Garage doors are built to last. If you take care of your garage door, it should last between 20 and 30 years, although various moving parts, such as door openers, may need replacing sooner. Regular maintenance helps a garage door go the distance, but accidents happen and if yours is a panel door, a panel may need replacing before the entire door has reached the end of its natural lifespan.
It can cost between $150 and $1,000 to replace a damaged panel on a garage door, but there are many variables to consider when searching for prices. This price does not include the cost of labor to remove the old garage door panel and replace it with a new one. Hiring a professional to do the work will add up to $500 to the cost of the project, so bear this in mind.
The age of the door will affect the price of a replacement door panel. If your garage door is old, you might not be able to find a panel that matches the existing ones. If looks do not matter, then a panel that doesn’t match may not be a huge problem, but if the aesthetic appeal is important, consider whether replacing the entire door is a better option. In which case, be prepared to pay up to $1,500 for a new door.
Is this an emergency panel replacement? In most cases, replacing a garage door panel will not be classed as an emergency, but if your garage door has sustained damage from a collision and it’s no longer secure, you might want to call in an emergency technician to fix it right away. If so, be prepared to pay a premium price.
What type of garage door do you have? Sectional roll-up doors and one-piece tilt-up doors are the most common – and the easiest to fix. A bespoke design might be more costly to repair, and if a glass panel needs replacing, this will probably be more expensive.
Another thing that will affect the price is the material of your garage door. Most garage doors in the US are steel or aluminum, but older doors are often made from wood. Vinyl is another material used to make garage doors, but this tends to be in modern doors. Custom wood doors will be more expensive to fix, as will any door constructed from a non-standard material such as fiberglass.
Residential garage door replacements are usually cheaper than a commercial door repair, the main reason being that residential garage doors are smaller.
Is the garage door covered by insurance? The best scenario is when you can claim the cost of the repair from your home insurance company. There will probably be a deductible to pay, but this will be less than the cost of the panel replacement. Always check your homeowner’s insurance policy to verify whether a garage door panel replacement is covered; and if it is, submit your claim before calling any garage door repair companies.
While the cost of replacing a garage door panel isn’t hugely expensive, it’s still sensible to obtain at least three quotes for the work before going ahead with your project. Prices will vary between different garage door repair technicians according to how busy they are at the time and whether they need the work. Always obtain a written quote so you have something to refer to if there is any disagreement about the cost later.
Reputable garage door repair companies are always happy to send a technician to come to your home and look at the damage before preparing a quote and you are under no obligation to have the work done if the price doesn’t match your expectations.
If a garage door repair company tries to pressure you into having the entire door replaced without offering a legitimate reason why it is necessary, call a few more companies for a second opinion.
There are several reasons why a garage door panel might need replacing, but the most common one is accidental damage.
Garage door panels will sustain damage when impacted by a hard object. Smaller items like soccer balls usually only cause minor damage, which can be repaired very easily. However, if you accidentally reverse your car into the garage door or bang it with a large appliance, the damage is probably too severe for a minor repair job. In this instance, the only way to restore your garage door to its former state will involve a panel replacement.
A garage door panel replacement is not a big and expensive job. Call us if you need a free quote.
