Door won't open and your car is behind it
"Won't open" covers four different failures with four different fixes and four very different prices. The two-minute checklist below narrows it down before you even call. And tells you whether this is a 20-minute reset or a same-day emergency.
Is the door safe to use right now?
It depends which of the four it is, and that is exactly why the checklist matters. If a spring or cable failed, stop. The door is unsupported weight and should not be moved. If the opener is simply dead or the door is frozen down, the door itself is sound. Never chip a frozen door free with a shovel or pour hot water on it: you crack the bottom section and the seal, and turn a free fix into a paid one. Warm water on the seal, patience, and a plastic scraper.
Does this sound like your door?
- Opener lights up and hums but nothing moves. Check the emergency release cord first
- Absolutely nothing: no lights, no click. Check the outlet and the breaker before anything else
- You heard a bang earlier. That is a spring, and the door is now far too heavy
- A cable has come off its drum and one side of the door hangs low
- The door is frozen to the slab at the bottom. Common after freezing rain
- The manual lock at the side of the door is engaged (it happens more than you would think)
Before you call, and where to stop
Try in this order: check the breaker, check that the emergency release cord hasn't been pulled (re-engage by pulling toward the door and running the opener), check the side lock, check for ice at the bottom seal. If none of those, and especially if you heard a bang, stop and call. The remaining causes are all under tension.
What it costs
Firm price quoted at your door, before any work. Call for today's number.
Torsion spring replacement
The most common repair we do. Price moves with door weight, spring wire size and whether you replace one spring or the pair. We quote the pair by default and explain why.
- New spring(s) rated to your door's actual weight
- Cable inspection and re-spooling
- Full balance and force test
Cable replacement / re-spooling
A frayed or jumped cable makes the door hang crooked. Cables are replaced in pairs. A cable that snapped means its twin has the same wear.
- Matched pair of galvanized cables
- Drum alignment and re-spooling
- Door levelling
Opener repair
Sensor realignment, force and travel recalibration, gear kits, logic boards, wall consoles, remote reprogramming. If a $15 battery fixes it, that is what you pay for.
- Full diagnostic including the unit's own LED codes
- Safety reversal test to CSA/UL standard
- Parts quoted before installation
Sounds like your door?
Call now and describe it to a technician in ninety seconds. You'll get an arrival window on the spot.
Fair questions
My car is stuck inside. How fast can you get here?
You get a firm arrival time on the phone. Say "car trapped inside" when you book online and the request routes to the emergency queue instead of the next scheduled slot.
Can you get my car out without fixing the door today?
Yes. If parts have to be ordered, we can safely secure the door in the open position so you can get the car out, then come back with the part. We will not leave you with an unsafe door either way.
Is a door frozen shut going to cost me?
If that is genuinely all it is, we will free it, replace the seal if it is torn, and it is a service call plus a seal. One of the cheapest visits we do. We will tell you honestly if that is what we find.
The door opens with the remote but not the wall switch.
That is a wiring or wall-console fault, not a door fault. Usually a broken low-voltage wire staple or a failed console. Inexpensive, and the door is safe to use meanwhile.
Not quite your problem?
Broken garage door spring
Fix it nowGarage door stuck or off-track
Fix it nowGarage door opener not working
Fix it nowAll our garage door repairsNew garage door installation
Where we fix this
Door stuck right now?
We answer from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., 7 days a week. Emergencies go to the front of the queue, and you get a firm arrival time on the call.
Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., every day · 514-224-7693