Garage Door Questions from Corpus Christi Homeowners

Thumbtack puts most garage door repairs at about $235 to $695 nationally, with most people paying around $403. HomeAdvisor's range is about $150 to $400, averaging about $250. These are national figures; the company we refer you to sets its own price. See the repair cost guide.

There's no published local count. Every spring eventually wears out, so broken springs are a routine call. HomeAdvisor names wear and tear, rust and poor maintenance as the three most common reasons garage doors break, and rust is a bigger factor near the bay than inland.

HomeAdvisor puts torsion springs at about $75 to $150 each and extension springs at about $50 to $100 each, installed, and two springs on a one-car door at about $150 to $350. See spring repair.

It's possible, but DASMA advises against it: its safety tips say a two-spring door should get both springs replaced, broken or not. The survivor has the same cycles on it, and a matched pair keeps the door balanced.

Don't. DASMA's consumer checklist (TDS 167) says not to operate a door with a broken spring until the spring is replaced. The door's full weight is on you, and it can drop.

Usually the springs are out of balance or one has broken. A balanced door stays put when lifted halfway by hand. DASMA says a door that doesn't move smoothly may have a spring system out of balance, and that spring systems should be repaired only by trained professionals.

For weatherstripping, a remote or a sensor wipe, maybe. For springs, cables and bottom brackets, no: DASMA says spring systems should be repaired only by trained professionals and cables replaced only by a trained technician. Ask anyone you hire whether they work on springs every day.

When a single part has failed, repair wins on price. A new door makes sense when panels are rusted through, several sections are damaged, parts aren't made anymore, or your insurer needs a code-compliant door. HomeAdvisor puts a new door at about $400 to $10,000, averaging about $1,500.

Often, if it's newer and the problem is a sensor, remote or gear. DASMA says that if your opener lacks a second safety-reversing feature such as photo eyes, which openers made for the U.S. have needed since 1993, it's time for a new one. Thumbtack puts a new opener installed at about $390 to $650.

HomeAdvisor gives torsion springs about 10,000 to 20,000 cycles (roughly 8 to 15 years) and extension springs about 8,000 to 15,000 cycles (7 to 12 years), depending on use. It also says rusted spring parts can make the coils degrade faster.

Tested doors have a design pressure rating in pounds per square foot. TDI says garage doors in Texas must be tested to ASTM E 330, and doors in its product evaluation program carry a label with the product, manufacturer, model and design pressure. See wind-rated garage doors.

Ask your insurance agent; the answer depends on your coverage. Nueces and San Patricio counties are in TWIA's coverage area. TDI tells homeowners there to ask their agent whether repairs must meet the building code, and garage doors aren't on TDI's list of repairs that skip a windstorm inspection. TDI's number is (800) 248-6032.

In Corpus Christi, including Flour Bluff, the city's homeowner permitting guide lists replacing a garage door as permitted work; Development Services is at (361) 826-3240. Portland lists a 'Window/Siding/Door' permit type (361-777-4550). Robstown's Building & Development Department is at (361) 387-4589, option 5.

Sudden damage from a covered event, like hurricane wind or a car hitting the door, may be covered after your deductible; wear and tear generally isn't. On the coast, wind may be covered under a separate TWIA policy. TDI's deductibles page shows how a 5 percent deductible on $150,000 of coverage comes to $7,500, more than most door repairs.

One independent local garage door company. Corpus Garage Door is a referral website and doesn't do repairs. The referral is free to you; companies we refer you to may pay us for referrals. Your only bill is from the company, if you choose to hire it.