Posted Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

How Much Does It Cost to Repair or Replace a Garage-Door Spring?

Most homeowners don’t give their garage-door springs a second thought until something goes wrong. Your garage door springs do a lot of heavy lifting every time you open or shut the door, so it’s hardly surprising that they’re one of the most common causes of garage door problems. A broken or worn-out spring often makes opening the garage door impossible, so you’ll want to replace it promptly.

Replacing a garage door’s spring is relatively inexpensive, and it’s usually worth paying a professional to do it for you.

Replacing a garage door spring yourself is a risky choice because of the tension involved. Generally, extension springs are safer to replace because you can significantly reduce the tension by clamping the garage door open. Replacing a torsion spring is a job best left to the professionals because the spring could snap or come loose and cause a serious injury. Installing a spring incorrectly could also cause it to break at a later date, so it’s usually a better option to call a technician unless you’re sure that you know what you’re doing.

The common reasons for broken springs are routine wear & tear, rust on the springs, lack of maintenance, etc. If you are not maintaining your garage door springs; you will be at big risk in the future. So, avoid ignorance and inspect the garage door once in 3-6 months to find out the problems if any.

Are you stuck to choose between DIY or a garage door contractor? Please read it here.

Please Note: Do not try to repair or replace the garage door springs; a simple mistake can cause you life-threatening damage, you can’t even imagine. It is important to find a reputable & professional garage door contractor and let them do spring replacement and repair jobs.

Garage door facts: 

• Replacing garage door springs takes 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• New garage door springs last 7 to 14 years, or between 10,000 and 20,000 up-and-down cycles.
• It is important to hire a professional to help, because changing a garage door spring can be dangerous.

Cost To Replace Garage Door Spring And Cable

The average cost to replace garage door springs and cables is $200 to $500. Garage door cable repair costs $80 to $185 to replace by itself, but it’s cheaper when combined with spring replacement. 

Signs the cables need replacing:

• The door becomes uneven, or one side becomes heavier.
• The door makes screeching or whining noises.
• The door came off its track and possibly fell down.
• The door won’t open or struggles to move
• Springs show a gap of a few inches
• The door crashes down when operating
• The door is heavy and hard to lift
• Opening motor works, but the door doesn’t move
• A loud bang or snapping sound when the door moves
• Loose, hanging cables
• Door becomes crooked
• The door opens and closes in a jerky way

How Long Do Garage-Door Springs Last?

That depends on the spring type. Generally, you can expect extension springs to last between seven and 12 years. Torsion springs are more robust than extension springs and usually last longer, typically between eight and 15 years. Incorrectly installed springs tend to wear out faster, so you can extend their life span by hiring a professional to replace

Over time, garage doors wear out and the springs break. When this happens, your door may slam shut or fail to open. A professional garage door spring replacement cost typically falls between $150 and $300. 

If you’re like most Seattle homeowners with a garage, you rely on your garage so much you never stop to think about how it works—until one day it doesn’t open because the springs have worn out. When that happens (which is normal!), you’ll need to get the springs replaced—but you may not know where to start or how much it will cost.

Cost of garage door spring replacement

The cost of a garage door spring replacement includes both parts and labor, but it also depends on the type of garage door you have. In general, you can expect to spend between $150 and $300 in total to replace a garage door spring. 

Factors that influence garage door spring replacement costs

Several factors affect the price of your garage door spring replacement service, including the number of doors, number of springs, labor, materials, and other hardware needed. 

Number of garage doors 

If your garage doors were all installed simultaneously and see a similar level of use, you could expect them to wear out around the same time. If you have more than one door, it’s a good idea to replace all springs at the same time.

Additionally, double garage door springs are bigger than single door springs, so they’ll cost $15 to $30 more in materials per spring. Labor costs should stay about the same as for replacing a single door.

If only one spring on a garage door breaks, you should still replace both springs. The tension caused by pairing a new spring with an old one will cause the old one to break. 

Labor

Garage door spring replacements are difficult to do because the spring is under a lot of pressure. Doing it yourself is very dangerous: you could get hurt, damage the door/equipment, or damaged items in your garage. 

Replacing springs also requires many special tools that the average homeowner doesn’t have. 

Once the springs are installed, you still have to balance the heavy garage door so that it tracks smoothly. So, this is a job best left to the professionals. 

Trust Cressy Door of Seattle-Tacoma area and ask them for a quote. The quote should include all materials, hardware, and labor costs. For safety reasons, you’ll need two technicians on site. 

Expect labor costs to run between $75 and $150 for about two hours of work. 

Materials

The materials that your contractor will need to complete the job should include the cost of the springs, brackets, and other hardware. 

If you have a double garage door replaced, you’ll need two springs, while a single door will only need one. Springs can cost between $30 and $200 for two sets of springs. 

Location

Supply and demand for garage door contractors will affect your overall price. If you live in an area where there are a lot of contractors to choose from, you should expect lower prices than in areas with more limited choices. 

You may have to pay extra in urban areas because the local cost of living is higher, but in rural areas, you may have to pay an extra “travel fee” if the contractors need to make a long drive to come to you.

Key takeaway You shouldn’t replace your garage door springs yourself.  A professional garage door spring replacement will cost about $300 for parts and labor.  

Types of doors and springs

The type of garage door and spring you have will impact the price of the repairs. Most garage doors are sectioned panels that roll back along a track. There are also single panel doors and tilt-up doors. 

No matter what type of garage door you have, they all use a spring mechanism to offset the weight of lifting and lowering the door. 

Traditionally, garage doors use extension springs to move the door, but some homes use a torsion spring bar. Torsion springs are more expensive to replace. 

Extension spring

As the more common option, extension springs are cheaper to replace than torsion springs, but they don’t last as long. You should expect these springs to last 8,000-10,000 cycles or 7-12 years. 

When the garage door is closed, extension springs tighten and pressurize so that they can “spring” back to raise the door. They are attached with safety cables to prevent damage. 

While extension springs are cheaper than torsion spring bars, they have more exposed parts that can be damaged if they break through normal wear and tear. 

To replace an extension spring, you should expect to pay between $15 and $45 for each spring with a labor rate of $50 to $100 each spring. 

Torsion spring bar

Torsion spring bars are the most dangerous type of garage door spring to replace because they remain under tremendous pressure, even when the garage door is closed. 

These springs attach to the wall opposite the garage door, and they expand and twist tightly to move the door. These springs are stronger than extension springs and carry more weight. They also last longer: 10,000-20,000 cycles or 8-15 years. 

Roll-up doors use torsion springs, so you’ll likely pay $200-$250 for the total replacement ($30 to $100 in parts and $75 to $150 in labor for each spring). 

Key takeaway There are two types of garage door springs depending on the type of doors you have. Torsion spring bars are more dangerous and more costly to replace than extension springs.

Garage door cables

Your garage doors operate with both a spring and a cable. These cables are a backup system if the springs fail. However, cables can wear out before the springs do, so you’ll want to inspect them regularly. 

Watch these for these signs to tell if your cables are on their last leg: 

• One side of the door is heavier and it’s lifting unevenly
• The door whines when moving
• The door came off track completely 

If you need to replace your cables without a spring replacement, they should cost between $75 to $200. If you need to replace the spring as well, you’re looking at $175 to $400 in total.

Repairs and tune-ups 

Your garage doors will last longer if you do a tune-up once or twice a year to catch an issue before it breaks completely (in which case the repairs will be more expensive). 

When a garage door specialist does a tune-up, they also check: 

• Screws
• Cables
• Tracks
• Drums
• Rollers

Tune-ups are much cheaper than replacements and should cost between $50 to $150. 

Living in the northwest, due to humidity you should lubricate your garage door springs at least once a year to avoid rust. Make sure to use a silicone-based lubricant—but don’t overdo it! 

How do I know if I need a new garage door spring? 

Here are some signs that your garage door springs need attention: 

• You heard a loud “bang” when trying to open the garage door
• The door closes too fast
• The door won’t stay open
• Cables are loose or broken
• The garage door is hanging crooked
• Metal parts are squeaking 
• There is noticeable rust or corrosion on your springs
• The motor is running, but the door won’t open 

It’ll be pretty obvious if your garage door has a severe problem. If you notice anything on the list, you need to schedule a service with Cressy Door today!

The Seattle Garage Door Team at Cressy Door and Fireplace is available Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm. We are happy to assist you with your questions relating to sales, installation, maintenance, and repair of your home’s garage doors in the Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, and Renton areas. Please give us a call or fill out the form to the right, and one of our Residential Team members will respond promptly.

If you have a garage door emergency, give us a call 24x7x365 and we’ll send one of our certified Seattle home garage door repair technicians to assist you.

Kent (253) 887-9135

Shoreline (206) 632-0533

Serving the Puget Sound Community since 1952.