2026-04-08 7 min read
If you woke up this morning to a garage door that won't budge. or heard a loud bang from the garage last night. there's a good chance you're dealing with a broken spring. It's one of the most common service calls we get here in Pleasant Hill, and it tends to catch homeowners completely off guard.
Pleasant Hill's housing stock is a big reason why spring failures are so frequent in this area. Neighborhoods like Poet's Corner, Gregory Gardens, and College Park are full of ranch-style homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. and many of those original attached garages are still in use today. That means a lot of spring systems that are well past their intended lifespan, quietly counting down the cycles until something gives.
Your garage door doesn't open under its own power. the torsion spring (or in older homes, extension springs) does the heavy lifting. Springs store mechanical energy when the door closes and release it when the door opens, counterbalancing a door that can weigh 150 to 400 pounds.
When a spring breaks, that counterbalance disappears. The opener motor suddenly has to lift dead weight it was never designed to handle, and in most cases, it simply won't. or it will struggle badly and burn itself out trying.
Springs don't always snap without warning. Here's what to watch for:
- The door feels unusually heavy when you try to lift it manually - Visible gaps in the coil of a torsion spring above the door - Squeaking or grinding when the door operates. especially if it's new - The door opens a few inches then stops, even when the opener engages - The cable has gone slack or jumped off the drum on one side
If you notice any of these, stop using the door and schedule a service call before the situation gets worse.
Standard torsion springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles. which translates to roughly 7 to 12 years of typical use. High-cycle springs can last up to 20,000 cycles or more with proper maintenance. If you've lived in your Pleasant Hill home for over a decade and never thought about your springs, this is your sign to have them inspected.
In our Mediterranean climate here in the East Bay, springs hold up reasonably well compared to areas with hard freezes or extreme humidity. But the dry summer heat. temperatures routinely hitting the upper 80s along the I-680 corridor. followed by cool, wet winters does cause metal components to expand and contract over time. That thermal cycling adds up.
Torsion springs are mounted horizontally on a metal shaft directly above the garage door opening. Most homes built after the 1980s. and many updated older homes in areas like Concord and Walnut Creek. use this system. They're more durable and safer when they fail because they're contained on the shaft.
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door. They're more common in older ranch-style homes. When they break, they can thrash around dangerously if a safety cable isn't in place.
Not sure which you have? Check out our full breakdown of garage door services or simply give us a call and we'll walk you through it.
Here's what you can realistically expect to pay in the Bay Area:
- Single spring replacement: $250,$350 (typically single-car doors) - Two-spring replacement: $350,$500 (standard for double-car doors) - Professional installation with full inspection: $300,$540 on average
Labor rates in the Bay Area tend to run higher than national averages, so budget toward the upper end of those ranges. That said, you're also paying for a technician who will balance the door, inspect cables and rollers, and make sure nothing else is about to fail.
Always replace both. even if only one has broken. When your door uses two springs, they wear at the same rate. If one failed, the other is close behind. Replacing just one creates an imbalance in the system and almost guarantees a second service call within months.
This is one of those repairs where the honest answer is: please don't try it yourself. A torsion spring under full tension stores an enormous amount of mechanical energy. enough force to cause serious injury if the spring is mishandled or slips during winding. Proper installation requires specialized winding bars and training to set the tension correctly.
A DIY attempt gone wrong can also cause collateral damage: bent tracks, snapped cables, or a burned-out opener motor trying to compensate for an improperly balanced door. What starts as a $400 spring replacement can turn into a $1,000+ repair bill.
For a job this consequential, it's worth calling a professional. Garage Door Pleasant Hill has handled spring replacements across Pleasant Hill and neighboring Concord. we carry the parts, bring the right tools, and leave the door properly balanced.
Technically possible in some cases, but strongly not recommended. With a broken spring, the full weight of the door falls on the opener motor, which can burn it out quickly. The door can also drop suddenly, creating a safety hazard. Treat a broken spring as a reason to stop using the door until it's repaired.
The clearest sign is a visible gap in the torsion spring coil above the door, or a spring that's clearly separated. If you can't see the spring from where you're standing, try lifting the door manually (with the opener disconnected). If it feels extremely heavy. like you're lifting the full weight of the door. the spring is likely broken or very weak. See our post on warning signs your garage door needs repair for a broader checklist.
A straightforward spring replacement by a professional typically takes 45 minutes to an hour and a half. If cables or other components also need attention, it may run a bit longer. Same-day service is usually available. reach out through our contact page to confirm availability.