In San Diego, a pair of torsion springs typically runs $300 to $600 installed and one spring $200 to $400, going by the prices local repair companies publish. Extension springs usually cost less. Door size and weight, high-cycle upgrades and worn cables or rollers move the price. Replace both springs together, and never use the opener to lift a door with a broken spring.
Key takeaways
- A pair of torsion springs typically runs $300 to $600 installed in San Diego, and one spring $200 to $400. These are market ranges, not our prices.
- National cost guides put the job anywhere from about $150 to $540, so a written quote matters more than an average.
- Replace springs in pairs. The one that has not broken yet has made the same number of cycles.
- High-cycle springs cost more up front and are rated for 20,000 cycles or more.
- A new opener does not fix a broken spring. Running the opener against one strains the drive gear, the rail and the top section.
- A fair quote names the springs, the cycle rating, every extra part and the total before work starts.
When a garage door spring breaks, the first question is usually what the fix will cost. Here are the typical market ranges for San Diego, what moves the number, and what a fair quote should show before anyone touches the door.
These are typical market figures, not our prices. Ours are on our pricing page. For cables, openers and the other common jobs, see what garage door repairs cost in San Diego.
Safety first if a spring has already broken. Leave the door closed and the opener unplugged. Never unwind, adjust or remove a torsion or extension spring, a cable, a cable drum or a bottom bracket, never run the opener with a broken spring or a snapped cable, and keep people out from under a door that is crooked or jammed.
What does spring replacement cost in San Diego?
In San Diego, replacing a pair of torsion springs typically runs $300 to $600, including parts and labor, and a single spring $200 to $400. Those are the ranges San Diego repair companies publish. That covers the springs, the visit, winding the new pair to the weight of the door and a balance check.
National cost guides run lower and spread wider. One puts the average near $250, with most jobs between $150 and $350. Another puts it near $420, with most between $300 and $540. A San Diego estimate published in 2022 put the job at $200 to $330, and parts and labor have both moved since. All three are listed in the sources below.
The spread is real because “spring replacement” describes very different jobs. One light spring on a single-car door, a heavy pair on an insulated 16 foot door, and a door that also needs cables and rollers are not the same visit. A quote only means something when you know which job it covers.
One spring or two?
If your door has two springs and one broke, replace both. They went on the door together, they have made the same number of cycles, and the one still holding is near the end of its life. DASMA, the door industry association, says the same thing in its homeowner safety tips.
There is a money reason too. Most of the bill is the visit, the setup and the labor to let down and rewind the system. Doing the second spring at the same visit adds the price of one spring, not a second service call.
Some lighter single-car doors run on one torsion spring. In that case one spring is the whole job, and it should be priced as one.
Torsion or extension: how the price differs
Most doors built since the 1990s use one or two torsion springs on a shaft above the opening. Older and lighter doors use a pair of extension springs that stretch along the horizontal tracks. Our torsion vs extension springs guide shows how to tell which you have.
Torsion springs are matched by wire size, inside diameter and length, then wound to the weight of the door. They usually cost a little more to replace than extension springs.
Extension springs are replaced as a pair, and the job should include a safety cable through each spring. If your old springs never had safety cables, adding them is part of doing the job properly.
Wayne Dalton doors with the TorqueMaster system hide the springs inside the torsion tube and need their own parts and tools, so they are priced on their own. Our Wayne Dalton page explains how to spot one.
Standard or high-cycle springs?
A cycle is one open and one close. Standard residential springs are commonly rated around 10,000 cycles. At four cycles a day, that is a little under seven years. Our guide to how long garage door springs last runs the same math for other households.
High-cycle springs use heavier wire or longer coils and are rated for 20,000 cycles or more. They cost more up front and last longer. They make sense when the garage is the way your household comes and goes, or when you plan to stay in the house. Ask for both prices on the same quote.
What moves the price
| Factor | What it means | Effect on the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Number of springs | One spring on some light doors, two on most double doors | Two springs add parts, very little labor |
| Spring type | Torsion, extension or TorqueMaster | Extension usually lowest, TorqueMaster priced on its own |
| Door size and weight | A 16 ft insulated or wood door needs heavier wire | Heavier springs cost more |
| Cycle rating | Standard about 10,000, high-cycle 20,000 and up | High-cycle costs more and lasts longer |
| Cables and rollers | Frayed lift cables or worn rollers found at the visit | Added parts, cheapest done at the same visit |
| Drums and bearings | A cracked cable drum or a seized end bearing | Added parts |
If the lift cables are frayed, they should be replaced with the springs. A cable replacement done separately means paying for the setup twice.
Why a new opener is not the fix
The springs lift the door. The opener only guides it up and down. When a spring breaks, the door suddenly asks the opener to lift its full weight, which it was never built to do.
Running the opener against a broken spring can strip the drive gear, bend the rail or the trolley, crack the top section where the opener arm bolts on, or pull a cable off its drum. That turns a spring job into a spring job plus opener repair.
If anyone suggests a new opener for a door with a broken spring, ask why. The door needs spring replacement first. Then the opener can be judged on a balanced door.
What a fair quote should include
- The number of springs and their type: torsion, extension or TorqueMaster.
- The spring size or at least the cycle rating, so you know what goes on the door.
- Confirmation that both springs are being replaced.
- Any cables, rollers, drums or bearings, listed separately.
- Balancing the door, lubricating the moving parts and checking the opener’s force and reversal.
- The written warranty on parts and labor.
- The total, agreed before the work starts.
We are not a licensed contractor. Garage door repairs under $1,000 in labor and materials do not require a California contractor license (Business and Professions Code section 7048), and we stay inside that line. A new garage door is a job for a licensed contractor, and we say so.
Across San Diego
Near the coast, in Pacific Beach and Point Loma, salt air rusts spring coils and lift cables, so a broken spring often comes with a frayed cable and the quote should say so. In older inland neighborhoods like Santee and Mira Mesa, some doors still run on extension springs, and the quote should include safety cables if they are missing.
If your door has already gone bang, read what to do when a spring breaks before you touch it, and see the broken spring symptoms page for what else to look for.
Next step
Leave the door where it is and keep the opener off. Book spring replacement and send a photo of the springs above the door, and we can usually confirm the type and quote the pair before we come out.
Rather have a technician look at it?
We repair garage doors across San Diego County, same day in most cases, with the price agreed before we come out.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace garage door springs in San Diego?
Replacing a pair of torsion springs in San Diego typically runs $300 to $600 including parts and labor, and a single spring $200 to $400, going by the prices local repair companies publish. Extension spring pairs usually cost less. Heavy 16 foot or wood doors, high-cycle springs and extra parts such as cables or rollers push the price up. Ask for a written total before any work starts.
How much does it cost to replace extension springs?
HomeAdvisor's national cost guide puts extension spring replacement at $50 to $100 per spring including labor, against $75 to $150 per torsion spring. Extension springs are replaced as a pair, and the job should include a safety cable through each spring and a check of the pulleys and lift cables. In San Diego a pair usually costs less than a pair of torsion springs. Get the total in writing first.
Are high-cycle garage door springs worth the extra cost?
Often, if the garage is how your household comes and goes. Standard springs are commonly rated around 10,000 cycles, which is a little under seven years at four cycles a day. High-cycle springs are rated for 20,000 cycles or more and cost more up front. Ask for both prices on the same quote and compare the cost per year of use.
Can a new garage door opener fix a broken spring?
No. The springs carry the weight of the door and the opener only guides it up and down. With a broken spring the opener is trying to lift the full weight, which can strip its drive gear, bend the rail and crack the top section. The door needs new springs first. The opener is checked once the door is balanced again.
Why do garage door spring quotes vary so much?
Because the same words cover very different jobs. A single light torsion spring on a one-car door, a heavy pair on an insulated 16 foot door, a Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster system and a pair of extension springs with new safety cables all cost different amounts. Quotes are only comparable when they name the number, type and cycle rating of the springs and list every other part.
Sources
- How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Garage Door Spring?, HomeAdvisor
- How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Garage Door Spring? (2026), This Old House
- Garage Door Spring Replacement Cost in San Diego, California, HomeBlue
- Safety Tips, Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA)