Broken Garage Door Spring or Cable?
A loud bang from the garage, a door that suddenly weighs a ton, or a cable hanging loose — this is the one garage door fault you should never touch yourself.
Quick Answer
Springs and cables carry your garage door's full weight — often well over 100 kg. When a spring snaps (usually with a loud bang) the door becomes too heavy to lift; when a cable fails the door lifts crooked or drops on one side. Both are under extreme tension and are the most dangerous garage door parts to handle: leave the door where it is and call a technician. Replacement runs $240–$1,000 for springs and $280–$550 for cables, quoted upfront.
Common Causes
Metal fatigue from normal use
Springs are rated in cycles — roughly 10,000 opens and closes, or 7–12 years of typical use — then they let go.
Rust and corrosion
Coastal salt air and moisture pit the steel, concentrating stress until a coil or cable strand fails early.
Fraying at the drum
Cables wear where they wind onto the drum; a few broken strands quickly become a snapped cable under load.
Unbalanced door loading one side
When one spring weakens, its partner and both cables carry extra load — which is why failures come in pairs.
Wrong spring for the door
A previous repair with an undersized spring leaves it working past its rating on every single cycle.
Missed servicing
Annual servicing catches stretched coils, rust and fraying strands before they turn into a bang at 6 am.
What You Can Check Safely
Safe to check yourself
- From a safe distance, look for a visible gap in the spring coil above the door
- Check whether the door hangs crooked or a cable dangles loose
- If the door is closed, leave it closed — don't test-lift a suspected broken spring
- Keep people, pets and cars clear of the door until it's repaired
Do not attempt
- Do not attempt to lift the door — a sprung door can weigh over 100 kg
- Do not touch, unwind or adjust springs, cables or drums under any circumstances
- Do not run the opener against a broken spring — it will burn out the motor and bend panels
When to Call a Technician
Call a technician straight away if any of the following apply:
- You heard a loud bang from the garage
- There's a visible gap or separation in a spring
- A cable is slack, frayed or hanging off its drum
- The door lifts a few centimetres then stops or slams back down
- The door sits crooked in its opening
- The door feels far heavier than it used to
Recommended Services
Cost Guidance
| Scenario | Typical Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Broken spring (single) | $240–$280 | One torsion/extension spring supplied & fitted — the most common same-day repair. |
| Broken springs (×2) | $440–$550 | Two springs supplied & fitted — best replaced as a matched pair. |
| Cable snapped or off the drum | $280–$550 | Lift cable(s) replaced or re-seated and re-tensioned. |
| Spring re-fit / re-tension | $280–$330 | Refit or re-tension your existing springs (no new parts needed). |
| After-hours / emergency call-out | +$500 | Emergency or after-hours attendance adds $500. |
Final pricing depends on the cause, parts required, and door size — confirmed on inspection before any work begins.
Spring gone and your car's trapped inside?
Don't try to lift the door. Our emergency team carries springs and cables for the common Perth door types and can have you moving again fast — 24/7.
Frequently Asked Questions
The classic signs: a loud bang from the garage, a visible gap in the spring coil above the door, a door that feels enormously heavy, or one that lifts a few centimetres and stops. On cable failures the door typically hangs crooked or a cable dangles visibly loose.
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