A broken spring. Do not touch it, and do not try to lift the door
The door is not dangerous sitting closed. It becomes dangerous the moment anyone tries to lift it, pull the release cord, or touch the spring.
What is probably happening
- A torsion spring above the door has snapped. The bang is the sound of it letting go. Look for a gap of about 2 inches in the coil.
- The spring carries most of the door's weight. Without it, a double door can weigh well over what a person can hold, and the opener cannot lift it either.
- If you have extension springs (along the side tracks), one may be hanging loose. If there is no safety cable running through it, the loose spring is a projectile risk.
- DASMA calls springs the most important and most dangerous part of the door, and says they should be repaired only by trained professionals.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Leave the door where it is. If it is up, park nothing under it and keep everyone out of the doorway.
- Unplug the opener so nobody presses the button and burns out the motor or drops the door.
- Take a photo of the spring from the floor, showing both sides of the door. Send it with your call for a straighter quote.
- Count the springs. One or two above the door, or one on each side track. The quote should name that number.
- Get the door's rough size (single or double) and age ready for the phone.
Do not
- Do not pull the emergency release cord with the door open. Chamberlain's own instructions are to use the release only when the door is fully closed, because with a broken spring the door can fall fast and without warning.
- Do not try to unwind, tighten, or replace the spring yourself. DASMA: spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals.
- Do not touch the lift cables or bottom brackets. They are under the same tension as the spring.
- Do not keep pressing the opener button. It will strip the gear or bend the top panel, adding a second repair.
Who to call
A garage door technician
This is a same-day job for any garage door company. It is not a handyman job, and not a DIY job.
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What it should cost
$150 to $350 per spring, plus $75 to $150 labor
National spring replacement range, average $250, before the service call fee
Source: Angi, garage door spring replacement cost, updated July 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the garage doors page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Does the price cover both springs? DASMA says replace both even if only one broke, and Angi says the same, so the door stays balanced.
- What is the cycle rating of the springs you are fitting? Angi puts standard springs at 10,000 to 20,000 cycles.
- What is the total including the service call, before anyone starts?
- Are you replacing the spring only, or are you going to tell me I need cables, rollers, and a new opener too? If so, why, and can I see the damage?
End the call if
- The quote jumps to a full rebuild (springs, cables, rollers, bearings, opener) with no visible damage to anything but the spring. Angi lists the rebuilding package as a common garage door scam.
- Lifetime warranty springs at a big premium. Massachusetts consumer regulators say a lifetime guarantee can be a sign of a scam, and Angi describes the pattern: cheap parts that fail, free replacement, heavy service fee each time.
- Cash up front before any work. The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs says never pay for the job in advance.