People use garages for a range of different reasons including storing valuables and entering their house. No matter what the reason, they all have doors to keep undesirables from entering their property. Over time, the door can become subject to wear and tear, meaning you have to spend some hard-earned cash to repair them. The total cost will depend on whether you are having an entire replacement or just repairing certain parts of the garage – other variants include the quality of the garage door and how long the job takes to complete.
There are some things you need to think about when finding your garage door repair cost. Firstly, when you hire someone to sort it out, they will charge by the hour ($80 on average), and that is before you’ve forked out for materials and additional fees. Further, your garage door mechanism will contribute to how much you will end up paying. Lastly, the quality of materials used for the door could end up raising your complete bill to more than $1000.
To keep repair costs down, it would be worth carrying out annual maintenance on your garage, which will prolong the life of the mechanisms. When checking the door, you should look for signs of rust, damaged cables, and filthy sensors. While you’re up there checking over the parts, you should apply lubricant to keep everything running smoothly. Also, you should check your home insurance and see if you have any cover for your garage door, which will depend on the circumstances of the damage.
As mentioned previously, hiring someone to repair your garage door can be charged at $80 per hour. You also need to factor in the cost of replacing some of the most common issues:
● Garage sensors: $85-$100
● Wheel tracks: $125-£300
● Extension springs: $100-$120
● Rust/dents: $150-$400+
● Cable or chain: $120-$200
Based on the prices above, you can see why the cost of repairing your garage can soon become hefty. Before you start buying parts, you can get a professional to come out and take a look at it, which only costs around $30-$40 – the job may be smaller than first anticipated.
With the high costs involved in hiring someone, it may be tempting to find a YouTube video and try your hand at DIY. However, some of the work can be extremely dangerous. For example, the garage springs are responsible for holding immense amounts of tension, which can become hazardous if something goes wrong. Biting the bullet for a professional might be expensive but it’s cheaper than paying with your health. There are plenty of other DIY projects to sink your teeth into that won’t end in complete disaster.
As mentioned earlier, you can extend the life of your garage by carrying out annual maintenance that will still cost you a small investment. Although this is good practice, you could consider taking out a home warranty that would cover your garage door along with other household components. Depending on the plan, you would pay on average between $200 and $600 per year. This may cost more than the garage repair, but for that price, you could get your garage sorted as many times in a year as you need.
Having repairs on your garage is bound to happen over time, but carrying out maintenance on your garage will prolong its lifespan. Although attempting to DIY is appealing, you are safer having a professional carry out garage door repairs. Investing in a home warranty can cost you the amount annually that one single door repair would cost, which makes it the most affordable option.
