Garage door spring broke
That noise people describe as a gunshot is a torsion spring failing. It happens with nobody in the garage most of the time, usually overnight, and the door is dead weight afterwards. Replacement is $225 to $340 for one spring and $365 to $520 for a pair, installed and balanced. Leave the door where it is until we get there.
Check these first
Two minutes, no tools, and sometimes it's the whole answer.
- Look for a visible gap in the coil on the shaft above the door.
- If the door has two springs, check whether one or both have gone. Often only one has, and the other is the same age.
- Check whether the cables are still seated on their drums. A spring letting go can throw a cable off.
- Note the wire size and length if you can see them, though we measure this ourselves. The wrong spring balances a door badly even when it fits.
What not to do while you wait
- Don't run the opener. That's what strips the drive gear.
- Don't wind or unwind a spring. The energy it holds comes out at once if a bar slips.
- Don't park under a door that's been forced part-way open.
What it usually turns out to be
- Normal cycle life A standard spring is rated at about 10,000 cycles. Four cycles a day is roughly 1,460 a year, so around seven years. That's the whole story on most doors.
- A busy household In Union City 79.4% of owner households keep two or more vehicles and 39.7% keep three or more. At six to eight cycles a day, a spring rated for seven years is a four or five year spring.
- Corrosion Rust in the coil shortens spring life. It starts where the steel stays wet, which in this area is the lower part of the door and the hardware near the slab rather than the shaft itself, but a damp garage reaches everything eventually.
- An undersized spring A spring that doesn't match the door's actual weight runs at the wrong tension and fails early. It's a common outcome of a cheap replacement.
What it costs
$365 to $520 for both springs installed. A single spring is $225 to $340. The diagnostic visit is $39 and it comes off that in full when you go ahead the same visit. Full detail on the garage door spring replacement page, and every other range we charge is on the cost page.
Where we cover
Newark, Fremont, Union City, Hayward, with Hayward limited to 94545 and 94544 in the south of the city. Call before noon and Newark, Fremont and Union City are same-day appointments. The areas we cover, in detail.
Questions we get asked
How long does the replacement take?
About an hour for one spring and a little longer for a pair, provided the opener hasn't been run against the broken spring and damaged anything else.
Is a high-cycle spring worth the extra?
In a household that cycles the door six or eight times a day, generally yes. It's rated for two to three times the life. We quote both so you can compare.
Other things doors do
- Garage door won't close Almost always the safety sensors.
- Garage door won't open If it feels heavy, it's the spring.
- Opener runs but the door doesn't move The trolley or the drive gear.
- Garage door opener is completely dead Power first, then the logic board.
- Garage door remote or keypad stopped working Battery, programming, or a light bulb.
Leave the door where it is and call
(510) 509-9998. If a car is shut inside, say so first and we'll book you ahead of the queue.
Newark · Fremont · Union City · Hayward