We do both repairs and new doors in Houston, so we have no reason to push you either way. Here is how we actually decide.
Repair, almost always, when:
- It's a spring, cable, roller or hinge. These are wear parts. Replacing them restores the door; it says nothing about the door's remaining life.
- The opener failed. The opener and the door are separate systems. A new opener on a sound door is a great combination.
- One panel is dented. If the door is a current model, a single matching section is far cheaper than a new door.
- The door is under 15 years old. A steel door with intact panels has decades left in it.
Replace when:
- Several panels are bent, rusted or cracked. Once two or three sections need replacing, you're most of the way to a new door's cost, on an old door.
- The door is 20+ years old and uninsulated and the garage is attached or under a bedroom. A modern insulated door changes the temperature of the rooms around it and cuts noise.
- It's a wood door that's rotting at the bottom. Rot spreads and the door gets heavier every year, which kills springs and openers.
- Panels or parts are no longer made. Some older models can't be matched.
- You're selling. A new garage door consistently ranks among the highest-return exterior projects; it's often the single largest element of the front of the house.
The grey zone
A 15-to-20-year-old door with a broken spring and tired rollers is the common grey case. Our rule: if the panels are straight and not rusting, repair it and expect several more years. If you're going to be looking at the door every day and already dislike it, that's a real factor too.
Either way, the technician lays out both options with real prices on site. Repairs come with a 5-year parts warranty; new doors carry the manufacturer's warranty plus ours. Read about new door installation in Houston, or call and we'll come take a look.