If you are having problems with your garage door and you wish to repair it, in this guide you will will find useful information about the different garage doors and how much does it cost to repair one.
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Why have a garage in your home?
Garages provide a great storage space away from your house, freeing up your other rooms from clutter and items you may not need to use very often. If you plan to use your garage just for box storage and keeping your car in, you probably won’t need an insulated electric garage door.
If, however, you need to use the garage space as a workshop, playroom, washroom, gym, or home office, then a garage door is more than likely to be worth your time and investment.
Benefits of a garage door
Your residential garage door might not seem like an essential part of your home, but choosing the right material and style for your door can have many advantages:
- Security: A sturdy garage door will protect not only your car but also any tools or items you have chosen to store in there. Garage door security is critical if your garage is connected to your home to stop intruders from gaining access.
- Aesthetic appeal: Installing a garage door that complements the style of your home can really improve the look of your entire property. A smart exterior is significant if you are trying to sell your home.
- Convenience: An easy-to-use garage door will make parking your car and storing your possessions quick and simple.
- Weatherproofing: If your garage door is made of durable material, this helps to insulate and prevent damp, draughts, and weather damage. This will extend the life of your garage and protect your property.
So, how much does it cost to replace a garage door?
We will take a deeper look at all of them, but we will mention one more thing here. As good as you may be with DIY techniques, fixing garage doors is not that easy, and you should take help from the pros.
Style influences the costs of garage door repairs
Several garage doors are easier to repair than others. What style does your garage door have? If it is the single tile-up model, the repair will be fairly economical for you, and the same is the case with the single roll-up model. Other custom decisions are more expensive. As for repairing wooden doors, they are the most costly.
Garage door materials
Every garage door is made from different materials such as steel, aluminum, wood, metal, and vinyl. Generally, the more costly your model is, the higher repair costs you will have to be pay. Among the available materials, repairing steel garage doors is the most economical. The costs associated with wooden doors are slightly higher, and premium models are the most expensive.
Steel/metal garage doors: These doors are often made of pressed metal and are extremely durable and maintenance-free. Metal doors come in panels or boards and are cheap in comparison to other materials. Their biggest advantage is their strength, making them a good choice for security purposes and a long-lasting option.
Price range: from £700 including VAT
Wooden garage doors: Timber garage doors are a stylish option and one of the most expensive materials. Added to that, they require regular maintenance to prevent them from warping or rotting. However, wooden doors are solid when properly taken care of, offer good insulation, and look great.
Price range: from £1,000 including VAT
Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) garage doors: This garage door is strong and durable – like a tough laminate. One of the main advantages of GRP is that it comes in many colors and finishes and can be made to look like wood – but without maintenance.
Price range: from £780 including VAT
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) garage doors: This is the strongest material you can use for your garage door, but it remains fairly lightweight and is maintenance-free. Although it is an expensive choice, it provides excellent security, an attractive appearance and will last a long time.
Price range: from £580 including VAT
Garage door styles
Roller garage doors – this type of garage door is made of either a single sheet or lots of horizontal slats which roll up vertically when opened, without taking up space with overhead tracks in the ceiling. Roller doors can be manual or electric, but designs can be limited since each section needs to fit the roller pattern.
Sectional garage doors: A sectional garage door rises vertically when opened and slides backward on tracks across the ceiling. They provide good thermal insulation, and if you have limited space, a sectional door will mean you can park inches from the door and still open it.
Hinged garage doors: These are old-style garage doors and require room for the door to swing outwards. As this type of door is heavy, the side hinges need to be very strong; this is not very popular but is a low-cost option.
Canopy garage doors: A canopy door is made of a rigid panel of material, by which springs operate to lift the door up and backward to open, leaving a third sticking out. This is a cheap, simple garage door option, but canopy doors are not very insulating and cannot always be automated.
Retractable garage doors: Like canopy doors, the retractable version swings the entire way into the ceiling, meaning they are space-effective. With this type of door, you need clearance room to pull the door up and out.
Automated/electricgarage doors: Automatic garage doors are good for added security and safety and are compatible with most types of doors; however, it can be difficult to have an automated canopy door.
Wooden vs. Steel Garage Doors
Benefits of steel garage doors
Steel doors need less maintenance and do not get damaged as easily as wooden doors. Wooden doors suffer from weathering and will need to be maintained more regularly. Steel doors also benefit from longer warranties than wooden doors and are also insulated with more ease.
Benefits of Wooden garage doors
Wooden garage doors can be painted whatever color you like, whereas steel ones are generally available in a small range of colors. Your home garage door will be one of the most noticeable parts of your house, so it is really worth having a good budget, as it will improve the overall style of your home.
Garage Door Openers are the least expensive of all garage door repairs
Does your garage door feature an electrical opener? If the problem is this, the pros will only have to repair the garage door opener. This can be easily be done, and so the costs incurred are not that significant.
The average cost of garage repair
On average, you will have to pay between £40 – £120 for serious garage door repairs. However, many garage door repairers charge a fee for the labor required on an hourly basis. Be sure to factor this in when you are estimating the costs.
Garage door replacement prices
Garage door replacement prices vary depending on the type of door that you will choose. For instance, a single garage door with up and over design, made from galvanized steel, costs around £550 without an electric motor and £950 with an electric motor and remote controls. For a double garage door (up and over) that is manually operated, the cost comes to around £1300, and for one that has an electric motor and remote controls, expect to pay around £1800.
Labour Fees
If you have already purchased a door and are simply looking for a garage door company, most charge between £200 and £350 to install a standard single-width garage door and £500 for a standard double-width door.
Cost of installing an electric motor
Electric motors can be retrofitted for £200 and upwards plus the cost of installation, which always depends on the existing garage door and the availability around or above the doors.
Garage door repair services
Instead, it would help to hire a professional to repair your garage door for you. After all, a qualified maintenance specialist or certified contractor will be able to…
- Offer a full garage door repair service, including experienced and fully trained staff who regularly deal with similar garage door problems on a day-to-day basis and who know exactly how to repair a garage door.
- Provide all the necessary tools and equipment to get the repair job completed to the highest quality, including a power drill, long-nose pin punches, spring tension kits, mole grips, and replacement springs and cables.
- Provide expert advice on specific jobs following the repair, such as teaching you how to carry out basic garage door spring repair or how to repair a garage door cable. So you don’t have to worry about calling them out a second time for such a small and easily repairable fault.
- Recommend updates and extensions to your existing garage door following its repair, which might include anything from a simple repainting or varnishing job to new reinforced steel plates to support the door, longer cables for a smoother closing mechanism, or even an entirely new door to replace an old model that breaks down all too regularly.
- Offer a money-insured work guarantee, which often lasts for anything from six months to up to five or even ten years, depending on the type of work that’s been completed.
- Please provide all the necessary certification and license details that prove they can work and carry out garage door repairs legally in the UK and are thus liable to any shoddy repair jobs and or further faults that may arise with the door following its repair.
Hiring a Garage Door Repair Contractor
Of course, even if you’re convinced of the top work a garage door repair contractor can do for you, hiring one is not as simple as just picking up the 
phone and getting in touch with the first company or tradesman that comes along. Instead, you need to make an informed decision on who to go with, which can be achieved in just a few simple steps – including the following:
- Ask friends and relatives for personal recommendations – you never know, you might even get a discount if a garage door repairman has heard you’ve hired them based on good word-of-mouth.
- Specify exactly what needs repairing on your garage door, as some contractors won’t give full quotes unless they know all the details and the extent of the problem down to the most precise details. Up-and-over garage door repairs or garage door cable repair, for instance, are different from standard lock problems or stiffened doors.
- You should also specify the size of the door, the type of material, and the brand or name of the model – they will all help the contractor figure out a price tag as quickly as possible.
- Ask potential employees for portfolio work and/or references to prove they have a good track record when it comes to fixing garage doors; after all, if they want your business, this shouldn’t be a problem.
- And finally, take the time to compare quotes from several different contractors and retailers. National companies might have the edge in technology and speed, but some local contractors provide a better, more personal service for a lower price; it all depends on what suits you.
A broken garage door never comes at a convenient time. Still, as long as you hire a professional according to these simple and helpful steps, you should find that everything will be back in working order within a day or two – so you can get on with your life and stop worrying about broken doors!