Highlights
If you notice unusual noises, jerky movements, or damaged parts, it's time for a garage door tune-up.
A tune-up includes everything from a full inspection to tightening loose bolts and nuts.
Garage door tune-ups usually cost between $100 and $200.
You should get a garage door tune-up at least once every two years.
You can do some garage door maintenance yourself, but leave challenging repairs to the pros, especially anything that involves garage door springs.
Between work, school, errands, and fun, the average garage door goes up and down at least a thousand times a year. A garage door tune-up helps ensure your door maintains its function, safety, and full lifetime.
Rather than getting stuck in your garage or having to replace your door, learn the key signs that your garage door needs a tune-up. We also cover what a tune-up includes and how much it costs.
How to Know If Your Garage Door Needs a Tune-Up
From your garage door opener to the rollers and hinges, here’s how to know if your garage door should get a tune-up.
Unusual noises: If you hear grinding or scraping as you open or close your garage door, you could have loose hardware or debris stuck in the door’s tracks.
Slow or jerky movement: If your garage door moves more slowly than usual or jerks instead of rolling smoothly, it’s likely you have loose bolts, inadequate open and closing forces, or not enough lubrication.
Bent or damaged parts: If you notice the rollers have cracks, your tracks seem bent, or any other damaged part, it’s time for an inspection and repair before the problem gets worse.
Door doesn’t open or close all the way: If your garage door doesn’t come all the way down or go all the way up, the door could be off-balance, or there could be an issue with the track or garage door opener.
If you feel your garage door is experiencing any of these issues or you sense there’s another problem, contact a garage repair person in your area to check it out. By catching issues early, you can avoid injuries and larger expenses and repairs.
What a Garage Door Tune-Up Includes
When you schedule a garage door tune-up, a professional comes to your home and completes a thorough inspection.
Here’s what a garage door technician usually does at a tune-up:
Tests the door for smooth opening and closing
Inspects each component, including rollers, cables, springs, shafts, bearing plates, and tracks
Ensures tracks are level and adjusts if needed
Checks lubrication levels and adds lubricant to rollers, gears, bearings, chains, belts, hinges, and springs
Adjusts and tightens bolts, nuts, lags, and other hardware
Looks at and makes adjustments to spring tension, chain and belt tension, and limits and force
Checks function and safety of garage door opener and photo eye sensors
Inspects safety settings and counterbalance system
Removes debris buildup on tracks or from sensors
Checks for peeling paint and rust spots
Notes any wear and tear or weather stripping
Adjusts drive gears, chains, belts, and other moving parts
Provides full report and recommended repairs, replacements, or maintenance
Typical Cost of a Garage Door Tune-Up
A garage door tune-up costs between $100 and $200 on average, according to HomeAdvisor. Minor repairs and maintenance are usually included, such as tightening bolts or adding lubrication. Larger repairs and replacement parts are an extra cost and depend on what needs fixing.
Does My Garage Door Need an Annual Tune-Up?
A garage door tune-up service is recommended every other year to avoid larger repairs, prevent injury, and prolong the lifetime of your garage door and opener.
Can You Do a Garage Tune-Up Yourself?
You can do some parts of a garage tune-up and maintenance yourself, but be sure to contact a professional for a full inspection and larger repairs and adjustments. Working with garage door springs specifically can be very dangerous, as they hold a lot of pressure.
A malfunctioning spring can cause the door to slam shut suddenly, causing potential injury. That’s why garage door springs should only be handled by an experienced pro.
If you have an electronic garage door opener, have a professional handle any fixes. Injuries can happen from incorrectly adjusting the doors up and down or from misaligned safety sensors.
