Garage door cable repair covers the steel lift cables that connect the bottom of the door to the spring drums. In New York it costs $100 to $350, or $250 to $425 when a damaged drum has to be replaced as well. A cable that slips off its drum leaves the door hanging crooked and stuck.
The cables do the actual pulling. When one frays, snaps, or jumps off its drum, the door goes crooked in the opening, often jamming hard against the track. It looks dramatic and it is genuinely unsafe to force.
Most cable failures come from one of three causes: rust where the cable meets the bottom bracket, a door that has been running out of balance, or a previous repair where the cable was wound onto the drum unevenly.
Sometimes the cable itself is fine and only slipped because the spring lost tension. That case is a tension adjustment at $95 to $150, not a replacement, and we will tell you when that is what you are looking at.
What moves this price
The starting price above is for a standard single garage door in normal condition. These are the things that put a job above it, and we tell you which ones apply before we start rather than after.
- Whether the cable only slipped or actually failed, which are different jobs
- A damaged drum or bottom bracket found during the repair
- Double doors with two cable runs rather than one
- Rust or seizure that makes removal slow
Why customers pick us for this
Correct diagnosis first
A slipped cable and a failed cable look identical to a homeowner and cost very different amounts. We check before quoting.
Both sides checked
Cables wear as a pair. We inspect the other side rather than leaving you a second call in a month.
Drum and bracket inspection
A frayed cable usually has a cause. We find it so the new cable does not go the same way.
Door re-balanced
The job finishes with a balance check, because an unbalanced door is what eats cables.
How the job runs
- Secure the door. The door is clamped and supported before any tension is touched.
- Inspect cables, drums and brackets. We identify whether this is a slip, a break, or drum damage, and quote accordingly.
- Replace or re-seat. New cable fitted and wound evenly onto the drum, or the existing cable re-seated and tensioned.
- Balance and test. Full travel test with the opener disconnected, then reconnected.
Cable Repair questions
How much does garage door cable repair cost?
In New York, $100 to $350 for cable repair or replacement. If the drum is damaged too it runs $250 to $425. If the cable only slipped and nothing is damaged, a tension adjustment is $95 to $150.
Why did my garage door cable come off?
Usually because the door was out of balance, the spring lost tension, or the cable was wound unevenly on the drum during an earlier repair. Rust at the bottom bracket is the other common cause.
Is a broken cable dangerous?
Yes. The door can hang crooked and drop unevenly. Do not run the opener and do not try to force it level.
Should both cables be replaced together?
Usually yes. They have the same age and the same wear, and the labor is largely shared, so doing both costs far less than two separate visits.