Garage door maintenance checklist
Updated August 2026
Garage-door upkeep is lubricating the rollers, hinges, and springs every 6 months and testing the auto-reverse and photo-eyes every month, plus a yearly check of the cables and door balance. The springs are the wear part: torsion springs are rated for about 10,000 open-close cycles, roughly 7 to 12 years, and a replacement pair runs $200–350. The monthly safety test is the one you never skip, because a door that will not reverse can crush a child or a pet.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Lay an object in the path to test the auto-reverse | Monthly | 2 min · DIY |
| Block a photo-eye and confirm the door stops | Monthly | 2 min · DIY |
| Watch and listen for jerky travel or grinding | Monthly | 2 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Lubricate rollers, hinges, springs, and bearings | 6 months | 20 min · DIY |
| Wipe the tracks clean (do not grease them) | 6 months | 10 min · DIY |
| Tighten loose roller brackets and track bolts | 6 months | 15 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Test the balance with the opener disconnected | Yearly | 10 min · DIY |
| Inspect cables and springs for fray, rust, or gaps | Yearly | 10 min · DIY |
| Replace worn bottom weatherstripping | As needed | $15–40 DIY |
What neglect costs
An unlubricated door forces the opener to drag steel across dry bearings, and that strain burns out a $150–500 opener years early and grinds rollers to junk. Neglected springs snap without warning, and because they store enormous energy, a failed spring can whip a cable loose or drop the door. When a misaligned photo-eye leaves the door refusing to close, people prop the sensors and defeat the one thing that stops it on a person. Ten minutes of grease twice a year prevents nearly all of it.
Leave these to a pro
Spring replacement is the hard line: torsion springs hold hundreds of pounds of wound tension, and a slip can break a hand or worse, so leave both springs (always replaced as a pair) to a technician at $200–350 installed. Cable replacement and track realignment are the same story. A tune-up every year or two runs $75–150 and covers the balance, spring, and safety checks in one visit. DIY the lube and the monthly safety tests; hire out anything under tension.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
How do I test the garage door safety features?
Two tests, both monthly. For the mechanical auto-reverse, lay a roll of paper towels or a 2x4 flat on the floor in the door's path and hit close; the door should touch it and immediately reverse. For the photo-eye, start the door closing and wave your foot through the invisible beam near the floor, and it should stop and reverse. If either one fails, stop using the opener until it is fixed, because those features are federally required and are what keep the door from closing on a person.
How often do garage door springs need replacing?
Springs are rated in cycles, not years. A standard torsion spring is good for roughly 10,000 open-close cycles, about 7 to 12 years for an average household but only 4 to 6 if you come and go several times a day. Signs they are near the end include the door feeling suddenly heavy, opening crookedly, or a visible gap in the coil. Always replace both at once, since the second usually follows soon after. The spring-replacement page has the cycle math.
How long does a garage door last?
The door panels last 15 to 30 years depending on material and weather, while the moving parts wear out sooner: springs at 7 to 12 years, rollers around 10 to 15, and openers about 10 to 15. Steel and fiberglass doors outlast wood, which needs repainting to fight rot. Regular lubrication and balance checks push every one of those numbers toward the high end. See how long a garage door lasts for the part-by-part life.