Situation · Pro job

Broken garage door spring: what happened and what to do

A bang from above the door and now it won’t open: how to tell the spring broke, why not to touch it, and what the repair costs.

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

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

A trained technician, every time.

A torsion spring stores hundreds of foot-pounds of energy. A sudden release causes lacerations, fractures and worse. Source: Why won’t my garage door close?
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

Replacing one standard torsion spring runs $150 to $350, depending on the spring and the region. Replacing the second at the same time adds about $100 to $150. 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 high-cycle spring upgrade, rated for 25,000 to 100,000 cycles, runs $250 to $500. Source: Garage door repair cost in 2026
Afterwards, test the balance once a year: with the door closed, pull the release, lift the door to waist height and let go. A balanced door stays put; one that drops or rises needs a technician. Source: Why garage door springs break in cold weather

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Illustrative example

AI-generated illustrative homeowner, not a customer.