Installing garage doors - DIY or hire out?

[stickshift]

Thinking about replacing my garage doors. The openers are chain drive, and while they are 20+ years old, are still going strong (I did replace the plastic gears in one of them). I changed out the extension springs several years ago, so I have some idea of what the dangers are with respect to garage doors. Watched a couple of youtube videos on replacing doors and doesn't seem too bad. So I could buy doors from Home Depot and install myself.

But I recall some here advocate hiring out because it doesn't cost much more than buying the doors at retail price. Is that still true post-covid with all the labor shortages?

 

[FredWanaker]

I paid like $125 labor to have mine installed. Bought it from a Chamberlain dealer and the whole package was less than if I bought the parts from Woke Depot and hauled them home myself. And the guy hauled the old pieces away too.

 

[PoorUB]

A few years back I replaced the 8x16 foot door in my garage. At the time it was less money to have a local garage door company install them than I could buy the door!

At the times I was finding raised panel, 2" insulated doors for $1,200- $1,500 for a decent door, of course some were higher yet, but more fluff than substance. I got a price from a local company for a Midland door, made right here in town. Nice door, raised panel, finished inside, nothing fancy but generally a quality door without the fluff. They gave me a quote for just under $1,000.

I popped in one day to tell them to go ahead and the owner saw me, (We ride motorcycle together once in a while), he walked up and asked why I stopped by. I told him his guys gave me a quote for a door and to go a head and put it in. He looked up the quote and said we can do better than this and knocked of $100. So right around $900 installed. For the record the salesman didn't have any idea I knew the owner, so the quote would have been good for anyone.

The funny part was his salesman told me 3-4 weeks out from the time I placed the order, but they installed it the next day!

https://www.midlandgaragedoor.com/residential-garage-doors/raised-steel-panel/

So call around and go visit with some local door companies and see what you find. I will caution you that garage doors are way behind on production, six months would not surprise me.

Oh yes, they hauled out all the scrap too! That along was worth some money.

 

[Renegade1LI]

It depends really on your skill set & if it's something you want to do, it's about 2 - 3 hrs per door if you you haven't done one before. there are some tricks to getting the tracks aligned & getting the spring tension right.

 

[duneslider]

My experience has been its cheaper to buy from a door company and have them install. One guy did both my doors and two openers in one day, no way I could have done it as fast as he did. I don't hire people to do much around the house or on my cars but that one I felt was a no brainer.

 

[nadogail]

Just had a new door installed today, I have things to do with my time that are more important that the bucks I pay to get the work done. Garage doors, for the rentals, and their associated labor are deductible expenses.

 

[AndyL]

It isn't rocket science, it is very possible to DIY. Just need a good impact driver, tape measure and preferably a laser level.

I do have to say... I can't count the number of Mondays/Tuesdays I've gotten a call from a wife who's husband thought this was an easy Saturday project...

That said - the usual home Depot special doors are a very low quality. If you don't have a building boom going on in your area right now - most door companies would be cheaper and supply a better product.

 

[Masheen365]

I installed my own 7x9 door. It was the cheapest thing I could find because I was trying to stay as cheap as possible when I was closing in my carport. Once I boxed in where I was going to hang the door it was pretty straight forward. Took me about three hours to get everything working right including the opener. I think it turned out pretty good. I’m sure anybody who knows what they’re looking at saw it, they could tell I did it myself. It goes up, down, and keeps the water out so I’m happy.

But, depending on your budget it would at least be worthwhile to get a quote from one or two places first.

 

[loganb]

Personally I prefer a real door garage door company who will service down the road and have them install.

Be aware, garage doors are one of if not the single most backlogged, longest lead time component right now in the building materials world....so be prepared

 

[charbar]

I've done a handful and they aren't bad at all but now days I'll hire it out. I can find better things to do when I get free time, garage doors arent that's exhilarating.

 

[Brly]

I ordered garage doors in September 2021 for the shop I'm building. They came in at the end of January. My driveway was glare ice for most of February, so I just had them installed last week. 4 guys installed 2 - 10x10 and 1 - 7x8 with openers and all in 6 hours while I was at work. I don't know off the top of my head what the installation cost was, but it was worth it to me!

 

[yeldogt]

...... can be a bit fiddly. The panels on the larger doors are unwieldy and easy to damage. It's the final adjustment and setting of the torsion bar that requires the knowledge only available to someone who does them all the time.

What's wrong with the current doors ? Any issue with the track ?

Just to warn -- garage doors are on the top of the list of builder frustration over the past year. They are hard to get and the price sky high.

An old heavy duty track may be worth keeping if it has no damage. IMO going torsion and having the opener on the bar is the way to go today

 

[jmdirk]

It can be done. Research and follow the instructions. And get a proper set of winding bars for the torsion springs. It's not rocket science.

It's take you longer than it takes a pro for sure. Just depends of what your time is worth.

And yeah. you're looking at ~6 month lead times. I ordered in October. Finally received in March

 

[flathead dave]

Use a pro. It's cheaper and you'll have the guarantee/warranty.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've put 5 doors in at our place. The first two with I-Drive openers and replaced them with Genie openers and had to swap out the torque tube style springs with torsion springs. Replaced one bottom panel after an incident with a ROPS.

I was thinking last week, I'm about done dicking with doors myself, probably spend the money and let them do the install or replacement.. . probably be there to assist though.

 

[Toxictom]

Personally I prefer a real door garage door company who will service down the road and have them install.

Be aware, garage doors are one of if not the single most backlogged, longest lead time component right now in the building materials world....so be prepared

I just posted a thread showing where my daughter ran into our garage door. The earliest any company could even take a look at it was the last week of April. I called 5 outfits. I managed to bend it somewhat straight and think it will work until I get a new one.

 

[Wheelingit]

Unless you are a very handy person you should have a pro do it.

 

[FredWanaker]

It's not that it is hard, just if one doesn't do it 2 or 3 times a day it not only takes longer but it is easy to mess up. When mine was redone I was just going to reuse the old track. It worked fine. But when the installer showed me the improvements in the new track, and mistakes on the old one... I realized how much easier it was to let him do it the way he knew was best. That said, last time I had the springs replaced I had to send the guy they sent away to go get the correct springs cause he didn't have the right ones with him. I didn't want some other springs installed that weren't really designed for the door. So a lot depends on the installer, their work ethic, and their attention to detail.

 

[finn]

My contractor installed the three doors on the shop / garage he built for me.

Fast forward and I bought another shop that needed a concrete floor and door to enclose the lean to. He no longer installs garage doors. It’s cheaper for him to have the door company do it.. He asked me to call the door company directly to eliminate the middle man.

 

[kwb]

I had heard the "door company is cheaper" and I fully expected a bit of a premium for installation but quotes I got were all $1000+ more than me ordering the door direct to consumer at retail price (no wholesale deal).

I had done door work before and am not afraid of any household system so $1000 for an after work project was a no brainer.

Door was actually delivered by one of the companies that bid the job.

 

[PhantomEB]

Local company who deals in the extra insulated doors I had before as well liftmaster, quoted me 250$ to install. All I got to do is run power back there up from The current opener spot……no problem then I get rid of that overhead door opener as well gain 2 spots for a power bar next to the big door/cord reel from the current opener outlet!

 

[crewchief888]

i did a DIY install with a big box store door (7X16) about 12 years ago. cheap *** door literally fell apart after a few years. called a pro for a new door, opener and install. it was worth the money to me. he was finished and gone in a 1/2 day.

 

[LeonardY]

I paid someone to do it.

I didn't have to remove and dispose of the old one.
He ran into a issue with my cabinets on the side. He went to his truck and pulled out a different radius for the track.
He guaranteed install for life.
He cleaned up.

I supported a local guy. His wife called a week later to make sure everything was working and I was happy.

 

[kbs2244]

if you are just replacing the panels it is an easy DIY project if the doors are the same weight and you can use the existing springs

it may be a good time to convert to a torsion spring install
in that case I would hire it out just because of the new springs

that said my 14wx10h, torsion spring, follow the roof slope, factory package, was a first time install by an experienced carpenter
it took him a morning

"I just followed the instructions"

 

[nadogail]

My garage door is getting the torsion springs replaced, after seeing how hard the tech is working and the trouble he is having, I am glad I called a professional.

 

[stickshift]

OP here. Replaced them myself after watching some youtube videos. Given the much bigger projects GJers take on (projects that I wouldn't dare tackle), I'm surprised so many are quick to hire out. I saved well over 50% doing it myself vs hiring out. There's a reason the GD salesman rolled up in a fancy truck.

Yes, GD springs can be dangerous. Same for ladders, but everyone here probably has multiple ladders. You all also have multiple tools with high speed spinning blades and discs. The danger from GD springs is easier to mitigate than danger from many tools everyone here has.

Of course, if you're not comfortable with the risk, or don't want the door out of service for more than a few hours (it will definitely take a first time DIYer a longer time than a GD pro), by all means, hire it out.

 

[finn]

The ancient aluminum framed fiberglass door on a garage at the house we own in town finally failed totally last fall.

The two quotes I got were for $2300 and $2600.

We don’t currently live there. My wife’s 90 year old uncle is the “tenant” does, but he no longer drives. All we needed was something to keep the raccoons out and that would open so we could get the mowers in and out, and store the boat for the off season.

I found a take out 16’ Coplay non insulated door with a working Craftsman (Chamberlain) opener, and hired the neighbor high school kid to help install it.

Took us 4 hours, since it was the first door I ever installed, and he had never done one either. That includes removing the old door. We probably spent an hour just figuring out if we had all the parts of the “new used” door, including the fasteners. I think if we were using everything new, it would be two hours next time..

Total cost: $300 for the door and $200 for the kid.

Should last till our “tenant” passes and we can do a total rebuild of the house. He’s probably going to outlive me. His big sister is 99.

 

[firebirdparts]

I think they’re kind of fun to assemble. Certainly easy.

 

[Skooterj]

I installed all 4 of my doors myself. The local installation company has the exact same doors as Home Depot and Menards (Cloplay/Ideal) and wanted over $500 a door to install. First one took me about 3 hours. Next three took 3 hours total. No way I'm paying $2000 for 6 hours of labor.