Common questions. Straight answers.

Our diagnostic is $89 and it's credited to the repair if you move forward. Most common repairs — single torsion spring replacement, cable swap, roller set, sensor alignment, remote reprogramming — run $180 to $550 installed. A full pair of torsion springs runs $280 to $500 depending on wire size and length. You get a flat-rate quote before we touch the door.

Same-day on most weekdays, usually within a 2-hour window. Broken springs and cars trapped inside jump the line. After-hours, weekends, and holidays go to a real on-call tech — not an overseas answering service — with a $189 trip fee on top of standard rates.

Yes. Lift Pro SD is licensed in California under C-61/D-28 (limited specialty — non-electrical sign and garage door) and carries general liability plus workers comp. Ask any tech for the license number on arrival — we put it on the truck and the invoice.

Yes. New-door installs and major replacements get a free in-home estimate — we measure the opening, check the header and sideroom, confirm opener compatibility, and walk you through door options. Repairs get the $89 diagnostic (credited to the repair).

Rule of thumb: if the door is older than 20 years, has rusted bottom sections, bent top panels, or the repair cost is more than a third of a new door, replacement usually wins. Also: doors without tamper-resistant bottom brackets or without UL 325 safety sensors are past due.

A single torsion spring replacement runs $180 to $280 installed. A full pair (which we recommend, since the second spring is usually within months of failing) runs $280 to $500. Oversized doors, high-cycle springs (20,000+ cycle life), and coastal galvanized springs run higher. All quoted flat-rate before work starts.

Standard torsion springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles — that's 7 to 10 years for most homes (one cycle = one open + one close). If your garage is the main entry and the door opens 6+ times a day, you'll hit 10,000 cycles in 4 to 5 years. High-cycle springs (20,000 or 30,000 cycle) cost more up front but are worth it for heavy-use homes.

Torsion springs mount on a bar above the door and twist to counterbalance weight. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side and stretch. Torsion is safer, lasts longer, and handles heavier doors — it's the modern standard. If you still have extension springs, we can quote a torsion conversion.

Strongly don't. A wound torsion spring stores roughly 150 pounds of tension and has sent DIYers to the ER with broken hands, teeth, and worse. The winding bars, cones, and set screws require proper technique. This is the one repair we won't talk you through over the phone — call us instead.

Cable failure is second only to broken springs. Frayed strands, rust, or cables off the drum mean the door is unsafe to operate. We replace both cables as a pair ($150 to $250 installed for residential), inspect the drums, and test the balance. If the door crashed down, we also check for bent tracks and damaged bottom brackets.

Belt-drive openers (the quiet ones) run $450 to $750 installed. Chain-drive is $350 to $550 installed. DC motors with Wi-Fi and battery backup run $550 to $900. Includes haul-away of the old unit, new safety sensors, remote, and keypad. California requires battery backup on any opener installed after July 2019 (SB-969) — we don't sell openers without it.

LiftMaster and Chamberlain are what we recommend and stock — same parent company (Chamberlain Group), strong parts availability, and myQ is the most reliable smart platform. We also install and service Genie (Aladdin Connect), Sommer, Linear, and older Craftsman units. If parts exist, we can repair it; if the opener is 20+ years old, replacement is usually the right call.

In California, yes — if you're installing a new opener. SB-969 took effect July 1, 2019 and requires residential openers to have battery backup so the door can open during a power outage. Retrofits aren't required on existing openers, but if yours died and it was installed before 2019, the replacement must have backup. Every LiftMaster and Chamberlain we install comes with it.

Usually yes. Openers made after 2011 with a yellow learn button accept myQ retrofit kits for about $60 installed. Older openers or those without the right logic board need a universal controller (around $100 installed). We also set up HomeKit, Google Home, and Alexa integrations and can add smart keypads, interior buttons, and camera add-ons.

A basic non-insulated steel single-car door runs $1,400 to $2,200 installed. An insulated steel double-car door (16x7) with windows runs $2,400 to $4,500 installed. Carriage-style, full-view aluminum glass, and custom wood doors run $4,500 to $7,500+. All prices include new torsion springs, cables, rollers, tracks, and haul-away of the old door.

Clopay (our most-installed — solid mid-market with great warranty), Amarr, Wayne Dalton, CHI, and Martin for steel and carriage doors. For full-view aluminum and glass we install Clopay Avante and Martin Elite. Custom wood doors are available from Clopay and Martin. We show samples in person and let you handle the panels before you commit.

Most single-car and double-car residential installs are a single-day job — usually 4 to 6 hours on site. Carriage-style doors with decorative hardware run 6 to 8 hours. New construction or retrofits that require header work, new tracks, or opener replacement can spill into day two. We confirm the schedule before booking and call before we arrive.

If the garage is attached to the house, shares a wall with conditioned space, or you use it as a workshop or gym — yes. A polystyrene-core door (R-9 to R-12) runs about $200 to $400 more than non-insulated and makes a real difference in garage temperature. Polyurethane-core doors (R-16 to R-18) cost more but are quieter and stiffer, which also extends opener life.

Yes, for most Clopay, Amarr, and Wayne Dalton doors less than 10 years old. We order the matching section in the original factory color and texture. Older doors and discontinued colors sometimes require a full door replacement — sun fade on the original panels makes a new-section match stand out. We'll show you photos of both options before you decide.

Once a year for tune-up and safety inspection. San Diego doors take a beating from salt air near the coast and heavy UV everywhere — hinges, rollers, and bottom seals wear faster here than in mild inland climates. Annual service catches worn rollers and frayed cables before they strand your car inside or take out a spring.

Spring tension check and rebalance, cable inspection, roller and hinge lubrication, track alignment, bottom seal inspection, opener force and travel settings, UL 325 safety sensor alignment and auto-reverse test, remote and keypad check, and weather seal inspection. Written report with photos. Runs $129 for one door, $99 per additional door same visit.

UL 325 photo-eye sensors need to see each other across the opening. Misalignment is the usual cause — a bump from a broom, a kid's bike leaning on the bracket, or the rail settling. Spider webs, sun glare at sunrise or sunset, and dirty lenses also trigger it. Most realignments take a tech 10 minutes. If sensors are damaged or wiring is pinched, we replace them.

First, check the safety sensors — both LEDs on the side brackets should be solid (one green, one red, or both green depending on brand). Wiggle the brackets to realign. If the sensors are fine, try holding the wall button down while the door closes (this overrides the sensors — manufacturer override, used for diagnosis only). If that works, it's a sensor issue. If it still reverses, the travel limits or springs need attention — call us.