Garage Door Spring Replacement in Berkeley, CA
A broken spring leaves the full weight of the door on your opener, and the door is dangerous to lift by hand. Santos & Sons Garage Door replaces torsion and extension springs across Berkeley and the East Bay, usually the same day you call. We work out of 2081 Center St, so most of Berkeley is a 10 to 15 minute drive, and we give you a 60-minute arrival window. You get a free written estimate before we touch the door.
Our certified technicians replace torsion and extension springs safely
How Much Does Spring Replacement Cost?
| Spring Type | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Torsion Spring (Single) | $200 – $300 |
| Torsion Spring (Pair) | $300 – $500 |
| Extension Spring (Single) | $150 – $250 |
| Extension Spring (Pair) | $200 – $350 |
| High-Cycle Torsion Spring | $350 – $500 |
Parts and labor are included in these prices. The exact cost depends on your door's size, weight, and spring setup. Heavier doors need bigger springs. You get a free written estimate before any work starts, and the number on the estimate is the number on the invoice. Evening and Sunday calls cost the same as a weekday appointment.
Types of Garage Door Springs
Your door uses one of two spring systems to counterbalance its weight. Which one you have decides the price and the parts we bring.
Torsion Springs
Torsion springs sit on a metal shaft above the door opening and wind up as the door closes. That stored torque is what lifts the door. Most Berkeley homes built after 1990 have them, especially on heavier double-car doors. They run smoother and last longer than extension springs.
Extension Springs
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side of the door and stretch as the door closes. You'll find them on lighter single-car doors and older systems. They cost less than torsion springs but wear out sooner, and they need safety cables so a snapped spring can't fly across the garage. If your door has extension springs, we can replace them like-for-like or convert you to a torsion setup.
Signs Your Garage Door Spring Is Broken
- You heard a loud bang from the garage. A torsion spring breaking sounds like a gunshot. Many homeowners hear it at night and find the door dead the next morning.
- The door won't open, or it feels like dead weight. Without the spring, the opener or your arms are lifting 150 to 300 pounds.
- There's a visible gap in the spring above the door, usually 2 to 3 inches where the coils snapped apart.
- The door lifts crooked. When one spring on a two-spring door breaks, the good side rises and the broken side drags.
- The cables hang loose or have come off their drums. They lose tension the moment the spring lets go.
- The opener strains, hums, or stops a few inches up. Openers aren't built to lift a door without spring help.
- The door slams shut fast. Nothing is left to slow its descent, so keep people and cars clear.
See any of these? Stop using the door and call Santos & Sons at (650) 750-7029 for emergency spring replacement. Forcing the opener against a broken spring is how a spring job turns into a spring job plus a burned-out opener motor.
Our Spring Replacement Process
- Call (650) 750-7029 or book online. Same-day appointments are usually open, and emergency calls get a 60-minute arrival window.
- Your tech inspects the whole system. Tracks, cables, rollers, and hinges all get checked, because a snapped spring often strains the parts around it.
- You get a free written, itemized estimate and approve the exact price before any work starts.
- The tech releases the tension on the old spring with winding bars, then pulls it off the torsion bar or track brackets.
- The new spring goes on, matched to your door's weight, height, and track radius. If you have two springs, we'll recommend doing both while we're there.
- We balance the door, test the opener and its safety reversal, and lubricate every moving part.
- We clean up, show you what was done, and go over the parts and labor warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a garage door spring replacement take?
45 minutes to 1.5 hours for most doors. Replacing both springs or rebalancing a heavy door adds a little time. Our trucks carry the common spring sizes, so nearly every job is finished in one visit.
Should I replace one garage door spring or both?
Both. The two springs wear at the same rate, so when one breaks the other is usually weeks behind it. Doing both in one visit saves you a second service call and keeps the door balanced.
Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
No. A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones, and it lets go without warning. Trained techs use winding bars and check the tension before touching anything. This is the one garage door repair we tell everyone to leave alone.
How long do garage door springs last?
About 10,000 cycles, which works out to 7 to 10 years for most homes. High-cycle springs are rated for 25,000 to 50,000 cycles and can run 15 to 20 years. Lubricating the springs once a year helps them get there.
Why Choose Santos & Sons for Spring Replacement
Santos & Sons Garage Door is a licensed and insured, family-owned shop on Center St in Berkeley. Spring replacement is the repair we do most often, on every brand of residential door. Your tech shows up in uniform, background-checked, with the springs already on the truck.
Every truck carries torsion and extension springs in the common sizes, so you're not waiting days for a part. You approve the exact price before we start, and every spring replacement carries a warranty on parts and labor. If your door needs an odd size we don't stock, we'll tell you straight and come back with the right spring instead of forcing a close-enough fit.
We also provide a full range of garage door repair services, including cable repair, opener repair and installation, and same-day emergency service across Berkeley and the East Bay.