Broken garage door spring: what happened and what to do

What you’re seeing and hearing

• A sound like a gunshot inside the garage, then a door that won’t move, or one stuck halfway up that won’t go either way. Source: What counts as a garage door emergency
• Look up at the torsion spring above the door: a broken one shows a visible gap in the coil, usually near the center or at one end. Source: Why won’t my garage door close?
• It often happens on the first cold morning of the season. Cold doesn’t cause the break; cold steel is more brittle, so a worn spring gives out then. Source: Why garage door springs break in cold weather

Is it safe to use the door right now?

No. Leave the door where it is.

• Without the spring the door is dead weight the opener was never designed to lift. Don’t keep pressing the button to see if it’ll go this time. Source: What counts as a garage door emergency
• Don’t lift it by hand, and don’t pull the emergency release on a door that is partway open: the door can drop. Source: What counts as a garage door emergency

DIY or a pro, and why

A trained technician, every time.

• Clopay’s spring guide says a broken or worn-out spring can suddenly give way, causing the door to slam shut or even fall. Source: Garage door cables and drums: what they do and when to call a technician
• The winding bars the job needs aren’t sold at hardware stores, and improvising them with a screwdriver or rebar is how fingers get broken. Don’t wind, unwind, replace or adjust a spring yourself. Source: Why garage door springs break in cold weather

What the fix involves and costs

• HomeAdvisor lists a single torsion spring repair at $180 to $350. Ask whether the second spring should be replaced at the same time, since the two have the same age and the same wear. Source: Garage door repair cost in 2026
• Standard residential torsion springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles, one cycle being one full open and close: about seven years for a door that runs four cycles a day. Source: Why garage door springs break in cold weather
• A higher-cycle spring costs more up front: IDC Spring says certain wire types can offer 25,000 cycles or even 50,000. Ask for the rating and the price in writing. Source: Garage door repair cost in 2026
• Afterwards, ask the technician to check the balance with the opener disconnected. Source: How to check garage door balance
• Call the technician back for loud banging, a gap in a spring, or a door that is crooked, stuck partway or unusually heavy (Clopay lists these as signs a spring needs replacing). If it is only the opener straining, book a visit. Source: How to check garage door balance