Plan it

A new opener. Belt or chain, and what it should cost

This is a shopping decision, not an emergency. Take a week and get two quotes.

What is probably happening

Chain drive is the cheapest and, in Angi's words, can be pretty noisy. Belt drive has fewer moving parts and is quieter. Direct drive and wall-mounted jackshaft units are quieter still and cost more.
Any opener sold new today has photo eye entrapment protection built in. It has been required on US residential openers since 1993 and is not an upsell.
If the garage is under a bedroom, belt drive is the usual answer. If it is detached, chain is fine.
Battery backup, Wi-Fi and an automatic lock are add-ons, not requirements.

Do this in the next five minutes

Measure the door: single or double, and its height. A 7 foot rail is standard, an 8 foot door needs an extension kit ($45 to $85 per Angi).
Check the door is balanced before buying an opener. A new opener on a tired spring fails early. Close the door, pull the release, lift by hand: it should stay halfway up.
Decide on drive type by noise tolerance, then horsepower by door weight. Angi: a half horsepower unit starts around $100, 2 horsepower $300 to $400 for the unit.
Get two installed quotes with the unit model number written on them.
Ask for the old opener and sensors to be removed and taken away.

Do not

Do not buy an opener to solve a door that is heavy or crooked. Fix the door first.
Do not accept a rebuild of springs, rollers and cables bundled into an opener install unless someone shows you why. Angi lists the rebuilding package as a common scam.
Do not let anyone install an opener and leave without running the 2x4 reversal test in front of you.

Who to call

A garage door technician

Door companies install openers daily and will check door balance at the same time. An electrician is only needed if there is no ceiling outlet.

Get a free shortlist The seven questions for this trade

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What it should cost

$218 to $540 installed, average $379

Angi installed range. Unit only: chain $150 to $250, belt $160 to $350, screw $150 to $300, direct drive $280 to $500, jackshaft $500 to $750. This Old House puts the average installed at $292 (range $213 to $371)

Source: Angi, garage door opener installation cost, updated August 2026, and This Old House, June 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.

Which model and drive type, and what is the unit price versus the labor?
Is the door balanced? If you say the springs need replacing too, show me the balance test.
Does the price include removal of the old opener, new sensors, a new wall control, and the reversal test?
What is the manufacturer's warranty on the motor versus the parts, and what is your labor warranty?

End the call if

An installed price far above the $218 to $540 range with nothing to show for it. Angi's rebuild package and emergency service scams both work by inflating the parts list.
A technician who skips the reversal test. Chamberlain: it must be tested after any adjustment, and monthly.

Where this comes from

Not my problem, tap through instead Every garage doors answer