A dead opener. Check the power before you call anyone
Half of these are a tripped outlet. The door still works by hand in the meantime, as long as it is closed when you pull the release.
What is probably happening
- The opener has no power: the plug has worked loose, the GFCI outlet has tripped, or a breaker is off.
- The opener's logic board or transformer has failed. Common after a lightning storm or a power surge.
- The wall button wiring has a break. If the remote works but the wall button does not, that is the likely fault.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Look at the opener. Is the light on? Is the plug fully in the ceiling outlet?
- Press the reset button on any GFCI outlet in the garage, then the ones in nearby bathrooms and outside. Garage outlets are often chained to them.
- Check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker.
- Plug a lamp or phone charger into the ceiling outlet. If it works, the opener is dead. If not, the outlet is.
- If you need the car: close the door fully first (it should already be), then pull the red cord and lift by hand.
Do not
- Do not pull the release cord with the door open. Chamberlain: only when the door is fully closed.
- Do not open the opener housing to poke at the board. Unplug it and leave it for the technician.
Who to call
A garage door technician
If the outlet works and the opener is dead, a garage door company repairs or replaces openers. If the outlet itself has no power after resetting GFCIs and breakers, that is an electrician's job, not a door company's.
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What it should cost
$100 to $500
Opener repair range. A new opener installed averages $379 (range $218 to $540)
Source: Angi, garage door repair cost and opener installation cost, updated August 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.
- Is the fault the board, the transformer, or the wiring, and what does each cost to fix?
- The opener is X years old. Is a repair sensible, or is a new unit the better spend?
- If you recommend a new opener, does the quote include removing the old one and the sensors?
End the call if
- A new opener sold without anyone checking the outlet or the GFCI.
- A door rebuild (springs, cables, rollers) attached to an electrical fault. Angi lists the rebuilding package as a common scam.