How Much Does it Cost to Repair Garage Door Opener in 2023?
Each time you drive in or out of the garage it's an opener activates the door to lift or lower the door. According to the statistics, a usual garage door in the United States moves ups and down 1,500 times a year. That's obvious that opening and shutting make door openers wear out and eventually break down due to electric or mechanical issues. As for the repair cost, it depends on the opener type and the presence/absence of 'companion' electric problems.
The installation cost of a garage door opener
There are 3 main types of door openers - chain drive, belt drive, and screw-drive garage door openers. Each type has pros and cons as well as different requirements. In general, a single door opener installation would cost you between $200 and $425. As usual professional assistance provided by specialists costs much more, however, we have a different purpose in this review - we are going to estimate the requirements and costs for installing a new garage door opener on a DIY basis. But is it that simple? An experienced garage owner and his assistant need just basic carpentry skills and know-how to use standard household tools like a hammer, a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, a hack saw, pliers, a level, and a wire stripper, a tape, measure, and so on.
Opener replacement usually lasts for 6 hours and costs 49% less than hiring a specialist. It's worth remembering though that if you don't feel confident about electrical jobs, it would be a very smart idea to call for a licensed electrician - they typically charge $70-80 for the whole job. An electrician can be really helpful if you don't have proper experience with wiring and electricity.
Spend analysis
An average cost plan includes:
- Opener selection - Various types of openers have different costs. Chain drive door openers are the most affordable - you can get one for $130-180. screw-drive openers are a bit more expensive. The price for such an opener is somewhere between $150 and $250. Belt drive openers are known for very smooth and silent operation. Their cost starts at the level of $170 and goes up to $350 per opener. The prices provided include the equipment itself only.
- Understanding the features - Reverse directional safety is an obligatory feature that is often required. This feature makes a garage door open in case it encounters an obstacle - that is the best prevention of accidental crush. There should also be an infrared sensor detecting the car entering or leaving the garage. Another important feature is the battery-power operation necessary in case of a power cut - that is needed to let you open your garage door manually without putting in too much effort. Fixed controls are a great solution that looks like a doorbell and opens the door upon pressing.
Additional considerations and costs
- Remote control for garage door opener - A small control device (not bigger than a keychain) is the most suitable option for garage door opener control, however, according to safety requirements these need to be programmed with rolling (ever-changing) codes. That is the best protection against potential thieves and the best insurance against accidental opening/closing from your neighbor's control device. Rolling code solution means generation of the new code every time you use the door controller;
- Garage lighting - A lot of door openers are bought with an additional feature - a security lighting fixture that is installed right into the motor housing and activated upon activation of the opener. Lighting can also be used when the garage door is closed - one can switch it on using the remote control device.