A snapped torsion spring is the most common garage door failure there is — and the one most likely to leave a 150-pound door with nothing holding it up. We handle garage door spring repair and replacement across Indianapolis, with same-day service and the price before we start.
Springs are on the truck.
You only pay for the work and parts.
Parts carry the manufacturer's warranty.
City of Indianapolis License #GL2600359. Coverage in place before we start.
Spring failures announce themselves. Here’s what people describe when they call.
A torsion spring letting go sounds like a gunshot in the garage — loud enough that people call thinking something hit the house. Afterward the door usually won’t move at all.
The opener strains, the motor hums, and the door barely moves before it gives up. That’s the opener discovering it’s now lifting the door’s full weight alone.
Look at the spring on the bar above the door. A broken torsion spring has a clean two-inch gap in the coil. Extension springs along the tracks will hang loose or be lying on the floor.
A door with a failed spring drops instead of lowering. If it’s still moving at all, stop using it — that’s 150 pounds coming down with nothing counterbalancing it.
Most of our spring calls come in a cold snap. Steel contracts as the temperature drops, the lubricant inside the coil thickens, and the spring has to work harder through every cycle. A spring that was going to fail in March fails on the first ten-degree morning instead. It isn’t the cold that breaks it — the cold just finds the spring that was already near the end of its cycle count.
Need spring repair service? Call us at (317) 588-0001 and describe what you’re seeing.
Spring type
Look at the wall above the door opening. If there’s a steel bar running horizontally with one or two springs wound around it, those are torsion springs — the standard on almost every door built in the last thirty years.
If you don’t see a bar, look along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door. Long springs stretched parallel to the tracks are extension springs, common on older doors and lighter single-car doors. They store the same amount of energy as torsion springs but do it by stretching instead of twisting.
Either way, they’re the part doing the actual lifting. The opener only guides the door — it isn’t strong enough to raise one on its own, which is why a failed spring stops everything.
Usually the answer is no — and it’s worth understanding why before you try.
A double garage door runs 150 to 250 pounds. The springs carry almost all of that, which is why a working door feels light. With a spring gone, that weight is on you — and it wants to come back down.
Pulling the emergency release disconnects the door from the opener so it can be moved by hand. It doesn’t make the door lighter. On a door with a failed spring, releasing it means you’re holding the full weight.
Get someone to help, lift from the bottom edge with both hands, and clamp locking pliers onto the track below the bottom roller once it’s up. Never put any part of yourself under a door that isn’t held.
And to be direct about the part people search for: we don’t publish instructions for replacing or adjusting a torsion spring. A wound spring holds enough stored energy to break an arm or worse, and it releases in a fraction of a second if a winding bar slips. The tools cost less than the repair, which is exactly what makes it tempting. Call us instead — there’s no charge for coming out to look.
Replacing a spring is straightforward. Replacing it correctly is what makes the difference.
If your door has two springs and one broke, the other is the same age with the same cycles on it. Replacing one means a second call in a few months, and an unbalanced door in the meantime. We replace both.
A spring that doesn’t match the door’s weight makes the opener do work it wasn’t built for, and openers fail from that long before they fail from age. We weigh the door and size the spring to it.
A standard spring is rated around 10,000 open-close cycles, roughly 7 to 10 years of typical use. High-cycle springs are available, cost more up front, and last longer. If you’re a two-car family opening the door six times a day, that math changes.
With the opener disconnected, a correctly balanced door should hold its position halfway up. If it drifts, the spring tension is wrong. We check every door before we call the job done — and check the cables, rollers, and auto-reverse while we’re there.
One of the two torsion springs on this Indianapolis garage door had snapped. We replaced both as a matched pair.
Before: the broken spring. Look for the gap in the coil.
After: a new matched pair, sized to the door’s weight and balance-tested.
A spring rarely fails alone. These are the repairs that most often come with it.
Spring broke after hours? 24/7 service, at the same price.
Cables and springs work as one system. When a spring goes, the cables often go with it.
A door that dropped hard after a spring failure often comes off the rail on the way down.
An opener that fought a failed spring may have stripped its drive gear in the process.
Lubrication and balance checks are what get a spring to the end of its rated cycles.
On a door that’s needed a part a year, replacement often costs less over time.
From the first call to a working door — here’s what to expect.
Tell us what you heard and what the door is doing now.
We check the springs, the cables, the door’s weight, and the opener.
The repair is quoted before any work starts, and there’s no fee for the visit.
Springs in matched pairs, sized to the door, balance-tested before we leave.
Open 24/7 · Same Price. Day or Night. Weekends and holidays included.
Every review below was posted on Google by a homeowner we’ve worked for.
Great price
Amazing work by Ben & Roi with First garage door repair ! They showed up at 8pm and very promptly fixed my broken spring and matched the right size to the door. Now the door is fully repaired and functioning as good as new!!! The price was fair, no hidden fees or other stuff like I've experienced before. I truly recommend if you have any issues with your door and need a repair, call them you won't regret it
We had an emergency with our garage door and needed someone out ASAP. They responded quickly and were able to come out the same day. The technician was friendly, professional, and had everything fixed in no time. Great service, especially when you need help urgently. Highly recommend!
What an amazing company! I called today and spoke w/Ben. within 45 minutes Elior arrived to repair our garage door. It was bowed in the top middle. He adjusted and added support. He then oiled the coils. The garage door now works great! I'll definitely use again when needed and will refer this company to my friends and neighbors.
They showed up on a Sunday 45 minutes after the call and did fantastic work. They are truly the best and very professional.
Great price
Our garage door opener was giving us trouble, so we called First Garage Door Repair of Indianapolis. The technicians came out and got it working again in no time. Really nice guys, great service, and we'll definitely use them again if any future problems may arise!
Ben showed up within 1 hour , fixed my issue and the garage door works perfectly fine! If you need to repair your garage door don't hesitate, call them asap!
Great price
Thank you for coming out in the evening, fast service and highly recommended for everyone who needs emergency garage door service!
Great price
Ben and Roy were super helpful. They helped me get my door up and running again at a very reasonable rate!
Reviews posted on Google
Quick answers to the questions we hear most.
Most doors have two torsion springs, and we replace them as a matched pair: $500–$800 installed. Doors built with a single spring run $150–$350. The range comes down to two things: how much the door weighs, and the spring’s cycle rating — a higher-cycle spring costs more up front and lasts longer. You get the price before any work starts, and there’s no service-call fee on top of it.
On a two-spring door, yes, we recommend it. A new spring paired with a worn one leaves the door out of balance, and the older spring is usually next to go.
Standard springs are rated around 10,000 cycles, roughly 7 to 10 years of typical use, and high-cycle springs are available that last longer. Heavy daily use shortens that; regular lubrication and a balanced door help a spring reach its full rating.
Usually not safely. With a spring gone, the full weight of the door is on whoever lifts it. If it has to move, use two people, clamp the track below the bottom roller once it’s up, and never stand under a door that isn’t held.
Same-day service is available and we carry springs in common sizes, so most spring calls are finished on the first visit. Phone dispatch runs 24/7.
A wound torsion spring holds enough stored energy to cause serious injury, and it releases in a fraction of a second if a winding bar slips. It’s also easy to install the wrong spring, which quietly destroys the opener over the following year.
Residential garage doors of every major brand and type, on torsion or extension springs. The door brands we see most are Clopay, Amarr, Wayne Dalton, and C.H.I.
Still have questions? Call us at (317) 588-0001.
Call and describe the problem, or send a request and we’ll get back to you.
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