Torsion springs, opener size, track and hardware for a garage door replacement.
Estimates are planning aids, not a professional quote. Double-check quantities and product coverage — and any local code or permit requirements — before you buy.
⚠ Torsion springs store enormous energy while wound — improperly released or over-wound springs have caused serious injuries and deaths. This tool sizes the parts list only; spring installation should be done with matched winding bars and safety cables, or handed to a trained technician.
| Doors & Windows | $1,484–$2,008 |
| Connectors & Brackets | $112–$151 |
| Finishing & Sealant | $53–$71 |
| Fasteners & Hardware | $12–$16 |
| Total | $1,660–$2,246 |
Excludes tools, delivery, tax and permit fees. Labor not included — this is a DIY materials estimate.
These are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the calculator recommends — the shopping list comes from your dimensions, not from what pays.
About this calculator
The Garage Door Builder turns a door width, height and material into the actual parts list an installer would order: torsion springs sized to the door's calculated weight, a matching drum and cable set, rollers and hinges by panel count, and track sized to your lift type. It also sizes an opener motor's horsepower off that same weight instead of guessing, so the springs and the opener always match the door they're lifting.
Pick a single or double door width, a 7, 8 or 10 ft height, and steel or wood-carriage panels, and every downstream quantity — weight, spring count, opener size, track length — updates with it. Advanced options size multiple matching doors at once, switch between chain, belt and low-headroom jackshaft openers, and add high-cycle springs or window inserts. This is a planning and shopping estimate; hire a trained technician for spring work.
Step by step
A step-by-step walkthrough to go with your plan above. Follow the product instructions and any local code or permit requirements as you work.
Clamp locking pliers on the track below the bottom roller to stop the door from moving, then carefully unwind and remove the old torsion spring with properly sized winding bars — or have a technician handle this step alone if you're not confident with it.
Disconnect the opener arm, remove the old panels section by section from the top down, then take down the old track, hinges and roller hardware. Inspect the jambs and header for rot or damage while everything is exposed.
Set new jamb brackets plumb on both sides, then hang the vertical track and dry-fit the horizontal track at the height your lift type calls for, leaving it loose until the door is in and balanced.
Set the bottom panel in the opening first and level it, then stack each section above it, driving hinges at every joint and rollers into their brackets as you go so each panel is captured in the track before you add the next.
Slide the new spring onto the shaft, attach the cable drums and safety cables, then wind the spring to the turn count your spring's chart specifies — never by feel, and never without winding bars rated for the job.
Disconnect the opener, lift the door halfway by hand and let go — a properly sprung door should hold its position on its own. Adjust spring tension until it does before connecting anything motorized.
Mount the rail or jackshaft bracket, connect the trolley to the top panel, then set the opener's travel limits and force settings, and program the remotes and keypad.
Install the bottom astragal and side/top jamb seal, then run the auto-reverse test — the door must stop and reverse the instant it contacts an object on the floor — before you call the install done.
Equip the job
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Keep planning
Decks & Structures
Answers
Material cost for a mid-size double garage door — panels, springs, track, rollers, hinges and a new opener — typically runs somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500 for a good steel insulated door, before labor if you hire it out. Wood carriage-style doors run substantially higher because the panels alone cost two to three times as much per square foot. This calculator prices your exact width, height and material so the number reflects your door, not a generic average.
Torsion springs are sized to the door's actual weight, not its dimensions alone — the heavier the door, the more torque each spring needs to lift it, which shows up as a thicker wire and a longer spring body. This calculator estimates door weight from its square footage and panel material, then sizes one spring for a light single door or a matched pair for anything wider or heavier, which is standard practice for balance and redundancy. Always confirm the exact spring rating against your door's data plate before ordering.
Single torsion springs are common on lighter, narrower single-car doors, while double and heavier doors almost always run two springs on a shared torsion tube, split evenly so each one carries about half the load. Two springs also add a safety margin — if one breaks, the other partially supports the door instead of letting it fall. This calculator defaults to two springs once a door crosses about 9 to 10 feet wide or gets heavy, matching how most manufacturers spec double doors.
Opener horsepower is matched to door weight, not door size directly: a light door under about 160 lbs runs comfortably on a 1/2 HP chain or belt unit, doors up to roughly 300 lbs want 3/4 HP, and heavy wood or oversized doors need a 1.25 HP or commercial-duty unit. Undersizing the opener strains the motor and gears every cycle and shortens its life; oversizing just costs more without a real benefit. This calculator reads your door's estimated weight straight into that recommendation.
Standard lift is the default curved track most residential doors use and needs the least ceiling clearance above the opening. High lift raises the horizontal track section higher against the ceiling, which needs several extra inches of headroom but frees up space for a lift or shelving along the back wall. Vertical lift runs the door straight up before curving, needing the most headroom of the three but keeping the horizontal track short — useful for very tall doors or low-slope ceilings. Measure your actual headroom before ordering track for anything but standard lift.
Only with the right winding bars, safety training and a healthy respect for how much energy a wound torsion spring stores — improperly released springs have caused serious injuries and deaths, and it's the one part of this job professionals most often warn DIYers off. If you do it yourself, use matched winding bars, never screwdrivers, clamp the door to the track while it's unloaded, and install safety cables through both springs before winding. If any of that is unfamiliar, hiring a technician for the spring swap while you handle the rest is a reasonable split.