Are you wondering how much a new garage door will cost? Whether you need to replace a damaged garage door or simply want to upgrade, the cost can vary depending on several factors.
The average lifespan of a garage door is 15 to 30 years, and each year, a typical garage door opens and closes 1,500 times. Thus, most garage doors survive between 22,500 and 45,000 operations. If you’re noticing signs of wear and tear, it’s time to explore your replacement options.
You likely haven’t kept count of the number of times you’ve opened and closed your garage door (hopefully). However, if you’re noticing signs of wear and tear, it’s time to explore your replacement options.
When considering a new garage door, it’s important to balance quality and cost. You want a door that will last another 15-30 years without breaking the bank.
So how much is a new garage door? How much is a new garage door installed? Should you install a new garage door or hire a repair service to fix your old one?
The size, style, material, and features all play a role.
When Is It Time to Replace Your Garage Door?
Reasons for replacing a garage door range from the functional to the aesthetic. Below are some of the common reasons people seek new garage door installation or repair services.
Your Garage Door Is Noisy
Your garage door can become noisier as it ages. Sometimes, these noises simply indicate the need for ongoing maintenance or a minor repair. However, new and loud noises are a particular cause for concern.
Audible creaking, grinding, cracking, and straining noises suggest more significant deterioration.
Acting promptly to assess and address the causes of a noisy garage door is essential. Quick action can prevent more severe problems, costlier repairs, and even life-threatening injuries.
The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) considers garage door accidents a significant enough cause of injury to study their prevalence. CHIRPP found that children aged 0-14 were most at risk for injury in garage door accidents. CHIRPP also found that most garage door injuries happen at home.
Your Garage Door Is Unreliable
An unreliable garage door is an annoyance. When you can’t trust your garage to open, your schedule is always in flux, and you’re always stressed.
An unreliable garage door is, therefore, a garage door that needs replacing. If your garage door repeatedly stalls, it’s time to call a repair technician. A garage door service professional can assess the situation and recommend solutions.
Sometimes a simple repair does the trick. Often, though, it’s more cost-effective to replace an old garage door.
Your Garage Door Shows Its Age
Maybe your garage door still functions, but it just doesn’t look good anymore. If your garage door is beginning to show wear, it may be time to explore newer models. New garage doors offer a range of styles and features to enhance the curb appeal of any home.
Your Garage Door Has Broken Parts
Broken handles, windows, hinges, and wires are unsightly. They also make it difficult to use your garage door. Finally, they can pose safety and security risks.
Once again, a professional garage door repair technician can fix minor issues. However, a collection of problems on an old door often signals the need for a replacement.
Your Garage Door Has Suffered Damage
Weather, accidents, and break-ins can damage your garage door.
Maybe your teenager tried her best, but in a moment of panic, she stepped on the gas instead of the brake, and her car went through the garage door.
Maybe Mother Nature targeted your garage door with a swift smack from a nearby branch.
Or maybe the cause of damage was more nefarious. Perhaps a criminal targeted your garage door in a break-in.
In each case, significant damage requires more substantial repairs. And, in many cases, replacing a significantly damaged door is more cost-effective than repairing it.
Your Garage Door Doesn’t Offer the Latest Features
Perhaps your garage door still works, and its appearance is passable. Nevertheless, it’s outdated. Garage door designs and technologies have improved significantly in recent years.
The latest materials, features, and construction methods can improve your garage door’s function and the appearance of your property.
Energy-efficient features include bottom seals, sealing joints, weather strips, and insulation. These features can provide energy savings, especially for homes with attached garages.
Improvements in garage door construction and design also enhance your family’s safety. Newer materials and designs are sturdier. They also frequently include smart-locking mechanisms to improve convenience and protect your family from intruders.
Finally, modern garage door technology includes sensors and auto-retraction. These features offer additional protection against injury.
Should You Repair or Replace Your Garage Door?
The decision to repair or replace your garage door should be made during a consultation with a garage door professional. The experts at Express Garage Doors can assess your existing door and provide a detailed estimate for repair and replacement.
As a general rule, it is often more cost-effective to replace rather than repair a garage door that needs significant or multiple repairs.
How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Garage Door?
The cost of repairing a garage door varies depending on the nature and extent of the job. Other factors that affect cost include the type and size of the existing garage door.
The average garage door repair bill is $190. The cost for most repairs ranges from $125 to $290. These figures include materials and labour.
How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost?
As with repairs, new garage doors can vary in cost. Size, style, materials, and features affect the price.
Average new garage door price estimates are broken down for single and double garage doors.
Buying and installing a new single garage door costs between $1,400 and $2,000. Buying and installing 2 single-garage doors or 1 double-garage door costs between $2,300 and $3,500.
These figures include labour. The average labour cost for new garage door installation is around $350. New garage door price estimates also include the removal and disposal of your old door. However, they do not include taxes.
What Factors Should You Consider When Purchasing a New Garage Door?
To arrive at an accurate estimate for your new garage door, you need to make several choices. These include the materials and style, including any windows and decorative hardware, for your new door. They also include insulation and other technologies to enhance energy efficiency. Other accessories, including openers and locks, can improve security and functionality.
Finally, if your garage door requires upgraded hardware, these items can increase the cost. Common hardware features that need replacing include tracks, door springs, and rollers.
Materials
The most common garage door materials are:
- Steel
- Wood
- Faux, or Composite, Wood
- Glass
- Aluminum
These materials vary in style, durability, and cost. Steel is among the least expensive option. Glass and aluminum garage doors are among the most costly.
Style
Your choices regarding garage door materials and style are necessarily related. Different materials convey different aesthetics.
However, style also includes other design options. Standard garage door designs are:
- Traditional raised-panel garage doors
- Carriage-house garage doors
- Swing-out garage doors
- Contemporary garage doors
- Custom-designed garage doors
Your preferences regarding style will also affect your decision to include windows in your door’s design. Keep in mind that adding windows to your door’s design will affect the total cost.
Adding windows also means making several further decisions.
First, you’ll need to decide how many windows to include and where to place them. These decisions must balance aesthetics against your family’s security and privacy.
Second, you’ll need to choose a material for the windows. Different materials again affect the cost, appearance, and privacy. However, other materials also influence the energy efficiency of your new door. Insulated double-paned glass can reduce heat loss through the garage door. They can also keep the interior of your garage cooler in the summer.
On average, insulated glass windows can raise your new garage door’s price by about $113-$229.
Insulation
Besides choosing insulated windows, you can also enhance the energy efficiency of the garage door itself.
When exploring garage door insulation options, you’ll be looking at R-values. Many homeowners choose a garage door with an R-value of 10 or 11. These values meet the minimum recommendations for garage door insulation.
However, garage doors with higher R-values cut down on heat loss during cold Calgary winters. Meanwhile, these doors keep your garage cooler in the summer. If you have an attached garage, an insulated garage door can provide energy savings. If your garage doubles as a living or workspace, choosing insulation with a higher R-value also makes sense.
Choosing insulation with an R-value of 12.9 for a single garage door can increase costs by an average of $486. The same insulation can add an average of $768 for a double garage door.
Upgrading to an R-value of 18.4 increases these figures to $589 and $862, respectively.
Garage Door Openers
The most current garage door opener technology is quiet, reliable, and efficient. Many can be synced to operate with your smartphone or smart home system.
The most common types of garage door openers are:
- Chain drive
- Belt drive
- Direct drive
Direct drive openers tend to be the most reliable but also the most expensive.
Meanwhile, chain drive openers are the most economical. However, they can require frequent repairs. They are also noisier than other options.
Many homeowners find that belt drive openers balance costs with other considerations. Belt drive openers are quieter and more reliable than chain drive openers. However, they are more affordable than direct drive openers.
Security
Modern technology offers enhanced keypads and locks to allow you easy access to your garage while keeping intruders out. As with other advanced features, these options increase the cost of your new garage door.
Can You Save Money by Installing a New Garage Door Yourself?
The installation of a garage door requires significant physical strength. It also requires professional expertise and precision.
Installing a garage door yourself can be dangerous. It can also reduce the reliability and longevity of your new door. Even minor errors in installation can contribute to long-term problems.
Working with a professional garage door installer protects you from these hazards and expenses. Express Garage Door professionals have all of the necessary equipment and expertise. We also back up our work with a lifetime warranty.
Raising the Bar on New Garage Door Installation
Home improvement is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. By asking the right questions and seeking the best information, you’ve taken the first step toward improving your garage’s appearance and function.
Express Garage Door Services can help if it’s time to purchase a new garage door or repair your existing door. Contact us for a free quote.
While you wait, you can also check out our website. It includes more information and garage door service specials.