Garage Door Cable Repair in Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette
One corner hanging low, or a steel cable slack beside the track? Stop using the door and call. We are open 24/7.
You approve the price before any work begins · Open 24/7
Garage door cable repair starts with one rule: if a cable is frayed, slack or off its drum, stop using the door. Sugar Pine of Orinda replaces worn and snapped lift cables, and the drums when they need it, for homes in Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette. A cable starts from $150 per cable, and both are re-tensioned so the door lifts level again.
What Does a Garage Door Lift Cable Do?
A lift cable is a steel cable that runs from a bracket at each bottom corner of the door up to a drum on the spring shaft. The springs make the lift, and the two cables carry that lift down to the door. When one cable frays, stretches or slips off its drum, one side of the door hangs lower than the other and the door starts to twist in its track.
Signs a Cable Needs Repair
- Thin wire strands sticking out of a cable, or a cable that looks thinner in one spot.
- A cable hanging slack beside the track, or a loose loop around the drum.
- One bottom corner sitting lower than the other when the door is open.
- The motor runs but the door barely moves, or it rises crooked and stops.
- A sharp crack in the night, followed by a door that stays put. A snapped spring can sound the same.
Why Hill Homes Should Not Wait
On a steep driveway, a door that stops half-way can trap the car inside or leave it parked in the street. Every trip out is one more lift, and a cable that is already fraying can let go on any of them. In wet winters and dry summers alike, we look at the cables, rollers and track on every visit, so a small fault is found before it becomes a stuck door.
What Not to Do With a Loose Cable
- Do not loosen the bracket at the bottom corner. It holds the cable under spring tension.
- Do not try to wind a cable back onto its drum.
- Do not stand or reach under a door that hangs at an angle.
- Do not run the opener again to see if it clears. Unplug it if you can reach the cord safely.
If the door is stuck open or shut for the night, use our emergency repair page, or call right away.
How a Cable Repair Works
- Secure the door. We make sure it cannot move before we touch the lift system.
- Find the cause. We check both cables, the drums, the springs and the track for what made the cable fail.
- Price it. You hear the price and approve it before any work begins.
- Replace and re-tension. We fit new cables, set the drums and bring the door back to level lift.
- Test the door. We run it through full travel and point out other worn parts, such as rollers or track.
If the motor still struggles after the cables are fixed, we move on to opener repair. For the whole door, see garage door repair.
Cable Replacement: Starting Price
- Garage Door Cable Replacement per cable
- From $150
- Diagnostic Service Call $0 with a completed repair
- $0
The final number depends on your door and the parts it needs. You hear it first, and nothing starts until you say yes.
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You approve the price before any work begins · Open 24/7
Questions About a Loose or Broken Cable
Can I hook a loose cable back onto the drum myself?
Do both cables get replaced if only one is frayed?
How do I tell a cable problem from a spring problem?
Questions about timing or access? Contact Sugar Pine and tell us what you see.