Should You Repair or Replace Your Garage Door?
Repair your garage door if the fix costs less than half the price of a new door and the door is under ~15 years old. Replace it if panels are dented or rotted, the door is poorly insulated, repairs are stacking up, or you want the resale boost — a new door recovers nearly 100% of its cost at sale, one of the best ROI upgrades in real estate.
- The 50% rule: if a repair costs more than half a new door, replace it.
- Under ~15 years and one failed part? Repair. Over 20 with stacking issues? Replace.
- Dented, rotted, or delaminated panels are a replace — they can’t be "fixed."
- A new insulated door is one of the highest-ROI home upgrades at resale.
- New doors are quieter, better insulated, and come with a fresh warranty.
The 50% rule
The simplest test: get the repair quote, then compare it to the price of a new door installed. If the repair is more than half the cost of replacement — and especially if the door is aging — you’re better off putting that money toward a new door with a fresh warranty.
How old is the door?
A quality steel door lasts 15–30 years. Under 15 with a single failed component (a spring, an opener, a roller)? Repair it — the rest of the door has plenty of life. Past 20 with repairs stacking up every season? You’re pouring money into a door that’s telling you it’s done.
Damage you can’t repair
Springs, cables, openers, and rollers are all replaceable. Panels are different. Once a panel is dented hard, rotted (on wood doors), or delaminated, it can’t be made new — and matching a single panel on an older door is often impossible. Significant panel damage almost always means replacement.
Book a free in-home measure and design consult. We’ll bring samples, quote on the spot, and haul the old door away — steel, aluminum, glass, and carriage styles.
The resale math
A garage door is the largest moving object on most homes and a huge part of curb appeal. Industry remodelling reports consistently rank garage door replacement at or near the top for cost recovered at resale — frequently close to 100%. Few upgrades pay you back like it.
What a new door gets you
Beyond looks: modern insulated doors hold heat in an Ontario winter, run dramatically quieter on nylon rollers, and reset the clock with a new warranty. If your garage shares a wall with living space, the insulation alone changes how the room feels.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a garage door?
Repair is cheaper short-term for a single failed part on a newer door. But if the repair exceeds half the cost of a new door, or the door is over ~20 years old with recurring problems, replacement is the better long-term value.
Does a new garage door add value to my home?
Yes — garage door replacement is consistently one of the highest-ROI exterior upgrades, often recovering close to 100% of its cost at resale, thanks to its impact on curb appeal.
Can a dented garage door panel be repaired?
Minor dents on steel can sometimes be pulled, but hard dents, rot, or delamination cannot be truly repaired, and matching a single panel on an older door is often impossible. That usually means replacement.
Related guides
Garage Door Spring Repair Cost in London, Ontario (2026)
Real 2026 numbers for spring replacement in London — torsion vs extension, single vs double, and why a good shop always replaces springs in pairs.
Why Won’t My Garage Door Open in the Cold? 7 Winter Fixes
Frozen to the floor, opener straining, spring snapped on the first cold snap — the seven things that stop a garage door in an Ontario winter, and which you can fix yourself.