How Much Does Garage Door Cable Repair Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $100 - $350
Garage door cable repair costs $225 on average, or between $100 and $350, depending primarily on the cost of parts and local labor rates.
Garage door cable repair costs $225, though the price can range between $100 and $350 depending on local labor rates and parts. Garage doors have two cables, one on each side. Some heavier door types may have two pairs. The cables link the garage door to the spring or springs that counterbalance the door. The counterbalancing effect allows the garage door to lift and close easily. A cable or two needing repair or replacement disrupts the door's balance and can lead to a dangerous situation.
- Average
- $225
- Low end
- $75
- high end
- $650
Garage Door Cable Safety
Repairing garage door cables is dangerous and not an acceptable DIY project. Garage door sections are heavy, and the parts of the garage door system that hold the door in place are under a tremendous amount of pressure. The incorrect or unexpected release of that pressure can cause severe injuries or worse.
A garage door with torsion springs will have one or two springs that provide balance. A broken or misaligned cable in this type of system will cause the door to become exceedingly heavy and hard to lift. This situation can create a hazard if the door is in an up position.
A broken cable in an extension spring system will allow the spring to contract rapidly and potentially become disconnected from its mounting. This situation causes the same heaviness problem in the door and can be hazardous to anyone in the garage due to the potential for flying parts and debris.
Garage Door Cable Repair Common Costs
The cost to repair garage door cables includes labor charges for highly-trained professionals who fix garage doors to do the work. The type of repair you need and the extent of damage will also sway your final bill.
Labor
Garage door cable repair requires professional repair. The hourly labor charge for a technician is between $75 and $150. For simple cable repairs, such as rewinding a misaligned cable, a service call fee of between $50 and $75, plus the technician's time, might be the only expense.
However, replacing damaged cables is better than repairing damaged ones, which will also carry material costs.
| Minimum Hourly Labor Cost | Maximum Hourly Labor Cost | Service Call Fee |
|---|---|---|
| $75 | $150 | $50–$75 |
Repair Type
Regardless of whether you're replacing or realigning existing cables, the spring or springs will need unwinding and rewinding to release and reapply their tension. Repairs aren't possible while the springs are under tension.
Garage door lifting cables can become misaligned in a torsion spring system and fall off the winding drum because of incorrect spring tension, damage to the drum, or an obstruction. Untensioning, re-installing, and re-tensioning misaligned cables can cost between $75 and $200 per cable.
Replacing damaged garage door cables is preferable to trying to repair damaged ones. It's good practice to replace both cables instead of one or the other for safety and cost-effectiveness. Replacing cables will add between $12 and $50 to the winding and re-installing work to cover the cost of a new pair of cables.
Extent of Damage
When garage door lifting cables misalign, the failure doesn't cause significant damage. However, the door may become too heavy to lift and render itself unusable or move abruptly and be difficult to operate.
On the other hand, if a cable breaks while the door is in a raised position, the door may fall suddenly and cause damage to other door components, including its track, individual panels, springs, glass, garage door opener, or other parts, which may require repair to make the door functional again.
| Garage Door Component | Repair or Replacement Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Roller | $90–$200 |
| Track | $125–$400 |
| Garage Door Opener | $125–$350 |
| Glass | $50–$100 |
| Panel | $150–$1,000 |
| Spring | $150–$350 |
Materials
Many repair situations with door lifting cables require replacement. A pair of new lifting cables costs between $12 and $50. Cable prices vary by the length and thickness of cable necessary for the height and weight of the door. For example, a nine-foot-tall door will require longer cables than a seven-foot door, and a heavy, wooden door may need a heavier gauge cable than a lightweight aluminum door.
Urgency
Often, when a garage door cable fails or breaks, the door becomes unusable. Even knowing how to manually open the garage door isn't likely to help due to the extreme weight of the door. That can mean that a broken lifting cable can be an emergency, requiring urgent repair. Garage door repair companies or technicians may charge up to $300 for emergency service, which can substantially increase the cost of the work.
Location
Location may play a role in the cost of repairing garage door cables. Labor costs are often higher in metropolitan areas than in rural locations. While the cost difference may not be significant, it can mean your costs will land towards the low end of the average or the high end, depending on location.
Garage Door Ongoing Expenses
Your home's garage door is a working piece of equipment that requires maintenance and upkeep. While maintaining your garage door doesn't guarantee repairs won't ever be necessary, it can minimize the frequency.
Maintenance
Depending on how often you and your family operate the garage door, having a professional inspection and maintenance session each year or two is essential. Maintenance may include lubrication, tightening, component inspection, cleaning, and adjustments.
Some maintenance chores, such as lubrication and cleaning, are excellent and inexpensive DIY tasks. However, necessary professional maintenance costs between $100 and $400 per service.
Adjustments
If you notice that your garage door feels unusually heavy, your garage door opener is struggling to lift and lower the door without jerking or straining, or the opener suffers damage, your door may need balancing.
Balancing involves adjusting the tension of the spring or springs. This task may come up occasionally and requires the services of a professional, costing between $50 and $150.
Occasional Repairs
Worn and damaged garage door parts, including rollers, tracks, winding drums, springs, and hinges, can cause lifting cable failures. If any of these parts suffer damage for any reason, repairing or replacing them can avoid compounding the problem and will cost between $50 and $450 per part.
DIY Garage Door Cable Repair vs. Hiring a Pro
While some garage door maintenance tasks, like cleaning and lubricating, are okay as DIY projects, garage door repair is more often than not a job for highly-trained professionals who own the proper tools for the work and know how to use them correctly.
Garage door parts, including lifting cables, safety components, and springs, are under constant high tension and can become extremely dangerous if not handled properly.
Call your local garage door repair service anytime your garage door or its cables require attention or repair.
Cost of Common Garage Door Cable Repair Add-Ons
If your garage door suffers a cable failure, you're more likely to require repair work than to have to come up with the cost to replace the garage door. However, if it's time to replace the door anyway when the cable breaks, the price tag will be between $900 and $2,000 on average.
Other tasks to accomplish while the garage door repair service is there may include some of the following items.
Spring replacement cost: $150–$350
General garage door repair cost: $152–$363
Garage door weatherstripping cost: $170–$490
Garage door opener replacement or installation cost: $217–$538
How You Can Save Money On Garage Door Cable Repair
The best way to save money on garage door cable repair and associated damage repair prices is to have an annual or bi-annual professional garage door inspection. While the inspection isn't free, it can save hundreds of dollars in repair costs by catching problems early before they become expensive. Proper maintenance can also reduce overall door and component fatigue so they'll last as long as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
A couple of problems come up when a garage door cable breaks. First, garage doors are heavy—Weighing up to more than 400 pounds, it's unlikely that you'll be able to lift the door without the cable's assistance. Secondly, moving a garage door with a broken cable can create a dangerous release of pressure if the cable is still attached to its spring. A good rule of thumb is that opening a garage door with a broken cable is never a good idea.
There are several reasons garage door cables can come off multiple times. The most common reason is that the springs have too much or too little tension and require adjusting. Other causes include track alignment issues that keep the door from operating correctly or smoothly. A damaged winding drum or obstructions in the cable's way can also cause it to come loose.