Garage Door Opener Repair

Openers that hum, click, or do nothing at all. Most faults come down to the drive gear, the logic board or a sensor out of line.

What the opener is telling you

An opener rarely fails without warning. The sound it makes usually says which part has gone, and that is most of the diagnosis before anyone opens the cover.

The motor hums but the door stays put

Almost always the drive gear. It is a plastic gear driving a steel worm, and it is built to wear out first so the motor survives. A gear kit is a routine repair.

It clicks once and nothing happens

Usually the logic board or the capacitor. On an opener past about fifteen years, a board can cost enough that a new unit is the better value.

The door starts down then reverses

The safety sensors at floor level are out of alignment, or something is breaking the beam. Often free to correct on the visit.

The remote works but the wall button does not

A break in the low voltage wire or a failed button. Both are quick.

It runs but the door is heavy and slow

This is usually the door, not the opener. A spring out of balance makes the opener carry weight it was never meant to, and it will kill the unit if it is left.

JobPriceWhat it covers
Opener repair $200 to $400 Covers the common failures: the drive gear, the logic board, the travel limits and sensors out of alignment. What it costs depends on which of those it turns out to be.

Opener replacement is priced per unit once we know the door size and the drive type. Every repair price is on the garage door repair cost page.

Before you call

Two things worth checking, because both are free and both are common:

  • Look at the two small safety sensors near the floor on each side of the opening. Both should show a steady light. If one is dark or blinking, something has knocked it out of line, and the door will refuse to close.
  • Check the red disconnect cord. If someone pulled it, the opener runs on its own with the door disconnected from it. Pulling it again while the door is fully closed usually re-engages the carriage.

If the door is heavy to lift by hand with the opener disconnected, the problem is the spring rather than the opener. That is a spring replacement job, and running the opener against a broken spring will damage the unit. On the older Burlingame and Millbrae houses, an opener and a spring often reach the end within a year of each other, because the spring going out of balance is what wore the opener down.

Where we fit openers

Opener work goes out to San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Carlos, Millbrae and Daly City from our shop on Flores Street in San Mateo. The full list, including Redwood City and Menlo Park, is on the areas we serve page. If the door itself is past saving, look at new door installation before you spend on the opener, because the new door changes the weight the opener has to lift.

Call (650) 376-6070 and describe the noise. That alone usually tells us which part to bring.

Common questions

How much does garage door opener repair cost in San Mateo?

$200 to $400 for most opener repairs on the Peninsula. A drive gear kit sits at the low end, a logic board at the high end, and a sensor realignment is often free while we are on the job. Full pricing for every repair we do is on the cost page.

Is it worth repairing an old opener or should I replace it?

Under about ten years old, repair almost always makes sense. Past fifteen, once a board or a motor is involved, the repair starts approaching the price of a new unit that comes with a fresh warranty. We tell you which side of that line your opener falls on before you decide.

Do you work on LiftMaster, Chamberlain and Genie openers?

Yes, plus Craftsman, Linear and Marantec. Chain drive, belt drive and screw drive are all the same job to us, and the common gears and boards are stocked on the truck.

Why does my garage door reverse before it closes?

The two safety sensors near the floor are almost always the reason. If one is knocked out of line, dirty, or has something sitting in the beam, the opener refuses to complete the close and sends the door back up. Both sensors should show a steady light. A blinking or dark light on either one points straight at it.

Does a new garage door opener need a battery backup in California?

Yes. California requires a battery backup on residential garage door openers sold or installed in the state, so every unit we install has one. It is what keeps the door working in a power cut, which was the point of the law.

Need it looked at today?

Call before early afternoon and we can usually get out the same day.

Call (650) 376-6070