What a torsion spring replacement should cost
The parts cost $40-95. Everything above that is labour and margin, which is normal - but it makes the spread between a fair quote and a bad one unusually wide.
One spring, installed: $180-380
Pair, installed: $260-520
Parts alone: $40-95 per spring
Job time: 30-60 minutes
The parts cost between $40 and $95. Everything above that is labour, call-out and margin - which is normal and not a scandal, but it does mean the spread between a fair quote and a bad one is wide, and it is worth ten minutes of your time to understand.
Across the United States a single torsion spring runs $180-380 installed, and the pair $260-520, with almost all of that spread coming from labour rate rather than the part itself.
A 10,000-cycle spring is the default stocked across the United States and lasts about 7 years at four openings a day; the 20,000-cycle upgrade costs $30-60 more per spring and roughly doubles that.
Spring parts cost $40-95 wholesale anywhere in the United States, which is why two quotes 3x apart are usually a labour and margin difference, not a parts difference.
Cycle rating is the number that matters
| Rating | Rough life at 4 cycles/day | Price premium |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 cycles (standard) | About 7 years | Baseline |
| 20,000 cycles | About 13 years | $30-60 more per spring |
| 30,000 cycles | About 20 years | $70-120 more per spring |
The upgrade to 20,000 cycles is usually the best value on the whole invoice: it roughly doubles the life for well under half the cost of a second visit. Ask for it by name. A company that only stocks 10,000-cycle springs is not necessarily cutting corners, but it does tell you they optimise for the cheapest headline price.
What a fair quote includes
- Both springs if the door has two
- New bearings at the same time - they are a few dollars and the labour is already spent
- Balance check and adjustment after fitting
- A stated warranty on parts and labour, in writing
Common questions
Why did both springs break at once?
They usually do not break at the same moment - one broke and the second was replaced at the same time, or the second failed weeks later. Springs installed together have near-identical cycle counts, so when one goes the other is at the end of its life too. That is the whole argument for replacing the pair.
Can the spring be adjusted instead of replaced?
A spring that has lost tension but is intact can sometimes be re-tensioned, and that is a legitimate 15-minute fix. A spring with a visible gap in the coil is broken and cannot be adjusted. If a company offers to adjust a visibly broken spring, get another quote.