A garage door that won't open is almost always one of a handful of problems — and a few of them are genuinely dangerous to poke at. Start with safety: if the door tried to move and now feels impossibly heavy, or you heard a loud bang like a firecracker in the garage recently, stop. That's the sign of a broken spring under high tension, and forcing the door can hurt you or wreck the opener.
The 7 usual causes — and how you'd know
- Broken torsion spring — a loud bang beforehand, the door feels far too heavy to lift by hand, or you can see a gap in the coiled spring above the door. Most common cause, and a pro job.
- Snapped or frayed cable — the door hangs crooked or one side drops. Also under tension; leave it.
- Blocked or misaligned safety sensors — the door won't close (or reverses) but the opener hums; check the little photo-eyes near the floor for a bumped bracket or something in the beam. Often a DIY fix.
- Dead opener or motor — no sound at all when you press the button, and the wall button is dead too. Could be power, the logic board, or the motor.
- Tracks out of alignment — the door binds, sticks, or makes a grinding sound partway.
- Remote or keypad battery/pairing — only the remote fails but the wall button works. Usually a battery or a re-pair.
- Manual lock engaged — the door won't budge and the opener strains; check the handle lock on the door itself.
What it usually costs
Price depends entirely on the cause, so treat any number online as a range, not a quote. A sensor realignment or a remote re-pair is a minor visit. A spring or cable replacement is more, because it's skilled, tensioned work with real parts. A full opener replacement is the top of the range. A good local pro will confirm the exact price in person after seeing the door — that's the honest way to price it.
DIY vs. call a pro
Safe to try yourself: clearing or realigning the safety sensors, swapping a remote battery, checking the manual lock, and making sure the door isn't just unplugged. Leave to a pro: anything involving the springs, the cables, or the door being off its tracks — those hold enough stored energy to injure you.
If it's the spring or a cable, you don't need to diagnose it perfectly. Describe what happened — the bang, the heavy door, the crooked hang — and let a technician confirm it in person.
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Common questions
Why won't my garage door open at all?+
The most common cause is a broken torsion spring — you'll often hear a loud bang beforehand and the door feels impossibly heavy. Because the spring is under high tension, this is a repair to leave to a pro.
Is it safe to force a stuck garage door open?+
No. A door that won't open can mean a broken spring or cable under tension. Forcing it risks injury and further damage. Disconnect the opener and have it inspected.
How much does it cost to fix a garage door that won't open?+
It depends on the cause — a sensor realignment is minor, while a spring or opener replacement costs more. A local pro can confirm the exact price in person after seeing the door.