It usually goes the same way. You hit the button on your way out, the opener hums, and the door just sits there. Or you’re at home and hear a loud bang from the garage, like something heavy fell off a shelf. Most of the time, that’s a broken spring.
A lot of people think the opener lifts the garage door. It doesn’t. The springs do that job. A two-car door can weigh 200 pounds or more, and the springs balance that weight so a small motor can move it. When one snaps, the door is suddenly just a big, heavy slab, and the opener can’t handle it.
That’s why we treat a broken spring as a real problem and not something to put off. Your car might be stuck inside. Or the door might be stuck open with your garage, and everything in it, exposed to the street.
Think of it like a counterweight. When the door goes down, the spring winds up and stores energy. When the door goes up, the spring releases that energy and does most of the lifting. Every time you open or close the door, that’s one cycle, and springs are only built to handle so many.
Most homes have one of two kinds.
Torsion springs sit on a metal bar above the door. They’re on most newer homes and on heavier doors, including a lot of the insulated and impact-rated doors you see around South Florida. They’re smoother and they last longer.
Extension springs run along the sides of the door, next to the horizontal tracks. They stretch and shrink as the door moves. You’ll see them more on older homes and lighter doors. They’re supposed to have safety cables running through them, so a snapped spring doesn’t whip across the garage.
Not sure which one you have? Just look. Spring on a bar above the door means torsion. Springs along the side tracks means extension. Look, but don’t touch.
Some of these look like other problems. If you’re not sure, our post on why your garage door won’t open walks through the most common causes. And our list of 5 signs your garage door needs repair is a good one to keep in mind before something breaks.
A standard spring is usually rated for around 10,000 cycles. If your family uses the garage a few times a day, you can hit that number in seven to nine years. Around here, a few things can make it sooner.
Salt air and humidity. If you live near the water in Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, or Delray Beach, the salt in the air eats at metal. A rusty spring is a weak spring, and it will crack sooner than a clean one.
Heat. It’s hot here almost all year. Heat dries out lubricant and wears on the metal.
Heavy use. For a lot of households, the garage is the front door. Kids, groceries, work, errands. Those cycles add up quickly.
Heavier doors. Impact-rated and insulated doors weigh more than basic ones, which puts more load on the springs.
No maintenance. This is the big one. We see it all the time. A door that hasn’t been lubricated or looked at in years will wear out its springs early.
If your door is more than seven years old and no one has serviced it, it’s worth having someone check the springs before they go. It’s also smart to get this done before hurricane season. Our hurricane-ready garage door guide covers what else to look at.
If your car is stuck inside, tell us on the phone. We’ll do what we can to get to you sooner.
You can find plenty of videos that make it look easy. It isn’t. Torsion springs are wound tight, and the job takes the right winding bars and a lot of experience. A bar that slips can break fingers or worse. We’ve been called out to fix more than a few DIY attempts.
There’s a parts problem, too. Springs are sized to your specific door, meaning its weight, height, and track setup. A spring that’s a little off will either wear out fast or leave the door unbalanced. The hardware store doesn’t always have what you need, and guessing is how people end up buying twice.
If you’d like tips on picking who to call, read How to Find the Best Garage Door Company in Broward & Palm Beach County.
We get asked about price on almost every call, and it’s a fair question. There isn’t one number, because no two doors are the same. Here’s what moves the price:
The type of spring. Torsion and extension springs cost different amounts. Standard springs cost less than high-cycle springs, which are built to last a lot longer.
The size and weight of your door. A single-car steel door is a different job than a wide, insulated, or impact-rated double door. Heavier doors need stronger springs.
Whether anything else is damaged. When a spring snaps, it can bend the track or damage cables and rollers. If that happened, we’ll show you and explain what needs to be fixed.
Timing. An emergency call at night or on a holiday is different from a regular weekday appointment.
Our approach is simple. We tell you the price before we start, and you decide. There are no surprises after the work is done. And if someone gives you a quote that’s much lower than everyone else’s, ask what kind of spring they’re using. A cheap spring that fails in two years isn’t a deal.
Want a number for your door? Request a free quote or call us.
If your door has two springs and one breaks, replace both. They’re the same age and they’ve done the same number of cycles, so the other one is probably close to failing too. Fixing only one usually means a second service call a few months later. It can also leave the door unevenly balanced, which is hard on the rest of the system.
People often wonder what the visit looks like, so here’s how it goes.
First, you call and tell us what happened. We ask a few questions, give you an estimate, and set up the first time we can get there.
When our technician arrives, they look at the whole system, not just the broken part. That means springs, cables, drums, rollers, and tracks.
Then we install new springs that are the right size for your door. Once that’s done, we test the balance to make sure the door lifts smoothly and stays where it should when it’s halfway up. We check that it reverses safely, lubricate the moving parts, and clean up before we leave.
We’re a family-owned, licensed, and insured company, and we’ve been working in Broward and Palm Beach County for nearly 25 years. Our own crews do the work. We don’t use subcontractors.
You can’t make a spring last forever, but a little attention goes a long way.
Get your door serviced once a year. A quick inspection catches wear before it turns into a breakdown. Lubricate the springs and moving parts about twice a year with a lubricant made for garage doors, not heavy grease. This matters even more if you’re near the coast.
Pay attention to changes. New noises, rust, stretched coils, or frayed cables all mean it’s time to call someone. If you use your garage a lot, ask about high-cycle springs. They cost more up front, but they hold up longer. And if you live close to the water, rinse off salt and grime when you can.
Small problems, like a worn roller or a track that’s a little out of line, put extra strain on the springs. Fixing those early can save you a bigger repair.
We handle spring repair and replacement across both counties.
Broward County: Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Parkland, Fort Lauderdale, and nearby areas. See our Broward County page or read about garage door installation and repair in Deerfield Beach.
Palm Beach County: Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Wellington, West Palm Beach, and nearby areas. See our Palm Beach County page.
Our office is at 278 South Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. If your door breaks after hours, read our guide to garage door emergencies in Palm Beach for what to do until we get there.
It depends on your door. The spring type, door size and weight, any other damage, and the time of your call all affect the price. We give you an upfront estimate before starting any work, and you can request a free quote online or call us.
It’s not safe to try. The door will be heavy and unbalanced, and forcing it can hurt you or damage the opener. Stop using it and call a professional.
Most spring replacements take one to two hours. It can take longer if the cables, drums, or tracks were damaged too.
Standard springs usually last about seven to nine years, or around 10,000 cycles. High-cycle springs last much longer. Salt air and humidity in South Florida can shorten that, especially close to the coast.
Yes, if your door has two. They wear at the same rate, so when one breaks, the other is usually close behind. Replacing both keeps the door balanced and saves you a second visit.
Yes, depending on availability, we offer same-day service across Broward and Palm Beach County. Call (954) 777-2004 for Broward or (561) 451-8686 for Palm Beach County.
Yes. A door stuck closed can trap your car inside, and a door stuck open leaves your home unsecured. Springs are also dangerous to handle, so call a professional right away.
If your door stopped working, don’t wait it out and don’t try to fix it yourself. Give us a call. We’ll get a technician out, tell you what it’ll cost before we start, and get your door working again.
Broward County: (954) 777-2004
Palm Beach County: (561) 451-8686
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