Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How do you fix a broken garage door?

Garage door problems don’t have to mean the end of the world. Garage door repair is typically a one-day process and can be done for only a few hundred dollars. Common garage door repair requests include fixing slow or erratic garage doors, addressing strange sounds coming from the garage door or motor, fixing cosmetic damage such as dents or scrapes, repairing broken doors that are stuck open or closed, and troubleshooting inoperable doors.

The two main garage door operating mechanisms are sectional roll-ups or tilt-ups. Garage door repair services can fix single-car, double-car or RV-height doors. Your garage door may be made of wood, steel, aluminum, masonite, vinyl, fiberglass or another material. The type of garage door repair you need really depends on the type of garage door you have and the issue at hand. Garage door repair pros often charge a flat service call fee to diagnose the problem and provide an estimate. For customers who choose to have the repair done, the service call fee may be applied to the first hour of labor (including time to make the diagnosis). If your garage door is under warranty, the repair may be free of charge.

Who repairs garage doors?

Garage door repair is a specialized job, which is typically handled by a garage door repair service. Professional garage door repair technicians can test or repair a garage door system and fix cosmetic blemishes on doors. Common requests include help with jammed or inoperable doors, slow or erratic doors, unusual sounds, dents or scrapes on the door, and general system testing. Garage door repair professionals can work on single-car, double-car and RV-size garage doors.

How do you choose a garage door?

When garage door repair isn’t an option — perhaps the current door is beyond fixing or you want to upgrade to a quieter, more energy-efficient model — it’s time to buy a new one. But choosing a garage door is not as simple as it sounds, even when you know the right size for your home. A wide range of materials, styles and finishes are available, and each factor influences the cost. Garage doors are made of aluminum, steel, vinyl, fiberglass, masonite, wood (typically cedar or mahogany), or a composite of several materials. They may be insulated against cold or heat. Traditional and modern styles include raised panel, carriage house or crossbuck. Most styles have window or arch options, and are available in different wood finishes and neutral colors. Because garage doors account for a large part of a home’s exterior, their appearance is usually a homeowner’s top priority. An attractive garage door can increase a home’s curb appeal and resale value.

How much does garage door repair cost?

When a garage door goes off the track, the spring breaks, the door is dented or the garage door opener is on the fritz, a professional garage door repair specialist can help. The cost to have a garage door fixed varies, but the national average cost of garage door repair is $70-$110. The extent of the damage and the size and material of the door will affect the final cost. A garage door repair company generally charges a national average of $80 for a service call, which includes the first hour of labor and service, such as testing and inspecting the garage door and opener. Apart from labor, the garage door repair costs hinge on buying replacements parts. For example, a new spring costs an average of $60. Expect to pay several hundred dollars, though, if the door is beyond repair; a new garage door ranges in price from $200 to $4,000, and most homeowners spend an average of $800-$1,200.

How much does it cost to install a new garage door opener?

Your new garage door opener cost will vary based on the model you purchase and how long installation takes. Typically, installation pros charge by the hour, although if the pro is also selling the garage door opener they may have a flat fee for the product with installation. The national average for new garage door opener costs (with installation) is between $390 and $650, although the national average cost for the opener purchased alone may be in the $150-$300 range. The three most common types of openers are chain-drive, screw-drive and belt-drive. The chain-drive costs the least but makes the most noise. The belt-drive is typically the quietest and the most expensive. You can expect to pay about the same amount for installation for any of the three styles. The lifespan of a garage door opener is approximately 10 years, depending on quality. A pro may provide opener repairs for the cost of their service call fee or they may charge a flat fee, such as $100 for opener repair. Here are some examples of new garage door opener average costs, including installation:

Contractor-grade garage door opener with installation: $300.
Chain-drive opener with installation and one remote: $350.
Belt-drive opener with installation and two remotes: $400
Top-of-the-line opener with ¾-horsepower battery backup, belt drive and nearly soundless operation: $475

The majority of higher-end garage door openers are “smart” products and will connect via app to your smartphone for remote access.

Christian S.

Verified review

I need help with a barn door install. I had made the door, but could not hang it do to the fact I had ordered the wrong type of hardware. With some creative and determination they were able to make it work. I highly recommend this company. They do fantastic work!

Corri R.

Chris from Garage Doors Plus did a great job installing our garage doors. He was helpful and informative about our options and finished the project in a timely manner. He was a referral from a friend and I am glad I went with him. He was readily available to answer my questions and complete the job. I would use him again and would highly recommend him.

Eileen W.

Derek did a great job installing a storm door. He was on time, professional and went above and beyond to be sure the door was installed properly. We will definitely hire him again!

Nina F.

What James and his crew did with the deck in our backyard was nothing short of a total transformation. We now have a beautiful deck that we use on a regular basis and absolutely love! We also had James and his crew knock out a wall to add a set of French doors for easier access to our deck and hot tub— it was a tough job, but they made it look easy. James was great to work with, an excellent communicator, and accommodated us on details and changes as they came up during the construction process. He wanted to make sure the deck was exactly as we envisioned, and consistently checked in throughout the project. The crew was friendly and punctual, even working in winter weather. We look forward to using James and Weathertite Roofing and Remodeling on several other projects that we have in mind for the near future. Thank you!!

Julie B.

Dependable did a fantastic job replacing two garage doors. Showed up when scheduled, performed the work professionally, and even cleaned my garage floor after install. I would highly recommend.

Theresa D.

99 Handy, returned my call promptly. The gentleman was very polite, understanding on what I needed done, insured and discussed in detail the job(s) I needed help with. When 99 Handy arrived (within a day or so) Paul was very knowledgeable, and got the job done in a timely manner. I hired him to do other jobs I have been putting off, (such as replacing an outdoor shower, a new front door handle, etc. I would highly recommend 99Handy, if you don't want to get ripped off and want the best skilled company out there. Don't wait, Call 99 Handy, Great work guys. I'll be calling you again soon.

Joel W.

I wanted to get a wooden entranceway and door prepped for painting at my church. Through Thumbtack I received 3 bids. JK Painting was prompt in responding and arranging to see the job. With some back and forth we both got on the same page understanding the scope of the work. The cost was the lowest of the 3 bids. His workers were on the job within 48 hours and finished the prepping within 4-5 hours. They did a fine job and cleaned up the area. I have had positive comments about the quality of the work from several experienced painters.

Janice M.

Needed a door replaced on my garage, railing repaired and front door painted. Roque did a great job on all of these project and did so with high quality and in a professional manner. Even the clean up after the job was well done!

Paola R.

I needed to paint 3 garage doors and a bulkhead. Loui was quick in providing an estimate and went the extra mile to find the right colour that matched the previous one. his painter was corteous and always cleaned after the day of work. the finish on the painted surface could have been smoother but overall I would re-employ this company for other exterior painting works.

Colin A.

Hired to paint a bedroom - ceiling, walls and closet. Ended up needing some plaster repair from a bad patch job from another contractor. Heber and Michael came mid afternoon and stayed till late in the evening to get the job done. They did an excellent job cleaning up, which we appreciated. The fix from the bad plaster work didn't quite take the first time, so Heber and Michael came back first thing the next day to fix again, and it seems to have worked better the second time. The quality of the work is excellent, and they were both easy to work with. Highly recommend.

Bryan M.

Marcio and team did a great job on the trim (floor, windows, doors) around our entire home. They worked quickly and around our schedule due to some life events. He and his team came back to do touch ups as needed.

Julie H.

Alex was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. He was one of the first contractors to reach out to me once I posted my job, and was always responsive and punctual. He met me out the same week I posted the job, gave me an estimate within a few days, and started the job the next week. He completely repainted the exterior of my two-family house, repaired the porch columns, rebuilt the stair railings and replaced one of the exterior doors. Even after he was all paid and the job was done, Alex realized the lock on the door wasn't working properly and made sure it was replaced and perfect before calling the job "done". That's the mark of a true professional! I will definitely be calling Alex in the future for any carpentry/painting needs.

Shanker S.

Jefferson and his team, did an AMAZING JOB! I own a classic 1900 colonial home with lots of detail from plate trays, to china cabinets. I asked Jefferson and his team to take my very detailed 1900's dining room with lots of details, stained wood on the windows, a pocket door!, plate tray, trim, crown molding, a very old china cabinet and popcorn walls. Jefferson and his team gently sanded the stain wood, primed, and put two coats of paint on the trim and wall. They took their time and made sure nothing was missed. HIRE JBS!

Kerri F.

Quick, responsive and a job well done!! Would highly recommend, very easy to work with and very pleased with the finished product (painting interior of our entry way, doors, walls and trim).

Vivek M.

Leandro did a fantastic job in painting the main door. He is really good with his work and has good knowledge about painting jobs. I am definitely going to recommend him to my friends and would love to hire him again for any paint jobs. Awesome work! 👍🏻👍🏻

Patrick R.

Ken did some tile work in my kitchen recently as well as some repairs to my doors and caulking our kitchen cabinets. From start to finish, Ken did a fantastic job! He communicated with me from the get-go, had a fair price, and was flexible with the times that he could come. He arrived on our agreed-upon time, performed the work as promised, and did a phenomenal job. He was done quickly and my wife and I were thrilled with his work. We will definitely be utilizing his services again in the future and I recommend him to anyone who needs any type of handyman work done.

Brian C.

I hired Bruno to pour a new floor (12x20 slab) for my detached garage. Bruno was a pleasure to work with. He was responsive to both phone and e-mail comms, which I appreciated. He kept to his overall schedule well, but should offer more heads up when shifting appointed work times. Bruno charged a good price, much lower than a few other quotes I'd received and in line with the other low bids. My job had its quirks, and Bruno was pretty easy-going about the whole thing. He was casual but professional and didn't cut corners. At one point where he needed to give the concrete time before the next step, Bruno just sat there waiting as night fell. I would have been tempted to rush the process and get home, but he waited the required time before finishing. The quality of the final product is really about durability, which I obviously can't comment on at this point. The finish work is fine for a garage, but could have been more uniform and smooth. Overall I am pleased with the final product, the value, and I enjoyed working with Bruno, something I often can't say about contractors!

Linda V.

Adonias was very easy to work with. He is friendly, creative, and flexible. He has a very busy company, so sometimes my projects took longer than expected, but he is good about communicating. Eagle7 remodeled two bathrooms for me (I will upload pictures after I finish cleaning and organizing them). They took out two fiberglass shower/tub units, built a new tub with tile surround and a tiled walk-in shower with glass door. They replaced sinks and countertops, replaced flooring (tile in one, vinyl plank in the other), repaired some plumbing, replaced fan/light combos, and built out walls where needed. In addition, Adonias and his crew helped with a few extra requests as they came up, without complaint. We were updating most of our house this month, so there were many contractors in and out, a dog, kids, and general chaos. The crew took it all in stride, they were patient and worked around our schedule. Prices were very reasonable, and they worked with me to think through what could be salvaged/reused to minimize costs. Adonias also sourced materials as needed, not overbuying or upcharging. Highly recommend Eagle7.

Ever B.

C.A.L. Painting LLC is one the best companies around the area , that I had ever hire to do jobs around my house , I strongly recommend to hire them , good and responsible workers and also good estimates. Looking forward to give them a call back to my next project.

Katie Z.

Our bathroom was long overdue for re-painting. As you can see in the "before" picture, we had a lot of peeling paint that needed to be removed before we got to anything else. Erik was able to complete the job in two days, and our bathroom looks phenomenal! The first day, he scraped the loose paint from the ceiling and walls, primed and sealed everything, and then applied 3 coats of plaster to bring it back to a smooth surface. The next day he primed and painted the ceiling, walls, and door, and cleaned up any plaster residue. I'd highly recommend him for any painting!

Lynn, MA329 Garage Door Professionals near you

Answer a few questions

Get quotes

Hire the right pro

Lynn Garage Door Professionals