2026 prices

Garage Door Spring Replacement Cost

Updated 14 November 2026

By Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Digital Signet. Figures checked at source on 14 October 2026.

How much does it cost to replace garage door springs? On most doors the job is a pair of torsion springs, the coiled springs on the bar above the door (our torsion spring replacement cost guide goes deeper). New garage door springs installed come to $145 to $520 for a torsion pair on our estimate, parts, labor and service call included. Below: the price by door size, a calculator, what the main cost guides say, and why this is never a DIY job.

Quick Answer

One torsion spring: $110 to $360 (per spring; parts, labor and service call included)
Pair of torsion springs, the usual job: $145 to $520 (a pair; parts, labor and service call included)
Extension springs, pair: $130 to $350 (a pair; parts, labor and service call included)
16 ft double door, torsion pair: $145 to $415 for uninsulated steel (about 150 lb); $180 to $520 for insulated steel or wood (about 240 to 360 lb). 16x7 door costs
This is not a DIY job. See the safety warning below.

Our estimates, not quotes: spring prices from two parts suppliers plus Yelp's published service-call and hourly rates. The big guides' own figures are in why published prices disagree.

How we price this: Our ranges are estimates built from published inputs, not quotes: retail spring prices, the service-call and hourly rates in Yelp's cost guide, and job times from HomeAdvisor and Yelp. Low ends are rounded down and high ends up to the nearest $5. Sources, first read 13 October 2026 and re-read 14 October 2026: DDM Garage Doors, DIY Garage Door Parts, Yelp cost guide, HomeAdvisor, DIY Garage Door Parts, extension springs, DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs and DDM Garage Doors, door weights. HomeAdvisor and Angi are both owned by Angi Inc., which pays this site a commission for quote requests. (Angi Inc. 2025 Form 10-K)

Show the arithmetic

One torsion spring replaced (per spring; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $110 to $360. parts $35.38 to $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $110.38 to $357.94, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair of torsion springs replaced (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $145 to $520. parts 2 x $35.38 to 2 x $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $145.76 to $515.88, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair of extension springs replaced (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $130 to $350. parts 2 x $29.92 to 2 x $72.90, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $134.84 to $345.80, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair, door up to about 170 lb (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $145 to $415. parts 2 x $37.48 to 2 x $105.58, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $149.96 to $411.16, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair, door about 240 to 330 lb (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $180 to $520. parts 2 x $53.81 to 2 x $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $182.62 to $515.88, rounded out to the nearest $5.

Parts are priced at what the two suppliers charge the public. Installers buy for less and many mark parts up, and neither figure is published, so a quote's parts line can be higher than ours.

Wage check: The BLS puts the median mechanical door repairer (the occupation that includes garage door mechanics) at $26.79 an hour (May 2025). Wages are 70.0% of private-industry employer costs (June 2026), so that technician costs an employer about $38.27 an hour before the van, insurance, overhead and profit. Yelp's $40 to $100 hourly rate sits at or above that cost, which is what a billed rate should do. (BLS OEWS, 49-9011 Mechanical Door Repairers; BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation)

Garage door spring replacement cost calculator

Pick your door size, how many springs it has and the spring type. You get the parts, the service call and the labor as separate lines, each from the same published prices as the rest of this page. To scale the labor to your state, use the full garage door spring replacement cost calculator.

Price your job

Parts, service call and labor, from published prices re-read 14 October 2026

Door size

Number of springs

Spring type

Timing

Estimated total, two springs

$145 to $415

Low end rounded down, high end up, to the nearest $5. An estimate, not a quote.

Parts, two springs$74.96 to $211.16

Service callusually covers the first hour$75 to $100

More laborup to one more hour$0 to $100

Total$149.96 to $411.16

Basis. Parts: 2 x $37.48 to 2 x $105.58, the cheapest and dearest of torsion springs that each lift up to 85 lb on a 7 ft door, at DDM Garage Doors and DIY Garage Door Parts. Labor: Yelp's service call of $75 to $100 (it “often covers an hour of work”) plus up to one more hour at $100, because HomeAdvisor says two springs take “30 minutes to one hour” and Yelp says about two hours.

Door. About 150 lb: DDM Garage Doors prices springs for "an uninsulated 16' x 7' residential garage door weighing approximately 150 pounds". On two springs each lifts about 75 lb; one spring lifts all 150.

Removing the old springs is part of the labor: Homewyse's line items put “Dispose of existing springs” inside basic labor.

How we price this: Our ranges are estimates built from published inputs, not quotes: retail spring prices, the service-call and hourly rates in Yelp's cost guide, and job times from HomeAdvisor and Yelp. Low ends are rounded down and high ends up to the nearest $5. Sources, first read 13 October 2026 and re-read 14 October 2026: DDM Garage Doors, DIY Garage Door Parts, Yelp cost guide, HomeAdvisor, DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs, DDM Garage Doors, door weights, DIY Garage Door Parts, extension springs and Homewyse. HomeAdvisor and Angi are both owned by Angi Inc., which pays this site a commission for quote requests. (Angi Inc. 2025 Form 10-K)

Show the arithmetic

Pair of torsion springs replaced (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $145 to $520. parts 2 x $35.38 to 2 x $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $145.76 to $515.88, rounded out to the nearest $5.
One torsion spring replaced (per spring; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $110 to $360. parts $35.38 to $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $110.38 to $357.94, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair, door up to about 170 lb (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $145 to $415. parts 2 x $37.48 to 2 x $105.58, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $149.96 to $411.16, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair, door about 240 to 330 lb (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $180 to $520. parts 2 x $53.81 to 2 x $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $182.62 to $515.88, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair of high-cycle torsion springs replaced (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $170 to $575. standard torsion pair $145.76 to $515.88, plus the high-cycle parts premium $26.54 to $55.82: $172.30 to $571.70, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Pair of extension springs replaced (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $130 to $350. parts 2 x $29.92 to 2 x $72.90, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $134.84 to $345.80, rounded out to the nearest $5.
One Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster spring (per spring; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $135 to $270. parts $60.00 to $70.00, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $135.00 to $270.00, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Two Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster springs (pair; estimate from stated inputs; includes parts, labor, service call): $195 to $340. parts 2 x $60.00 to 2 x $70.00, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $195.00 to $340.00, rounded out to the nearest $5.
Labor and service call for one visit (per job; estimate from stated inputs; includes labor, service call, minimum labor): $75 to $200. $75 service call when the job fits in the first hour (HomeAdvisor: two springs in 30 minutes to one hour); $100 service call plus one more hour at $100 when it runs to about two hours (Yelp): $75 to $200.

Parts are priced at what the two suppliers charge the public. Installers buy for less and many mark parts up, and neither figure is published, so a quote's parts line can be higher than ours.

Why published prices disagree, and what you will actually be quoted

The best-known cost guides look far apart, but much of the gap is the unit: per spring, per pair or per job, with or without a service call. Each figure below is quoted word for word, with its unit and the guide's own date, then converted to one basis: a pair of torsion springs, installed, at regular hours, service call included. Every quote was re-read at source on 14 October 2026; one, Bob Vila, has not been updated since 2024.

HomeAdvisor

Guide dated 17 June 2026

“Replacing springs for a single garage door with two springs costs between $150 and $350.”

Unit as published: one door with two springs, parts and labor (also: torsion $75 to $150 per spring, including materials and labor)
Service call: No service-call charge is given. The guide says to "account for cable replacement and emergency service fees" on top.
Data basis: Says it surveys customers after their projects are complete.
Converted to a pair: $150 to $350Already a two-spring figure, used as published. (Its per-spring figure doubled is 2 x $75 to 2 x $150 = $150 to $300.)

This Old House

Guide dated 10 March 2026

“Torsion spring $80-$120 $350-$540”

Unit as published: total installed cost; the guide says its figures generally refer to a complete set of springs
Service call: Not stated. The figure is a "Total Installed Cost" taken from Homewyse.
Data basis: Says its cost data was sourced using Homewyse.
Converted to a pair: $350 to $540A set of springs, read as a pair: $350 to $540 as published.

Yelp cost guide

Guide dated October 2026

“The national average cost for garage door spring repairs is $200, with a typical price range of $119-279, including parts and labor. ... New springs cost $30-70 apiece, depending on the size and grade. Labor costs for torsion spring replacement generally run from $75-125 for a single spring, or $150-250 for a pair.”

Unit as published: headline: "garage door spring repairs", parts and labor, per job, number of springs not stated; body: parts per spring plus labor per pair
Service call: Quoted separately: "a minimum of $75-100 for a service call" that "often covers an hour of work". Yelp does not say whether its pair labor figure includes it, so none is added.
Data basis: Based on 26,118 real quotes from businesses in the United States.
Converted to a pair: $210 to $390From the body: 2 x $30 + $150 = $210 to 2 x $70 + $250 = $390. The headline $119 to $279 is for spring repairs in general and does not say whether one spring or two, so we do not convert it to a pair. Yelp's own FAQ gives a higher figure: "Replacing a torsion spring typically costs $180-320 ... at about double the cost" for two, which is $360 to $640. Yelp's headline, body and FAQ figures do not agree.

Homewyse

Guide dated January 2026

“In January 2026 the estimated cost to Update Garage Door Spring starts at $319 - $562 per spring.”

Unit as published: "per spring", but the item priced is a "Torsion spring set for 150 lb door", with a 2-hour minimum labor charge
Service call: Included: the line items carry an "Unused Minimum Labor Balance of 2 hr(s) minimum labor charge".
Data basis: A calculator built from retailer prices and BLS wage data.
Converted to a pair: $319 to $562The priced item is a set, so we read $319 to $562 as one pair job. If it really were per spring, a pair would be higher.

CostInspector

Guide dated 5 August 2026

“$250 to $550 for a pair of torsion springs installed, or $200 to $450 for a single. Extension springs run $150 to $350 a pair. Add a $50 to $100 service call fee.”

Unit as published: pair installed, before a separate service call fee
Service call: Excluded: "Add a $50 to $100 service call fee." We add it in the conversion.
Data basis: Cites no sources.
Converted to a pair: $300 to $650$250 + $50 = $300 to $550 + $100 = $650, with the service call added.

Bob Vila

Guide dated 17 April 2024

“Most garage door spring replacement costs are $150 to $350, or an average of $250.”

Unit as published: per job, number of springs not stated (also: $60 to $150 for a set of two springs, parts only)
Service call: "Labor rates usually run from $75 to $150 for the service call, according to HomeAdvisor."
Data basis: Cites HomeAdvisor for its labor figure, so it is not an independent check on HomeAdvisor.
Converted to a pair: $135 to $300From its own lines: a set of two springs at $60 to $150, plus $75 to $150 for the service call = $135 to $300. Its headline $150 to $350 is the same as HomeAdvisor's.

A1 Garage Door Service

Guide dated 25 January 2026

“Garage door spring replacement generally costs $350 to $750 for a single spring or $500 to $1,500 for a pair when installed by a reputable full-service company.”

Unit as published: pair, installed, full service (its table: torsion pair $500-$1,200 with "Matched pair, cables checked, full system test"; high-cycle pair $700-$1,500)
Service call: Not stated for regular hours. After hours A1 charges "a $199 flat-rate emergency trip fee".
Data basis: An installer's own guide, priced for "a reputable full-service company"; it cites no data for its prices.
Converted to a pair: $500 to $1,200Its standard torsion pair row, as published: $500 to $1,200. The $1,500 top of its headline is its high-cycle pair.

This site's estimate, for comparison

$145 to $520 for a torsion pair, parts, labor and service call included. How it adds up: parts 2 x $35.38 to 2 x $157.94, plus labor $75 to $200 (a $75 to $100 service call covering the first hour, plus up to one more hour at $100): $145.76 to $515.88, rounded out to the nearest $5.

Why they disagree. On one basis the guides run from $135 (Bob Vila) to $1,200 (A1 Garage Door Service). Four things explain most of it. The unit: per spring, per pair or per job, and some never say how many springs. Who is pricing: HomeAdvisor and Yelp summarise completed jobs and quotes; A1 prices its own full-service job, with cables checked and a full system test. What is bundled: Homewyse includes a two-hour labor minimum, CostInspector adds its service call on top, A1's top figure is a high-cycle pair. Age and copying: Bob Vila (2024) repeats HomeAdvisor's range, and This Old House says its figures come from Homewyse, so those pairs are not independent checks. Yelp's headline, body and FAQ also give different answers.

What you will actually be quoted. A standard torsion pair at regular hours from a local company should land in our $145 to $520, of which the visit is $75 to $200 and the rest the springs. Our low end sits near the bottom of the guides' range, because it starts from the cheapest ready-listed spring. A full-service company quoting a matched pair with cables and a system test is pricing a different job: A1 publishes $500 to $1,200 for it. After hours, add a trip fee of none to $199. Precision's own blog gives an average of $250 (October 2026). Before you accept a quote, run it through the is my quote fair? checklist.

Two guide figures that are not per pair start lower: HomeAdvisor's $75 to $150 per torsion spring, materials and labor included; and Yelp cost guide's $119 to $279 for "garage door spring repairs", parts and labor, with no spring count.

Quotes keep each guide's wording; ranges are written with a hyphen. HomeAdvisor and Angi are both owned by Angi Inc. (Angi Inc. 2025 Form 10-K), which pays this site a commission for quote requests. That never moves a figure on this page.

Torsion vs Extension Springs

Torsion Springs

Mounted on a bar above the door opening; they twist to lift the door
Typically on modern sectional or roll-up doors; most double-door garages have two (Yelp)
Standard grade designed around a minimum of about 10,000 cycles (DDM Garage Doors)
High-cycle versions: DDM Garage Doors prices 27,000 and 54,000-cycle pairs for a 150 lb, 16 ft door
Cost: $110 to $360 for one, $145 to $520 a pair, installed. Torsion spring costs

Extension Springs

Run along the horizontal tracks on each side of the door and stretch to lift it
Used with older-style one-piece tilt-up doors, usually in pairs, one on each side (Yelp)
Rated for 10,000 cycles (Prime-Line, a spring maker); no high-cycle grade listed
Each needs a safety cable running through it (DASMA)
Cost: $130 to $350 a pair, installed. Extension spring costs

Torsion springs are rated for more cycles. If your door has extension springs, you can ask about converting: HomeAdvisor says “Converting from extension to torsion springs costs $400 to $800.” CostInspector says “Conversion runs $300-$600.” We have not priced a conversion ourselves. Torsion vs extension compared

Sources, read 14 October 2026: Yelp cost guide, HomeAdvisor, DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs, DASMA, Safety Tips for Garage Doors and CostInspector.

Safety Warning

DASMA, the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association, calls a garage door's springs “arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door” and says “when they break, injury can result.” Its guidance is plain: “spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals.”

That covers extension springs too: “when your garage door is down, extension springs are under high tension,” and DASMA says each one needs a safety cable through it to keep a broken spring contained.

DASMA's Technical Data Sheet 174 is stricter still: “Building occupants should not attempt to remove, adjust or repair doors, springs, or any other door system components ... Only trained door systems technicians should remove, repair or adjust doors.”

Hire a trained, insured garage door technician. On our estimate the visit itself, service call and labor, is $75 to $200 of the bill.

Sources: DASMA, Safety Tips for Garage Doors and DASMA Technical Data Sheet 174, read 14 October 2026.

Cost by Door Size

Door Type	Size	Typical Cost
Single car door, one torsion spring	7 to 9 ft wide	$110 to $360
Single car door, two torsion springs	7 to 9 ft wide	$145 to $520
Double car door	16 ft wide (uninsulated steel, about 150 lb). 16x7 garage door spring cost	$145 to $415
Heavy insulated or wood door	16 ft wide (about 240 to 360 lb)	$180 to $520
Commercial door	Large format, commercial torsion pair (parts and labor)	$490 to $965
Emergency / after-hours callout	Any. Depends on the company: of two that publish a policy, one charges no fee and one a $199 flat trip fee; CostInspector says about 1.5x standard rates. Emergency costs	Ask first

This Old House notes that “heavier doors require stronger springs.” At the two suppliers we checked, the dearest spring rises with the lift: $105.58 for springs lifting up to 85 lb, $149.50 for 85 to 120 lb and $157.94 for 120 to 180 lb. The cheapest springs in each band are close together, so the low ends of the rows move much less than the high ends. Door weights are DDM Garage Doors' examples, which DDM says are “only approximations”; we found no published weight for single-car doors we could verify, so those rows use every residential spring the suppliers list. Commercial labor is HomeAdvisor's $150 to $300.

Why the 16 ft uninsulated door starts at $145 when DDM prices its standard pair for that door at $56.56: DDM's example uses two cut-to-length springs (2 in inside diameter, 0.192 in wire, 16.75 in long, with cones, $28.28 each), which DDM sells on a separate product page. Every door on this site is priced from the same ready-listed 7 ft spring collection, where the cheapest spring for this weight band is $37.48. On DDM's example springs the job would start at about $130 (2 x $28.28 + $75 = $131.56, rounded down the same way), so for this door our low end is about $15 above what DDM's example parts imply.

Sources, read 14 October 2026: DDM Garage Doors, DIY Garage Door Parts, DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs, DDM Garage Doors, cut-to-length springs, DDM Garage Doors, door weights, This Old House, Yelp cost guide, HomeAdvisor, A1 Garage Door Service, Discount Garage Door (Tulsa and OKC) and CostInspector, emergency repair.

How Springs Fail

Cycle Life

Every time the door opens and closes counts as one cycle. Yelp puts a typical spring at about 10,000 cycles, or 7 to 9 years; at four cycles a day, 10,000 cycles is just under seven years (10,000 / 4 / 365 = 6.8). DDM Garage Doors puts standard torsion springs at a minimum of about 10,000 cycles.

Cold Weather

DDM Garage Doors, a spring supplier, says that as temperatures drop an older spring “may give way and break due to brittle conditions from the cold, coupled with the increased use.” We found no published data on how much more often springs break in winter. If your springs are near their cycle rating and a cold spell is coming, that is a reason to have them inspected.

Signs Springs Are Wearing Out

The opener makes a straining sound
The door feels heavier than usual when lifted by hand
The door suddenly slams shut, or won't stay put when partly open
Popping noises when the door is closed
The door opens unevenly

Yelp's list. Signs of a broken garage door spring

High-Cycle Springs: Worth It?

For a 150 lb, 16 ft door, DDM Garage Doors prices a standard 10,000-cycle pair at $56.56, a 27,000-cycle pair at $83.10 and a 54,000-cycle pair at $112.38: $26.54 to $55.82 more. DDM's standard pair is two cut-to-length springs at $28.28 each, cheaper than the ready-listed springs our prices use (see Cost by Door Size below). At 10 cycles a day DDM says those reach their ratings in about 2.7, 7.4 and 14.8 years. If the garage is your main entrance, the premium is small next to the $75 to $200 of labor each extra replacement visit costs. High-cycle spring costs

Sources, read 14 October 2026: Yelp cost guide, HomeAdvisor, DDM Garage Doors, Garage Door Springs Break During Fall and Winter, DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs and DDM Garage Doors, cut-to-length springs.

Replace One or Both Springs?

Replace both, even if only one has broken. DASMA: “If your door has two springs, replace both, even if one is not broken.”

Same wear: both springs have done the same number of cycles. DASMA says replacing both will “prevent any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring.”
One visit, not two: the second spring adds only its part price, $35.38 to $157.94, to a visit you are already paying for. Coming back for it later means another service call of $75 to $100 (Yelp).
Balance: HomeAdvisor says “balanced tension is essential for safe operation of the door.”

If a technician quotes one spring on a two-spring door, ask why. When only one spring breaks

Sources, read 14 October 2026: DASMA, Safety Tips for Garage Doors, DDM Garage Doors, DIY Garage Door Parts, Yelp cost guide and HomeAdvisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to replace garage door springs?

On our estimate, $145 to $520 for the usual job, a pair of torsion springs with parts, labor and the service call included; $110 to $360 if your door has one torsion spring; and $130 to $350 for a pair of extension springs. Most of the spread is the spring itself: a residential torsion spring retails for $35.38 to $157.94 at the two suppliers we checked, depending on how much door it has to lift. The big cost guides mostly start higher than we do; their figures, with units, are in the table on this page.

Sources, read 14 October 2026: DDM Garage Doors, DIY Garage Door Parts and Yelp cost guide.

Can I replace a garage door spring myself?

No, whether your door has torsion or extension springs. DASMA (the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association) says "spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals." It also notes that "when your garage door is down, extension springs are under high tension", which is why each extension spring needs a safety cable running through it. Hire a trained, insured garage door technician.

Source, read 14 October 2026: DASMA, Safety Tips for Garage Doors.

Should I replace both springs even if only one broke?

Yes. DASMA says: "If your door has two springs, replace both, even if one is not broken." HomeAdvisor gives the reason: "balanced tension is essential for safe operation of the door." It costs less than it sounds, because the labor is the same visit: on our numbers the second spring adds only its part price, $35.38 to $157.94, while coming back for it later means another service call of $75 to $100 (Yelp).

Sources, read 14 October 2026: DASMA, Safety Tips for Garage Doors, HomeAdvisor and Yelp cost guide.

How long do garage door springs last?

Springs are rated in cycles, one opening and one closing. DDM Garage Doors says standard residential torsion springs are designed around a minimum of about 10,000 cycles, and Prime-Line rates its extension springs at 10,000. Yelp says a typical spring lasts 7 to 9 years, or about 10,000 up-and-down cycles. Use matters more than age: DDM Garage Doors works out that at 10 cycles a day a 10,000-cycle pair reaches its rating in about 2.7 years, a 27,000-cycle pair in about 7.4 years and a 54,000-cycle pair in about 14.8 years.

Sources, read 14 October 2026: HomeAdvisor, Yelp cost guide and DDM Garage Doors, high-cycle springs.

Do garage door springs break more in cold weather?

Possibly, but we found no published data that measures it. DDM Garage Doors, a spring supplier, says that as temperatures drop an older spring "may give way and break due to brittle conditions from the cold, coupled with the increased use." Springs wear out by cycles, so a spring near the end of its rating is the one to watch whatever the season.

Source, read 14 October 2026: DDM Garage Doors, Garage Door Springs Break During Fall and Winter.

How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?

Yelp lists the signs: the opener makes a straining sound, the door feels heavier than usual to lift by hand, it suddenly slams shut, you hear popping when it is closed, it won't stay put when partly open, or it opens unevenly. CostInspector adds a loud bang, often overnight, and a visible gap in the torsion spring above the door. HomeAdvisor says not to open the door by hand once a spring has broken.