One Broken Garage Door Spring: Replace One or Both?
National installed price, parts and labour, 2026
$185–$320
$265–$455
0.75–1.5 hrs
One spring snapped, the other looks fine, and the quote for just the broken one is tempting. This page is the honest arithmetic on that decision — what replacing one costs, what it costs you six months later, and when doing only one is actually the right call.
Why it fails
Torsion springs are rated in cycles, not years. A standard spring is built for roughly 10,000 open-close cycles, which is about seven years for a household using the door four times a day, and closer to three or four years for a busy family with two drivers. Cold accelerates it: spring steel gets more brittle as temperature drops, which is why most breaks happen in the first hard freeze of the season.
Expected life Roughly 10,000 cycles for a standard spring, about 20,000 for a high-cycle upgrade
What you are paying for
Springs are matched to door weight and installed in pairs on most doors. If one broke, the other is the same age and within a few thousand cycles of failing — replacing only one usually means a second service call inside a year.
Signs you need this
- A loud bang from the garage, often mistaken for something falling
- A visible gap in the coil on the bar above the door
- The door lifts a few inches then stops, or feels enormously heavy by hand
- The opener strains, hums, or reverses immediately
Can you do it yourself?
Not a homeowner job
This is the one repair on the whole list that professionals consistently tell homeowners not to attempt. A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones or kill, and releasing it needs correctly sized winding bars and technique. Screwdrivers are not winding bars, and this is where the serious injuries come from.
Torsion spring — replace one cost by state
Same job, standard scheduling, single steel door. The spread is labour cost — 61% between the most and least expensive state.
| State | Torsion spring — replace one | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $265–$455 | +42% |
| District of Columbia | $245–$420 | +32% |
| Alaska | $240–$415 | +30% |
| New York | $240–$415 | +30% |
| California | $235–$410 | +28% |
| Massachusetts | $230–$395 | +24% |
| Connecticut | $220–$385 | +20% |
| New Jersey | $220–$385 | +20% |
| Washington | $220–$380 | +18% |
| Maryland | $210–$365 | +14% |
| Oregon | $210–$365 | +14% |
| Rhode Island | $210–$365 | +14% |
| Colorado | $205–$360 | +12% |
| New Hampshire | $205–$350 | +10% |
| Delaware | $200–$345 | +8% |
| Illinois | $200–$345 | +8% |
| Nevada | $200–$345 | +8% |
| Vermont | $200–$345 | +8% |
| Virginia | $200–$345 | +8% |
| Maine | $195–$335 | +5% |
| Minnesota | $195–$340 | +6% |
| Arizona | $190–$335 | +4% |
| Florida | $190–$325 | +2% |
| Montana | $190–$325 | +2% |
| Pennsylvania | $190–$335 | +4% |
| Utah | $190–$325 | +2% |
| Idaho | $185–$320 | — |
| Wisconsin | $185–$315 | -1% |
| Wyoming | $185–$315 | -1% |
| Georgia | $180–$310 | -3% |
| Michigan | $180–$310 | -3% |
| North Carolina | $180–$305 | -4% |
| North Dakota | $180–$315 | -2% |
| Texas | $180–$315 | -2% |
| Indiana | $175–$300 | -6% |
| Missouri | $175–$300 | -6% |
| Nebraska | $175–$300 | -6% |
| New Mexico | $175–$305 | -5% |
| Ohio | $175–$305 | -5% |
| South Carolina | $175–$305 | -5% |
| South Dakota | $175–$300 | -6% |
| Tennessee | $175–$305 | -5% |
| Alabama | $170–$290 | -9% |
| Iowa | $170–$300 | -7% |
| Kansas | $170–$300 | -7% |
| Kentucky | $170–$295 | -8% |
| Louisiana | $170–$300 | -7% |
| Oklahoma | $170–$290 | -9% |
| Arkansas | $165–$285 | -11% |
| Mississippi | $165–$280 | -12% |
| West Virginia | $165–$290 | -10% |
Torsion spring — replace one in the largest metros
The same job priced for the ten biggest markets on this site. Each city page carries every repair at that city's rate, plus how it ranks in its state.
| Metro | Torsion spring — replace one | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $255–$445 | +38% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $255–$440 | +38% |
| Chicago, IL | $215–$370 | +16% |
| Houston, TX | $195–$335 | +5% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $205–$355 | +11% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $205–$355 | +11% |
| San Antonio, TX | $195–$335 | +5% |
| San Diego, CA | $255–$440 | +38% |
| Dallas, TX | $195–$335 | +5% |
| San Jose, CA | $255–$440 | +38% |
Common questions
Should I replace one spring or both?
Both, in almost every case. Springs are installed as a matched pair and age together, so the surviving one is the same age and within a few thousand cycles of failing. The second spring adds parts cost but almost no labour, which is why doing the pair now costs far less than a second service call in a few months.
Can I still open the door with a broken spring?
You should not try. A double door weighs 150 to 250 lbs and the springs are what make it feel light. With one broken, that weight is on you, the opener, or the remaining spring. Lifting it by hand risks injury and can bend the track or strip the opener gear.
Are high-cycle springs worth the extra cost?
If the door runs more than about four cycles a day, usually yes. A high-cycle spring roughly doubles the rated life for a modest parts premium, and it saves a whole service call down the line. For a lightly used detached garage, standard springs are fine.