We replace worn-out openers with a new belt-drive, chain-drive or wall-mount opener, installed with the battery backup California requires, new safety sensors, a wall control, and remotes and a keypad that match it. A new LiftMaster or Chamberlain uses Security+ 3.0 and takes only 3.0 remotes, so we bring them. We check the door balance first, set travel and force, test the safety reverse and remove the old opener.
What you get
- Belt, chain or wall-mount opener matched to your door, garage and noise needs
- Battery backup on every install, as California has required since July 1, 2019
- New safety sensors and wall control; remotes and keypad matched to the opener and programmed
- Door balance checked first; travel, force and safety reverse set and tested
- Old opener taken down and removed
Belt, chain or wall-mount: which opener fits your garage
- Belt drive: the quiet choice. A reinforced belt moves the trolley instead of a metal chain. Choose it when a bedroom or living space sits above or beside the garage.
- Chain drive: the plain, durable choice. Louder, simple, and usually a little less expensive than belt. It suits a detached garage or a workshop.
- Wall-mount (jackshaft): the clear-ceiling choice. It mounts beside the door and turns the torsion shaft directly, so no rail crosses the ceiling. It needs a torsion spring door and an outlet beside the door.
All three lift a standard residential door well, and the choice comes down to noise, ceiling space and budget. Our guide to belt, chain, screw and wall-mount openers compares them side by side. In the 1920s detached garages of Kensington, low headroom and old rafters decide what fits, so we look at the ceiling first.
Battery backup is the law in California
Since July 1, 2019, every new residential garage door opener sold or installed in California must have a battery backup that keeps it working during a power outage (Senate Bill 969, Health and Safety Code section 19892). The reason is simple: you can still get the car out when the power is off, including during an evacuation.
Every opener we install has it. The law does not make you tear out a working older opener, but it does apply when a new garage door goes in: a replacement door cannot be connected to an existing opener that lacks battery backup.
In canyon-edge neighborhoods such as Rancho Bernardo, where wildfire evacuations are part of local memory, that backup matters. Our battery backup law guide has the details.
Need a new opener installed today?
Call or text with your address, single or double door, and what the door is doing. The price is firm before the truck leaves the yard.
myQ, apps, remotes and HomeLink
Most current LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers connect to the myQ app, and Genie openers use Aladdin Connect. With either one you can check from your phone whether the door is closed, get an alert when it opens, and open or close it for a delivery or a guest.
Remotes come on the brand's current rolling-code system. LiftMaster and Chamberlain units built from 2025 use Security+ 3.0 and take only 3.0 remotes, so we bring those; Genie uses Intellicode. Car HomeLink learns a Security+ 3.0 opener from the handheld remote, not at the motor head, so we train your car from the new remote. The HomeLink Compatibility Bridge is only for Security+ 2.0 openers, the yellow-antenna units made since 2011, so it is not an option on a new 3.0 opener. More on remotes, keypads and HomeLink.
What an installation visit includes
- We check the door first. An opener only guides a door, so if the springs are weak or the door is out of balance, a new opener wears out early. You hear about it before any work begins.
- We take down the old opener, rail, sensors and wall button.
- We mount the new rail and motor head, hang it from the ceiling framing, and fasten the door arm to the operator reinforcement bracket on the top section.
- We install and align the new safety sensors and the wall control.
- We set travel and force, program your remotes and keypad, train your car where it is compatible, and connect the app if you want it.
- We test the safety reverse with the beam blocked and with a board on the floor, then show you the release cord and the battery.
We do not run new wiring. If there is no outlet near the motor, an electrician adds one first.
Kept under $1,000 as minor work
A standard opener replacement stays under $1,000 in labor and materials. 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.
If a setup would push past that line, such as a premium wall-mount unit with extra work around it, we tell you before anything is ordered. Our installed price is on the pricing page, and if your current opener only needs a part, start with opener repair.
Opener Replacement and Installation: common questions
Do your new garage door openers come with battery backup?
Yes, every one. California has required battery backup on new residential openers sold or installed since July 1, 2019, so the door still runs during a power outage, including in an evacuation. We fit the battery, set the opener up to use it, and show you where it sits and what its status light means. Our battery backup law guide covers the rules in detail.
Belt or chain drive: which garage door opener should I get?
Belt drive is quieter, so it is the usual pick for an attached garage with living space above or beside it. Chain drive is louder but simple, durable and usually a little less expensive, which suits a detached garage or a workshop. Both lift a standard residential door well. A wall-mount opener is the third option for high ceilings or overhead storage.
How long does it take to install a garage door opener?
A straight swap of one opener for another usually takes a few hours, including removing the old unit, mounting the new rail and motor, installing the sensors and wall control, programming remotes and a compatible car, and testing. A wall-mount opener, or a door that needs a spring or roller repair first, adds time.
Will my old remotes work with a new garage door opener?
Usually not. A LiftMaster or Chamberlain opener built from 2025 uses Security+ 3.0 and takes only 3.0 remotes and keypads, so older remotes will not pair with it, and remotes from another brand rarely do. We bring matching remotes and a keypad with the new opener, program them, and train a compatible car HomeLink from the new handheld remote.
Can you set up myQ or connect my opener to my phone?
Yes. Most current LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers work with the myQ app, and Genie openers use Aladdin Connect. When we install, we can connect the opener to your Wi-Fi, set up the app, and show you the alerts and remote open and close. Some older openers can be added with a separate smart hub.
The FAQ page has more answers. Not sure which part failed? Send a photo and we will name it.
Where we do this
We cover all of San Diego County, same day in most cases. Some of the places we work:
Related guides
- California Garage Door Opener Battery Backup Law (SB 969): Since July 1, 2019, California requires battery backup on new home garage door openers. What SB 969 says, who it covers and what landlords should do.
- Repair or Replace Your Garage Door Opener?: When a garage door opener is worth repairing and when to replace it: drive gear, logic board, rolling code, California battery backup law and drive types.
- Belt, Chain, Screw or Wall-Mount: Which Garage Door Opener?: Belt, chain, screw and wall-mount garage door openers compared on noise, upkeep, ceiling space and installed price, plus California's battery backup rule.
Ready to get the door moving again?
One call or text gets you a straight answer and a firm price before the truck rolls. Mon to Sat 7am to 7pm.