Garage door spring replacement is the removal and installation of the torsion or extension springs that carry the weight of your door. In Florida it costs $150 to $350 per spring installed, and replacing both springs at once adds $120 to $250. It is the most common garage door repair we do and the one that most often leaves a car stuck inside.
A garage door weighs between 130 and 350 pounds, and a 16 foot double door with a wind rating sits at the heavy end because of the extra steel in the panels and the struts. The opener does not lift that weight. The springs do. When one snaps, with a bang you hear from inside the house, the door becomes dead weight and the opener cannot move it safely.
Springs fail from cycle count, not weather. A standard torsion spring is rated for about 10,000 open and close cycles, which is 7 to 10 years for a household that uses the garage as the front door, and less in a golf cart community or a home where the door runs 6 to 8 times a day. Humidity and salt air shorten that further. Within a few miles of either coast we see springs pitted with rust at 5 years, and a rust pit is where a spring cracks.
This is the one repair nobody should attempt themselves. A torsion spring under tension stores enough energy to break bones. We carry the common wire sizes and lengths on the truck, including the heavier gauges that rated double doors need, so most calls in Florida are finished in one visit.
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.
- A 16 foot double door, and any wind-rated or impact-rated door, carries two heavier gauge springs, which raises the parts cost
- High-cycle springs, rated for 25,000 cycles or more instead of 10,000, cost more than standard
- Cables, drums, bearings or bottom brackets that rusted along with the spring add to the job
- Same-day and after-hours calls carry the emergency premium of $150 to $300
Why customers pick us for this
Same visit, most of the time
We stock the common torsion and extension sizes, including the heavier springs on wind-rated double doors, so the usual call is diagnosed and finished in one trip.
The price you were quoted
You get the range on the phone and a written number before anything is touched. It does not move once work starts.
Both springs assessed honestly
When one snaps the other has the same cycles and the same rust. We explain the case for doing both and tell you when it can wait.
Galvanized springs near the coast
On canal front and beach side homes we can fit galvanized springs, which slow the corrosion that shortens spring life in salt air.
How the job runs
- Inspection and quote. We measure wire size, inside diameter and length, check the cables, drums and bearings for rust, and give you a written price.
- Safe tension release. Winding bars, never a screwdriver. The old spring is unwound under control and removed.
- Installation and winding. The new spring is fitted and wound to the turns your door weight calls for, then the set screws are seated on the torsion tube.
- Balance test. We disconnect the opener and check the door holds at waist height, then reconnect and run the full travel, including the safety reverse.
Spring Replacement questions
How much does garage door spring replacement cost in Florida?
Between $150 and $350 for a single spring installed. Doing both at the same time adds $120 to $250 rather than doubling, because most of the labor is shared. If you are quoted well over $600 for two standard springs on a single door, get a second opinion.
Do I need to replace one spring or both?
If your door has two springs and one broke, the other has the same number of cycles and the same corrosion on it and usually fails within months. Replacing both is a genuine recommendation, not an upsell, but it is your call and we will do just the one if you prefer.
Can I use my garage door with a broken spring?
No. Do not run the opener: it will strain the motor, bend panels, and can drop the door. If you must move it, lift manually with help and prop it, then stop using it until it is fixed.
Why do garage door springs break so often in Florida?
Cycle count and corrosion. Florida doors open more often than doors in most of the country because the garage is the main entrance, and humidity and salt air pit the steel, which is where a spring cracks. A spring near the coast can be finished in 5 to 7 years rather than 10.
How long does the replacement take?
Usually 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the door and whether the cables, drums or bottom brackets also need work.