How Much Does a Garage Door Cost – Prices & installation
Ballpark Estimate: $1,000 to $5,000 installed
Could your garage doors use a real overhaul? If so, replacing them is an easy way to give your home a quick makeover. Better yet, when you invest in a new garage door, you can improve your home’s insulation and make your energy usage more efficient.
Garage Door Styles
What style is your home? Whether it’s modern with very simple, clean lines, or whether you have a traditional structure with more formal accents, you’ll want your garage doors to match, or at least compliment, the architecture.
You might opt for simple one-panel garage doors with or without basic window openings, or can select more ornate windows and unusual decorative accents and detailing to give your garage doors more presence. Just keep in mind that the more sophisticated the level of detailing in the garage door, the more you can expect to pay for the final product.
If you’re not sure what style garage door you want, it can be a good idea to browse online or look at catalogues that feature some of the options can you can begin to narrow in on your preferences.
Garage Door Materials
All garage doors are not created equal. They may be made from metal (typically steel or aluminum), vinyl or wood, and each material offers different properties and costs.
Steel and Aluminum Garage Doors
Steel and aluminum garage door are usually among the least expensive types of garage doors, and as such are among the most popular options. They are relatively durable and are also easy to use, making them an appealing choice for many homeowners.
Vinyl Garage Doors
If you’re willing to spend more, you could also opt for a vinyl garage door. These will be more durable and will often be made to look like wood grain but will require less maintenance. Vinyl garage doors also resist denting, which can be a big plus.
Wooden Garage Doors
Some people prefer to invest in a real wood garage door. These come in a wider variety of qualities, from very basic and inexpensive grades to recycled materials to heavy custom-made doors. Some of the wood types that are commonly used for garage doors include hemlock, cedar and mahogany. These woods can be painted, stained or left in their natural state, depending on your preferences. Wood garage doors will usually require more upkeep than the other options, but can also add more beauty and value to your home if you select a good quality wood garage door.
Garage Door Insulation
In addition to the garage door’s material, you can also decide on the properties you desire, which will affect the garage door cost and its efficiency. For instance, do you want to have your garage door insulated? If the garage is attached to your home and may in the future end up serving as an extra room, this can be ideal to help keep the heat in and keep heating bills down. However, if you plan only to use the garage to park your cars, then you probably don’t need an insulated garage door.
Open Up to Options
How your new garage door actually operates is another important factor to consider. Some of the common choices in garage door styles include doors that tilt up to open. They are usually made from one panel and as the name implies, can be angled or tilted up for access into the garage area.
A roll-up garage door is another option. This type of garage door moves on a track so you can “roll it” up and out of the way. You can move the garage door yourself or rely on an automatic garage door system, which allows you to operate the garage door electronically, using a remote.
Installation Matters
Do you plan to have your garage door professionally installed or do you prefer to do it yourself? The answer to this question will have a big impact on your garage door cost. Of course it can be much easier to have a garage door company deliver and professionally install your garage door, but if you’re especially handy and/or tight on cash, you can certainly try to do it yourself.
Finding a Garage Door
When shopping for a new garage door, you can start at your local home improvement stores, such as Lowes and Home Depot. They will have a good selection of some basic garage door choices and can also provide installation if you desire. If you would like a more elaborate style garage door or prefer to have a garage door custom made, you can find contractors through National Association of Home Builders or the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. You can also do a search online for companies that carry garage doors.
Garage Door Costs
How much garage doors cost depends on many variables. If you have a very small, simple home, you might be able to get away with garage doors that are on the lower end of the cost spectrum. On the flip side, if you have a higher-end home, the amount you spend on your garage doors should be consistent with the value of your home. Therefore, you’ll want to select a premium quality garage door or have one custom made if your home’s worth can justify the investment. If you’re hesitant to spend too much on your garage door, it can be helpful to understand that investing in a good quality garage with nice architectural details can actually even increase the real estate value of your home significantly (or can also lower it if you buy a poor grade door that isn’t in keeping with the quality of the rest of your home).
The size of your garage door will also impact the garage door price. Standard garage doors come in several different sizes (starting at 8’ x7’ and going on up to 16’ x 7’), and the larger and higher the garage door is, the more it will cost. Other variables that will affect the cost of a garage door include the material you select, the quality of the garage door, the style and the level of detailing it offers.
Here are some examples of what you might expect to spend on different types of garage doors.
Metal Garage Door Cost
The most economical metal garage doors costs starts at about $500 for one-panel steel options at the smallest size and go up to about $1,200 for a bigger-size door, installed.
Vinyl Garage Door Cost
A vinyl garage door costs starts at about $1,000 and goes up to $2,000 installed, depending on the size, quality and level of detailing you select.
Wood Garage Door Cost
Composite wood garage doors, which are environmentally friendly, can also range from $1,000 to $2,000 installed, again depending on size, details and thickness.
Custom Garage Door Cost
Premium wood garage doors start at about $2,000 and can go on up to as high as $10,000 or more if you select a carriage house style or have them custom made and installed.
So a garage door can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000 installed.
Note that if you decide to install your garage door yourself, you can expect to save between $200 and $500 off of the installed price or even more, depending on the type and style of your door.
Additional Costs
If you want to get an automatic door opener system, this may be included in some of the newer garage door models at no extra charge. If it’s charged as an extra expense, you can expect it to cost in the $200 to $300 range.
A Word of Warning
Before you purchase a garage door, you should check with your local building department to find out if there are any zoning restrictions that will govern your decision. You should also take into account your climate and weather patterns, since if you live in an area prone to high winds or hurricanes, you’ll want to select a garage door that’s sturdy enough to stand up to the conditions.
