Backed into the door? Hail left a row of dents, or the bottom section rusted through? One damaged section often does not mean a whole new door.
Quick answer: A single damaged section can often be replaced without buying a new door, as long as the maker still builds a matching panel. Replacing one panel usually runs $320 to $620, depending on the door style and insulation. Replacing both bottom sections on a 16-foot door usually runs $480 to $880. Your door may land higher or lower.
A shallow dent in the middle of a section is mostly a looks problem. The door still rolls fine. A dent that runs across the section, or one near the hinges, is different. It can crease the steel so the section bows, and the hinges bind as the door turns the corner at the top of the track.
Steel skins can crack along the ribs, most often near the hinges. On the top section, a crack near the spot where the opener arm attaches usually means the opener has been pushing or pulling too hard. We look at that bracket and the opener force too, so the new section does not crack the same way. Wood panels split along the grain, and a split that lets water in will keep growing.
The bottom section sits in snow, rain, and the salty slush that drips off cars in winter. On steel doors, rust often starts along the bottom edge where the seal retainer holds water against the metal. On wood doors, the bottom rail soaks up water and rots. If the rust has eaten through the skin, a new bottom section and a new bottom seal usually go together.
| Situation | What usually makes sense |
|---|---|
| One section damaged, and the maker still builds that model | Replace the one section. Single panels usually run $320 to $620. |
| Both bottom sections rusted on a 16-foot door | Replace the two sections, usually $480 to $880, if the rest of the door is sound. |
| Two or more sections damaged on an older door | Compare the section price to a new door before deciding. |
| The model or pattern is no longer made | A new door, or accept a close but not exact match. |
| Rust or rot across several sections, worn springs, old opener | A new door is usually the better spend. |
For comparison, a standard 16-foot insulated steel door installed usually runs $1,400 to $2,400, and a 9-foot single door $900 to $1,500. The panel replacement cost write-up walks through the math in more detail. If a new door wins, see our new garage door installation page.
A new section has to come from the maker of your door. Sections from different brands are not built to the same height, thickness, or hinge spacing, so they won't line up.
Most doors carry a label from the maker on the inside, often on an end stile or near the bottom of a section. It lists the maker and the model, and sometimes a build date. A clear photo of that label is the fastest way to start. If the label is gone, we measure the section height and width, the thickness, and the panel pattern, and we note the window layout and color.
Insulated doors add one more detail. The new section needs the same thickness and the same kind of insulation backing, so the hinges and rollers sit where they should and the section looks the same from inside.
Door makers change styles and colors over the years. When a model is dropped, matching sections can get hard to find and then disappear. Sometimes a close pattern works on the bottom section, where a small difference is hard to see. Sometimes it doesn't. If the only real match is a new door, we will tell you.
Color is the other catch. A painted steel door fades in the sun, so a new section can look brighter for a while. Many steel doors can be painted with the right exterior paint to even it out.
If a storm or someone else's car did the damage, call your insurer before we order. Insurance or warranty sometimes covers a garage door, and the answer depends on the cause.
Text us a photo of the damaged section and one of the label inside the door. We confirm the style, check whether a matching section is still made, and give you a free estimate before we order anything.
Small dents in steel can often be left alone if the door still runs smoothly. Pulling a dent out rarely leaves a clean, flat skin, so we do not promise it. If the dent has creased the section or bent a hinge, replacing the section is the lasting fix.
The shape, size, and pattern will match when the maker still builds that model. The color can look a little brighter than sections that have been in the sun for years. We will tell you what to expect before we order.
If the door opens and closes smoothly and the damage is only a dent, usually yes. If a section is cracked across, a hinge is torn, or the door rubs or shudders, stop using it and call.
It depends on the policy and on what caused it. Storm damage and a car you did not own are the common cases people ask about. We can give you a written estimate for the claim.
Yes, as long as a matching section is still made. We install Haas and C.H.I. doors, and we order sections from the maker of whatever door you have.
Usually two. The first visit or your photos confirm the model and the measurements. The section is ordered from the maker, and we give you an expected date when we order. The second visit is the install.
