Garage door won't open or close: what to check before you call for repair

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What should you check first when a garage door will not open or close?

First, whether the door is safe to go near. If it is hanging crooked, sitting partly open, or showing a broken spring or a loose cable, leave it alone and call a technician. If it is simply closed and refusing to move, or open and refusing to close, there is a short list of harmless things to check: the power, the lock, the remote, the safety sensors and the release handle. Each takes a minute to rule out.

When should you not touch the door?

Angi's rule for one case is absolute: if the door is partly open and crooked, do not touch it. That position points to a cable problem, the door is probably still under spring tension, and a wrong move could bring it down.

The same caution applies when a spring has broken. Angi says not to open the door by hand while you wait for a technician. And the federal safety standard for openers requires every manual to carry the instruction never to go under a stopped, partially open door. The guide to broken springs lists the signs.

Why will the door not close?

Most often because the opener cannot confirm that its safety sensor is working. This is the system doing its job. The federal standard requires an opener to check for its sensor in every closing cycle; if the sensor is missing or its wiring is faulty, a closing door must go back up, and an open door must not come down more than 1 foot. The Consumer Product Safety Commission puts it plainly in a 2026 rule notice: if the device is not detected, is disconnected or has an error, the door will not operate.

So start at the two small photo eyes on either side of the opening, near the floor.

Is anything in the beam? Fixr says to make sure the sensors are not blocked before calling anyone. The International Door Association (IDA), the door dealers' trade body, notes that leaves, dirt and even insects can block them.
Are the lenses clean and facing each other? IDA's routine is to wipe the eyes with a soft, dry cloth and straighten them gently by hand. The federal standard requires a sensor that needs alignment to have a means, such as a visual indicator, of showing that it is properly lined up.
Is the sun on a lens? Angi says sunlight at a certain angle can make the door go back up, and that standing so your shadow covers the lens is a quick test.

Two other causes are common. If the door touches the floor and bounces back up, Fixr says the travel limits probably need to be reset; that is an adjustment on the opener, and the federal text says the reversal test must be repeated after any change to it. And if something is sitting in a track, Angi says to move it if you can do so safely and to call a professional if the track is bent.

One design detail explains what some owners see. The standard allows an opener whose sensor has failed to close the door only while the wall button is held down, within sight of the door. Whether your opener behaves that way is in its manual. It is a way to get the door shut, not a repair.

Why will the door not open?

Work down the list from the simplest cause.

No power. Angi says to start by making sure the opener has power.
A dead remote. Fixr says nine times out of ten the remote only needs new batteries. Try the wall button.
The door is locked. Fixr says a door that will not open although the motor runs for a few seconds may have been locked by hand, and that you should unlock it before assuming anything is broken.
The release has been pulled. If the motor runs and the door does not move at all, Angi says someone may have pulled the release handle, which disconnects the opener from the door. It can be reconnected.
Ice. In freezing weather the bottom of the door can stick to the floor. Fixr warns against forcing it with the opener, because the motor can burn out. The winter problems guide covers what to do.
A broken spring or cable. Angi says an opener that runs while the door stays shut probably means one of these has failed. This is where you stop.

A door that opens a little and then stops is a separate case. Angi lists failing springs or cables, a blocked or misaligned track, and an opener force setting that is too low. DASMA, the manufacturers' trade association, recommends that a trained technician adjust an opener's sensitivity.

How do you open the door by hand?

With the red emergency release, which Angi describes as a rope hanging from the door's track. The federal standard requires a manual release with a red handle on openers attached to the door.

Use it with the door closed. The required text says to use the emergency release only when the door is closed, if possible, because weak or broken springs may let an open door fall rapidly.
Lift with the handles. DASMA says never to put your fingers between the door sections, and to use the lift handles or gripping points.
Stop if you have to force it. Angi says not to keep pulling if the door has to be forced in either direction. DASMA says a door that feels heavy or needs two hands is probably out of balance. Leave it closed and call.

Being able to open the door by hand has a second use. Connecticut's consumer protection department, which opened an investigation into garage door repair complaints in 2025, advised homeowners to use the release so that a broken door does not push them into hiring a bad company in a hurry.

What will a repair cost?

If the checks above do not solve it, these are the published national ranges for the likely repairs.

A door that will not open or close: $120 to $350 (Fixr).
Sensor repair or replacement: $100 to $150 (Fixr), $125 to $300 (HomeGuide) or $150 to $250 (Angi).
A remote: $15 to $50 to buy, or $115 to $150 if a technician programs it (Fixr).
An opener circuit board: $150 to $400 (Fixr).
Springs: $180 to $350 (Angi).

Angi puts the service call fee at $50 to $75.

When should you call a technician?

When the door is crooked or partly open and stuck, when you see a broken spring or a loose cable, when the door is too heavy to lift by hand, when a track is bent, or when the sensors are clean and aligned and the door still will not close. If the car is trapped and you need help the same day, read what to do in a garage door emergency before you search for a company. Local companies are on the garage door repair directory page.

Sources

10 Garage Door Problems and How to Fix Them, Angi
How Much Does Garage Door Spring Replacement Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
16 CFR Part 1211: Safety Standard for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
Safety Standard for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators (direct final rule, October 30, 2026), Federal Register
Garage Door Repair Cost, Fixr
How Changes in Weather Affect Your Garage Door - and When to Call a Pro, International Door Association (IDA)
Safety & Maintenance, International Door Association (IDA)
How Much Do Garage Door Tune-Ups Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
Safety Tips For Garage Door Openers, Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA)
Safety Tips For Garage Door Systems, Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA)
Department of Consumer Protection Calls for Complaints Regarding Garage Door Services, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
How Much Does Garage Door Repair Cost? (2026), HomeGuide
How Much Do Garage Door Repairs Cost? [2026 Data], Angi