Safety first: a wound torsion spring stores enough force to cause serious injury. If you heard a loud bang and the door won't lift, stop using the door and the opener until a technician has replaced the spring.
Estimate your garage door spring replacement cost
Spring replacement prices
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| One torsion spring | $150–$350 |
| Pair of torsion springs | $200–$500 |
| Pair of extension springs | $120–$350 |
| Convert extension to torsion | $400–$800 |
| High-cycle upgrade | +$40–$100 |
The spring itself is cheap. You're paying for the labor to match, install and wind it safely, plus the service call.
Signs a spring has broken
- A loud bang from the garage, often when nobody was using the door.
- A visible gap of an inch or two in the coil of a torsion spring above the door.
- The door feels extremely heavy by hand, or the opener strains, lifts it a few inches and stops.
- The door rises crooked or unevenly on one side.
- Loose or dangling cables near the bottom corners of the door.
Any of these means the door is no longer balanced. Don't keep running the opener: it isn't designed to lift the full weight of the door, and forcing it can burn out the motor or snap a cable.
What happens during a spring replacement
A typical visit follows the same steps: the technician secures the door, unwinds or releases the remaining tension, removes the old spring or springs, and measures them to match the new ones to your door's weight and height. The new springs are installed and wound to the right number of turns, then the door is tested and balanced so it stays put when stopped halfway. Most technicians also check cables, drums and rollers while they're there — useful, but ask for any extra parts to be priced separately before they're installed.
Why this isn't a DIY job
Torsion springs are wound tight enough to lift a door that can weigh a few hundred pounds, and that energy is released all at once if a winding bar slips. That's why garage door warning labels tell owners not to adjust the springs themselves. The savings from doing it yourself are small compared with a service call, so this is one repair worth paying for.
Replace both springs, not just the broken one
On a two-spring door, both springs are the same age and have done the same number of cycles. When one breaks, the other usually follows within months, and a mismatched pair throws the door out of balance. Replacing both in the same visit costs much less than two separate service calls. For the same reason, we only price extension springs as a pair.
Torsion vs extension
Torsion springs mount on a bar above the door and twist to store energy; they cost more but last longer and are generally considered safer. Extension springs run alongside the horizontal tracks and stretch; they're cheaper but wear out sooner and can snap violently without a safety cable. Converting from extension to torsion costs more upfront but is worth considering if your extension springs keep failing.
Red flags in a spring quote
A quote of several times the ranges above for "spring replacement" usually means an after-hours premium, a bundle of extra parts (cables, rollers, bearings, a "tune-up"), or a company that prices as if you have no choice. Ask for a line-item quote, and be wary of very low advertised prices that only cover the visit.
If the rest of the door is failing, see garage door replacement cost.
Methodology and sources
These are complete installed prices as quoted by installers and cost guides. Unlike our other calculators, we don't adjust spring prices by state wages, because sources quote them as all-in service prices rather than labor plus parts. Read how we estimate costs.
- HomeGuide: spring replacement cost — torsion, extension, conversion
- Seaside Garage Door Experts — installer pricing, pairs, high-cycle
- Garage Door of Brunswick — installer pricing
- ConsumerAffairs — survey of 18 garage door companies
Not yet reviewed by a garage door installer.