Garage door spring broke? What to do (and not do) in the first 10 minutes

How to tell it's the spring

Look at the long spring on the bar above the closed door. A broken torsion spring has a visible gap of an inch or two in the coil.

• The bang sounded like a gunshot or a dropped board
• The opener hums or strains and the door rises a few inches, then stops
• The door feels far heavier than usual if you try to lift it
• On older doors with springs along the side tracks, one of those springs is stretched out or hanging loose

What not to do

• Don't keep pressing the opener button. The opener isn't built to lift the full weight of the door, and it can strip its gears.
• Don't pull the red emergency release cord. With a broken spring, nothing is holding the door's weight, and it can drop.
• Don't try to wind or replace a torsion spring yourself. The tension that's left in the other spring and the winding bars is what injures people.
• Don't let kids or pets walk under the door while it's partly open.

If your car is stuck inside

Tell us that when you call. We'll put you first in line for the day. Please don't try to force the door open by hand: without the spring it can weigh well over 100 pounds and drop without warning. Getting the car out is part of the job.

What the repair involves and costs

We replace springs in pairs on two-spring doors, because the second one is the same age and usually fails within months. New springs are matched to your door's weight and the door is balanced and tested before we leave.

• Torsion springs, pair, including a tune-up: $295–$450
• Single torsion spring: from $199
• High-cycle springs that last about twice as long: +$60–$100 per pair
• Extension springs, pair, with safety cables: $175–$275

New customers get $25 off any spring repair. You pay after you've tested the door.

More about garage door spring repair.