Backed Into Your Garage Door? Panel Replacement Cost in London (2026)
In London, Ontario, replacing a single damaged garage door panel (section) typically costs $300–$800 installed, depending on the door’s size, insulation, and finish — assuming the panel is still available from the manufacturer. Small dents that haven’t creased the steel can often be repaired for less. If two or more panels are damaged, the door is old enough that panels are discontinued, or the frame and tracks took the hit too, a full replacement (from $1,499 installed) is usually the better spend.
- One damaged section: expect $300–$800 installed in 2026, if the panel is still made.
- Check the tracks and frame first — an impact hard enough to dent a panel often knocks the door out of alignment.
- Shallow dents without a crease can often be worked out; creased steel means replacement.
- Two or more damaged panels usually crosses the 50% rule — price a new door before committing.
- If a vehicle did the damage, your auto policy (not home insurance) often covers it.
First: check more than the dent
Almost every panel call we get in London starts the same way — a bumper at idle speed, a teenager’s first week driving, a basketball, or hail. Before pricing the cosmetic damage, check what the impact did to the door’s bones: do the tracks still run straight, does the door sit square in the opening, and does it move smoothly by hand?
A door that shudders, binds, or sits crooked after an impact has alignment damage — and running the opener on a misaligned door multiplies the bill. If the door moves at all strangely, stop using it and book an inspection before the opener strips itself trying.
Repair vs replace: the crease test
Steel garage door skins behave like a car fender. A shallow, broad dent that hasn’t creased the metal can often be worked back into shape and touched up — a $150–$250 visit. But once the steel has a hard crease or the inner rib is buckled, the section has lost its structural stiffness, and no amount of body work brings that back. Creased sections get replaced, not repaired.
On insulated doors there’s a hidden factor: the foam core bonds to the skin. A hard hit can delaminate the panel even when the outside looks saveable — one more reason to have it assessed in person rather than guessed at over the phone.
What a replacement panel costs in 2026
For most residential doors in London, a single replacement section installed runs $300–$800: roughly $300–$500 for a plain non-insulated section on a common single-car door, and $500–$800 for insulated, wide double-car, or woodgrain-finish sections. The part is matched to your exact door model so the profile and colour line up.
The catch is availability. Manufacturers retire door lines, and a 15-year-old door’s panels may be discontinued — at that point your options are a used-stock hunt, a visibly mismatched section, or pricing a new door. Sun-faded doors also show a colour step even with a factory-correct panel; most homeowners find it acceptable, but you should expect it.
Snap the damage, tell us the door, and our AI quote engine returns an honest price band — repair vs replace — before anyone rolls a truck.
When a new door is the smarter spend
Use the same 50% rule we apply to any big repair: when the fix approaches half the cost of replacement, replace. Two damaged sections at $500 each is $1,000 against a new insulated door from $1,499 installed — with new springs, new seals, a warranty, and a door that isn’t one hail storm from the next mismatched panel.
Age is the tiebreaker. A 5-year-old door with one creased panel? Replace the panel. A 15-year-old door with tired springs and a dent? Put the money in the new door.
The insurance question
If a vehicle caused the damage, the vehicle’s auto policy typically covers the door — even when it’s your own car and your own garage. Storm and hail damage falls under your home policy, subject to the deductible; with a $500–$1,000 deductible, a single-panel claim often isn’t worth filing, but a multi-panel hail claim usually is. Either way, get a written, itemized quote first — adjusters move faster with a real number in hand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace one garage door panel in Ontario?
In London and area, a single section typically costs $300–$800 installed in 2026 — plain single-car sections at the low end, insulated or double-car sections at the high end — provided the manufacturer still makes your door’s panels.
Can a dented garage door panel be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes. A shallow dent without a crease can often be worked out for $150–$250. Once the steel is creased or the inner rib is buckled, the section has lost its stiffness and should be replaced.
I backed into my garage door — will insurance cover it?
Usually yes: damage caused by a vehicle is typically covered by the vehicle’s auto policy, even on your own home. Storm or hail damage goes through home insurance instead, subject to your deductible.
Should I replace panels or the whole garage door?
Apply the 50% rule. One damaged panel on a door under ~10 years old is worth replacing. Two or more panels, discontinued parts, or an older door with worn springs usually makes a new door (from $1,499 installed) the better long-term spend.
Related guides
Garage Door Repair Cost in London, Ontario: 2026 Guide
Real 2026 price ranges for every common garage door repair in London — springs, openers, cables, and tracks — plus what drives the number and how to dodge bait pricing.
Should You Repair or Replace Your Garage Door?
The 50% rule, the age test, and the resale math that tells you when to fix a garage door — and when a new insulated door is the smarter spend.
How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost in London, Ontario? (2026)
Real 2026 installed prices for a new garage door in London — by material, size, insulation, and the add-ons that move the number.