Garage door drifts down after opening
This is almost always a spring tension has fallen below the door's weight. Repair costs $220 to $580 and takes 60 to 90 minutes. Safe to operate: No.
Check this first — it may cost you nothing
With the opener disconnected, lift the door halfway and let go. It should hold. If it drifts down at all, the springs are past their useful tension.
Why this happens
A correctly balanced door stays wherever you leave it. One that creeps down has springs that no longer hold its weight — the same failing counterbalance that eventually shows up as a slam, caught earlier.
A healthy spring holds the door wherever you leave it. One that drifts closed has lost tension or broken outright.
Less likely, but possible
- A worn motor brake on a commercial operator, which is a different repair
- Springs that were undersized for the door from the start
- One spring of a pair already broken
What happens if I ignore it?
This is the warning stage before a slam. Caught now it is a straightforward spring replacement; left alone it becomes a falling door and usually a burnt-out opener as well.
The repair: spring repair
Garage door torsion spring replacement costs $220 to $580 for a pair, including parts and labor, and takes 60 to 90 minutes. A broken spring makes the door unsafe to operate — the opener cannot lift the weight without it.
Read the full spring repair guide →Get a tech dispatched
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