most of the door’s weight; without it the opener strains and the door can drop.
- Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
- It is not recommended. DASMA says the brackets connected to the springs are under extreme tension and should be adjusted only by a trained technician.
- Should both cables or springs be replaced at once?
- Many pros recommend it, because a pair wears together and the second is often close to failing. Ask the technician to explain their recommendation.
- Do garage door companies charge more for emergency service?
- Usually, yes — through a higher after-hours rate, a flat emergency fee or both. Ask before they come out.
- How often should I check my garage door?
- CPSC advises inspecting the door and opener every 30 days, including the reverse test with a 2×4. DASMA also suggests a yearly visit from a trained technician.
Related services
Sources
Safety and standards advice on this page comes from these publishers. Dates are the ones each page shows.
- DASMA (Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association), Garage Door Safety Tips (no date shown; read October 2026)
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Garage Door Operators Safety Alert (Pub. 523) (revision 0411; read October 2026)
- eCFR (US federal regulations), 16 CFR Part 1211, Safety Standard for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators (current as of October 1, 2026)
- International Door Association, IDEA Accreditation (no date shown; read October 2026)