Garage Door Repair Seattle: $155 to $379 + Permit Exemption

Cost rows are national; we found no Seattle garage door price. The permit row is local.

Do this now: a stuck or broken garage door

1. Do not run the opener if a spring looks broken or the door is crooked; HomeAdvisor says springs hold hundreds of pounds of tension and are a job for a pro.
2. Keep people, pets and cars out from under a door that will not stay up.
3. Power out? Federal rules require openers to have a manual release. CPSC says a balanced door stays put partway open and an unbalanced one should be serviced by a professional. Report the outage to City Light at (206) 684-3000.
4. Door reverses or will not close: check that the electric eyes are clean and aligned; HomeAdvisor prices a sensor realignment at $150 to $250.
5. If the door does not reverse when it hits a 2x4 laid flat in its path, CPSC says disengage the opener until it is fixed.

Is it an emergency? When a garage door cannot wait

A broken spring, a door off its track, a car trapped inside or a door that will not close and lock is worth a same-day call; Fixr says same-day service adds $100 to $300. A noisy door or a slow opener can wait for a scheduled visit. Seattle averages 25.2 nights a year at or below 32 F and 93.4 days with measurable rain, NOAA normals show, so a door stuck open lets weather into an attached garage. See garage door spring repair and garage door opener repair.

Do you need a permit for garage door work in Seattle?

Most repairs do not. Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspections says minor repairs or alterations of $6,000 or less in any 6-month period need no permit, counting fair market value of labor and parts even if you do the work, and that limited in-kind repair or replacement of deteriorated parts usually needs none. Work on load-bearing supports or changes to the building envelope need a permit no matter how small. If a new door means widening the opening, SDCI's field-inspection permit tip limits structural beam spans to 14 feet, except garage door headers, which may span 16 feet. SDCI: (206) 684-8600.

How to check a garage door company in Washington

Washington requires contractors to register with L&I and carry a bond, $15,000 for a specialty contractor or $30,000 for a general contractor, plus liability insurance. The L&I Verify tool shows the registration, bond lawsuits and safety citations. Ask for the registration number before anyone touches a spring, and ask what the warranty covers.

Safety: the reversing test

CPSC counts about 73 children trapped and killed under automatic garage doors since 1982. It says to test the reversing feature every 30 days by laying a 2x4 flat in the door's path, to keep the electric eye no more than 4 to 6 inches above the floor, and to keep remotes away from children. Openers made since 1993 must have external entrapment protection, such as an electric eye or edge sensor, under 16 CFR Part 1211.

Garage door rules and climate for Seattle, from the official city, county, state, utility, Census and NOAA pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a Seattle garage door company

1. What is your L&I registration number, and is your bond current?
2. Is it a torsion or extension spring, and will you replace both springs if one broke?
3. Is the price flat, and does it include the trip fee?
4. If the opener is old, does it have working reversal and an electric eye?
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

More Seattle guides

Wiring for a new opener: electrician in Seattle. Other cities: garage door repair in Los Angeles and garage door repair in Las Vegas. National prices: garage door repair and home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).