Is it actually the spring?
Most "the door won't open" calls turn out to be a broken spring, but not all of them. Before you assume — and before you keep cycling the opener — run through this quick checklist.
If two or more of the signs below describe what you're seeing, it's almost certainly the spring. Stop using the door and skip ahead to the repair section.
Loud bang, then a door that won't lift? That's a spring. An opener that runs but moves nothing is usually a spring too — but it can also be the door lock thrown, the trolley hung up on its stop bolt, or a fault in the opener itself. Either way, stop cycling it.
The five tell-tale signs.
Run through these five. The more that match, the more certain it is.
Don't try to lift the door.
A torsion spring is wound to hold up hundreds of pounds of door. DASMA — the industry association for garage doors — calls the springs the most dangerous part of the door, and says spring work belongs to a trained technician. People are injured every year doing it themselves, sometimes seriously.
With the spring broken, the door is dead weight — 150–250 lbs of steel with nothing holding it up. The opener manufacturers are blunt about it: don't operate the door by hand if a spring, cable, or roller looks broken, because a door with weak or broken springs can fall rapidly and without warning. Do not disengage the opener and try to lift the door yourself.
This is the worst case, and the one people get hurt on. Do not pull the red emergency release cord while the door is up. That rope disconnects the door from the opener — and the opener is the only thing still holding the weight. Chamberlain's own instruction is to use the emergency release only when the door is fully closed. Leave the door where it is, keep people, pets, and cars out from under it, and call us.
If your car is trapped inside and you absolutely must move it, call us — we can usually have a tech out same-day, often within the hour. We do the job safely with the right tools.
How it kills your opener.
An opener is not a lifting machine. The springs counterbalance nearly all of the door's weight; the opener only has to nudge what's left and guide the door along the track. That's why DASMA's advice for a door that feels heavy is to fix the spring balance — not to buy a more powerful opener.
When the spring breaks, the opener doesn't know. It keeps pulling against a door that's suddenly all dead weight. The motor strains, the drivetrain takes the load it was never sized for, and you can do real damage to the opener in a handful of attempts.
Ask for a diagnostic on the opener when the tech arrives. Catching drivetrain damage early is the difference between a part and a whole new opener.
We always check the opener after a spring replacement. If it's been straining, it may be on borrowed time even after the spring is back. We'll tell you straight, not bundle it in.
Torsion vs. extension.
Garage doors use one of two spring systems. Knowing which one you have isn't strictly required — we'll figure it out on arrival — but it helps you describe what you're seeing when you call.
One or two springs wound around a shaft mounted horizontally above the door opening. Because they sit on that shaft, they're far less likely to fly loose if they break — and far more dangerous to work on without the right tools. The large majority of what we service.
Long springs that stretch and contract parallel to the tracks on each side. Most common on older doors, and still used where there isn't headroom for a torsion shaft. These can snap back with real force, so a safety cable has to run through each spring to contain it — we add them whenever we find them missing.
Most repairs we do are torsion. We service both — pricing is in the same range either way. You don't need to know which one you have to call.
What a proper repair actually involves.
Spring repair should be predictable. Same process whether it's Tuesday afternoon or Saturday morning. Here's what we do — and what you should expect from any reputable shop:
You call.
A real person, not a phone tree. We'll evaluate over the phone — what kind of door, what you heard, where it's stuck — and confirm whether it's a same-day visit.
Tech arrives.
Same-day for most calls. They'll confirm by text with a photo of the truck before they arrive. No commission-paid salespeople — actual technicians.
Written quote, before work starts.
Confirmed in writing — springs, bearings, hardware, labor, and an opener recommendation if it took strain. No upsell, no surprises at the end.
Fixed today.
Most spring jobs are done in 1–2 hours. 90-day workmanship guarantee, plus the manufacturer's parts warranty on the spring — both written on the invoice.
What it should cost.
We publish our pricing because hiding it doesn't help anyone. Spring repair is a known, repeatable job — there should be no surprises.
If the opener also took damage from straining, that's a separate diagnosis — sometimes a part and some labor, sometimes an honest recommendation to replace it. We won't bundle it into the spring bill without telling you.
"Spring broke on my garage door several months ago and I had been dragging my feet to get it done. Called LMS and they were out the next morning and got it all sorted out within an hour. Quick, painless, priced exactly as I expected from booking it so no surprises."
Common questions about springs.
How long does the repair take?
1–2 hours for most residential spring jobs, depending on door size, the number of springs, and any other components that need attention. The tech will give you an exact ETA when they arrive.
Do you replace one spring or both?
Both, on a two-spring door. That's also the industry association's guidance — DASMA says to replace both even when only one is broken. They're the same age and have taken the same number of cycles, so the second one is right behind the first. One visit is cheaper than two.
What if my opener is also damaged from straining?
We diagnose it as part of the visit. Sometimes it's a part — a gear-and-sprocket kit or a capacitor — plus labor. Sometimes the motor is done and replacing the opener is the honest answer. We quote both separately so you can decide.
Can I keep using the door if only one spring is broken?
No. The remaining spring is now carrying the whole door instead of half of it. Opener manufacturers say the same thing we do — don't operate a door with a broken spring, by hand or with the opener. Stop using it and call.
Do you offer 24/7 emergency repair?
Yes — for residential and commercial. Our after-hours line is staffed by a real person, not a service. (916) 304-7126.