First, what you are not buying
You are not buying a spring off a shelf. Torsion springs are sized to the exact weight and height of your door, the diameter of the drums, and the size of the shaft. Wire gauge, inside diameter, and length all have to match or the door will not balance. A spring that is close but wrong makes the door too heavy for the opener or lets it fly up on its own. Neither is a small problem.
So the first thing the technician does is weigh your door. Once he knows the weight, he uses the weight, the door size, and the drum size to calculate the right spring for your door, not the nearest one on the shelf.
Our torsion spring guide explains how springs help balance the weight of a garage door.
What goes into the job
Here is what a proper spring replacement includes at Blue Jay:
The spring is the part. The repair is everything else on that list, done by a trained professional with the right tools and parts. Many repairs can be completed during the same visit; the exact timing depends on your door and the parts it needs.
- Trip and full inspection. The technician checks the whole system for issues such as frayed cables, worn bearings and damaged drums.
- Correct spring sizing and the parts themselves. On a two-spring door, we replace both springs so the pair has comparable wear and the door can be balanced correctly.
- Controlled removal of the old spring or springs by a trained technician using the right tools.
- Installing and winding the new spring or springs to the correct number of turns for your door.
- Resetting cables, checking drums and bearings, and lubricating the moving parts.
- Balancing the door so it stays where you put it at half height, then cycling it multiple times.
- Testing the opener force and the safety reverse so the door stops if it hits something.
- A one year warranty on our workmanship.
Why the price is different from door to door
What your door weighs. The technician calculates the spring requirements from the door weight, door size and drum size. Heavier doors can require larger or additional springs. We do not quote a spring configuration on the phone because the complete door system matters, not just its width.
Standard or high-cycle springs. Our basic spring option is rated at 10,000 cycles with a one-year spring warranty. The three-year spring option is rated at 20,000 cycles, and the ten-year option at 30,000 cycles. Higher-cycle springs cost more up front and may be a better fit for a busy household. Ask the technician which warranty covers your selected springs and which covers workmanship; a cycle rating is not a promise of a particular number of years of use.
What else the technician finds. Worn cables or seized bearings are easy to replace while the door is already apart and a headache to ignore.
Extension springs vs. torsion springs. Older homes sometimes have extension springs along the tracks. Those are a different job with different parts, and sometimes it makes sense to convert to torsion.
Why we price by the job, not by the hour
Blue Jay prices by the job. The technician gives you the price for each solution before he starts, and that price does not change if the repair takes longer than expected. You approve it or you do not. There is no clock running while he works.
Starting prices and what changes your quote
Garage door spring repair or replacement starts at $450. That is a starting price, not a fixed quote for every door. Your technician confirms the work required and the price before you decide to proceed.
What moves the price is the door itself, the correctly sized springs, the spring option you choose and any other worn parts found during the inspection. Heavier doors and higher-cycle spring options can cost more.
For related work, cable repair or replacement starts at $250 and roller replacement starts at $289. If those parts also need attention, your technician explains the work and its price before starting.
See our spring repair service for current starting prices, or read the garage door repair cost guide for other common repairs.
Why we will not quote your exact price over the phone
An exact quote needs an inspection. Springs are sized to your door, and the technician cannot see your cables, drums and bearings through the phone. We can explain our starting price and what affects it, but the exact number comes after we have checked your door.
Here is how that visit works: repair and service calls have a $49 dispatch fee, waived if you move forward with the repair, and nothing is charged when you book. Our dispatch-fee explainer walks through what the visit includes and when the fee applies.
The cheaper quote you might get elsewhere
You may hear a lower number from someone else. Before you take it, ask four questions:
Also ask whether the quote includes both springs on a two-spring door, and whether it includes rebalancing and safety testing. Comparing the complete scope makes it easier to understand the value of each quote.
- Is the price by the job or by the hour?
- Does the technician carry springs on the truck, or is this a "come back Thursday" situation?
- Does the visit fee go away when you do the repair?
- Does their technician assess the door weight and size the springs for the complete door system?
A broken spring needs a professional
If you see a gap in a spring, hear a loud bang or find that the door is unusually heavy, stop using the door and keep people clear. Spring systems and connected hardware can be under high tension. Do not try to adjust the springs, cables or brackets yourself.
Our broken-spring guide explains what to do while arranging professional service.