What garage door to buy

Most shoppers make several phone calls pricing a garage door based on their door size thinking that all doors are made alike.

Now days due to the high cost of fuel and labor, most contractors will provide you with a phone estimate if you provide photos and sizes. Beware of free estimates from desperate here today and gone tomorrow contractors.

The most common door that we see is what is known as a basic builder grade garage door. These doors can last anywhere from two to six years.

Some garage door contractors will give you a price on the least expensive garage door just to get your business.

Below are some things that you should ask your garage door contractor when purchasing a garage door, this way you're comparing apples to apples

All components of garage door are available in low grade, medium grade, or heavy-duty grade. Every garage door manufacturer makes different models and grades of doors so you can't just go off the brand, an example in layman's terms The Ford F-150 comes in several different models from the base model the custom to the top-of-the-line Platinum model.

This information is important since it will determine how noisy your door is and how long it will last under normal wear and tear.

A couple of brown garage doors in front of a house.

Questions to ask your garage door contractor

  • What garage door brands do you offer?
  • What is the model number?
  • How hard is it to get replacement panels or parts?
  • What gauge of steel are the panels made of 27,26,25, or 24 (24 gauge being the sturdiest)
  • What is the gauge of steel on the garage door tracks? 18,16,14 (14 gauge being the sturdiest)
  • How long is the reinforcement angle on the tracks? 12”,21”,41”,65”, or 82” The longer the angle the better but it is determined for the size of the door.
  • How many reinforcement struts does the door come with?
  • What Is the gauge of metal of the strut? 20, 18, or 16
  • What gauge of steel are the hinges made of? 18,16, or14 (14 gauge being the sturdiest)
  • What rollers does the garage door come with? Plastic, Metal or Nylon?
  • Do the rollers have ball bearing? Ball bearing is preferred
  • What type of door lock is provided with door?
  • What is the lead time on special orders?
  • What is the upgrade cost for windows?
  • What is the upgrade cost to add inserts to windows?
  • What is the upgrade cost for insulated doors?
  • What is the manufacturer warranty?
  • What is the installation warranty?
  • What do the warranties not cover?