If you heard a loud bang from the garage and now your door won't budge, you almost certainly have a broken spring. Springs are the hardest-working parts on a garage door — they counterbalance the entire weight of the door so it can be lifted easily — and when one fails, the door becomes far too heavy to operate safely. It's also the repair we're called for most across the Bay Area.
Spring replacement is fast and affordable when it's done by a professional, and genuinely dangerous when it isn't. We carry high-cycle torsion and extension springs on our trucks, so most spring jobs are diagnosed and finished in a single same-day visit — safely, and backed by a written warranty.
Broken door? We're on call across the Bay Area, 24/7.
How garage door springs work
Your door might weigh anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds, yet a good system lets you lift it with one hand. That's the springs at work. They store energy when the door closes and release it to help the door rise, taking the strain off both you and your opener.
Torsion springs
Mounted on a metal shaft above the door opening, torsion springs are the more common and more durable type. They wind and unwind to counterbalance the door and are rated for a set number of cycles — one open and close being one cycle.
Extension springs
Running along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door, extension springs stretch and contract to do the same job. They're often found on older or lighter doors and typically wear out sooner than torsion springs.
Signs your spring is failing
Springs usually give you warning before they let go completely. If you catch these signs early, you can schedule a calm repair instead of finding your car trapped in the morning:
- A loud bang from the garage — the classic sound of a spring snapping
- The door won't open, or opens a few inches and stops
- The door feels extremely heavy when you lift it by hand
- A visible gap or separation in the spring coil above the door
- The opener strains, hums, or struggles to lift the door
- The door closes too fast or slams shut
Door acting up? We can usually help same day.
Why spring replacement is not a DIY job
We understand the temptation to save money with a DIY fix, but garage door springs are one of the few home repairs that genuinely send people to the emergency room. A wound torsion spring stores an enormous amount of energy, and releasing it without the right tools and training can cause severe injury.
A trained technician has the specialized winding bars, the correct replacement springs, and the experience to do the job safely in under an hour. It simply isn't worth the risk — and a professional replacement often costs less than you'd expect.
Should you replace one spring or both?
If your door uses two springs and one has broken, we almost always recommend replacing both. They're installed at the same time and wear at the same rate, so if one has failed, the second is usually close behind. Replacing both together means you avoid a second service call — and a second failure — within a few months.
We also install high-cycle springs on request. They cost a little more up front but last significantly longer, which is a smart upgrade for busy households that raise and lower the door many times a day.
Get a free, no-obligation estimate today.
What a spring replacement includes
- A full inspection of both springs, cables, drums, and hardware
- Replacement with the correct torsion or extension springs for your door
- Balancing the door so it opens smoothly and holds its position
- A safety test of the door and opener before we leave
- A written warranty on parts and labor
Same-day spring repair across the Bay
Because a broken spring can trap your vehicle and leave your home unsecured, we treat it as a priority. Our trucks are stocked with common spring sizes, and our technicians work throughout the Bay Area, so we can usually be out the same day — and around the clock for emergencies.
If your door won't open and you suspect a spring, don't force it. Forcing a door with a broken spring can damage the opener, cables, and the second spring. Call us and we'll get it handled safely.
Talk to a local technician now — no call center.
High-cycle springs: are they worth it?
Standard springs are typically rated around 10,000 cycles — roughly seven years of average use. High-cycle springs are rated for 20,000, 30,000, or more, and while they cost a little more up front, they can easily outlast two sets of standard springs.
They make the most sense for busy households that open and close the door many times a day, or for anyone who simply doesn't want to think about springs again for a very long time. When we quote your job, we'll lay out both options so you can decide based on how hard your door works.
How long a spring job takes
A professional spring replacement is usually a quick job. Once our technician has diagnosed the door and you've approved the price, the replacement itself typically takes under an hour, including winding the new springs, re-balancing the door, and safety-testing the system.
Because we stock common spring sizes on our trucks, there's rarely a wait for parts — most Bay Area spring jobs are diagnosed and completed in a single same-day visit, so your car isn't trapped for long.
Door acting up? We can usually help same day.
Keeping your new springs healthy
Springs wear a little every cycle, but a few habits meaningfully extend their life. Lubricating the springs with a proper garage-door lubricant a couple of times a year reduces friction and rust. Keeping the door balanced and the opener tuned means the springs aren't fighting a door that's out of adjustment.
An annual tune-up catches a spring that's starting to fatigue before it snaps, turning a stressful emergency into a planned, convenient replacement.
The moment your spring breaks: what to do
If you're reading this right after hearing that unmistakable bang, here's exactly what to do. First, don't try to open the door — not with the opener and not by hand. A door with a broken spring is dangerously heavy, and forcing it can damage the opener, snap a cable, or hurt you.
If the opener already tried to lift the door and it's stuck partway, leave it where it is and keep children, pets, and cars clear of it. Don't pull the manual release and yank the door up; without the spring to counterbalance it, the door can slam down hard.
Then call us. A broken spring is the repair we handle most, our trucks are stocked with common sizes, and we can almost always be out the same day to replace it safely and get your door — and your trapped car — moving again. In the meantime, if you must leave, use the other door or arrange another way out rather than risking the damaged one.