Choosing a contractor for your overhead door repair can save you thousands…
Or cost you thousands.
Hiring a licensed contractor is worlds apart from choosing the lowest-priced bidder in your list. Especially when dealing with something as heavy as your overhead garage door.
Here's the truth:
Cheap. That's often the first word that comes to mind when considering hiring an unlicensed contractor. What they fail to consider are the potentially devastating long-term costs. This article reviews exactly how hiring licensed contractors can save property owners money – and how to identify who is qualified for the job.
Let's jump in!
Inside this guide:
Why Licensed Contractors Matter For Overhead Door Repair
The Hidden Costs Of Going Unlicensed
How Licensed Contractors Save You Money
What To Check Before Hiring
Why Licensed Contractors Matter For Overhead Door Repair
Overhead door repair is not a simple DIY job.
Overhead doors are heavy, spring loaded and can cause severe injury if not handled properly. The average garage door weighs between 100 and 400 pounds. Many large commercial overhead doors weigh in excess of 200 pounds. That's a lot of weight moving over your head.
Actually there are 20,000 to 30,000 people injured every year because of garage door accidents. A lot of those injuries occur when someone who isn't a repair specialist tries to fix it themselves.
That's why it's so important to call a licensed contractor such as All Pro Garage Doors for your overhead door repair. Licensed professionals have the proper insurance, equipment and know-how to safely fix heavy overhead door systems.
Licensed contractors have:
Passed the required state exams
Met local licensing requirements
Bonding and active insurance policies
Ongoing training on the latest safety codes
Pretty simple, right?
Now to look at where the real savings come from…
The Hidden Costs Of Going Unlicensed
Lower quotes invariably have strings attached. Countless homeowners learn this lesson painfully.
Here's why:
Unlicensed contractors aren't insured or bonded like licensed contractors are. If something goes wrong, who pays? The owner.
Insurance And Liability Gaps
If an employee becomes injured on your property and the contractor carries no workers' comp you can be held responsible for their medical costs. This could easily reach 5 figures.
And that's just the start.
Injuries and damages resulting from unpermitted work are typically excluded from homeowners insurance coverage. In most cases, insurance companies will deny these claims as soon as they learn there was no permit pulled and no licensed contractor involved. That means the homeowner is financially responsible for:
Medical costs
Legal fees
Property damage
Lost wages claims
Not the kind of savings anyone signs up for.
Rework And Repairs
Industry statistics show that 30-50% of unlicensed work must be redone, either partially or completely. Failed overhead door repair can result in broken springs, misaligned tracks, unsafe openers or a door that won't close.
Fixing shoddy work costs more than doing it right the first time.
According to a 2022 Ipsos poll, 60% of homeowners in the United States had spent money on unforeseen home repairs within the last year. Homeowners spent an average of almost $4,000 per household. A significant portion of that amount is to repair subpar work done by unqualified individuals.
Legal And Permit Issues
Repairs to overhead doors often require permits. This is especially true when working on larger commercial doors or replacements of the entire unit. When unlicensed contractors do the work, property owners are left with:
Fines from local authorities
Failed inspections
Reduced property value
Trouble selling the property later
Not worth the "savings" is it?
How Licensed Contractors Save Property Owners Money
Now to flip the script.
Having an overhead door repair done by a licensed contractor really does save your wallet. Here's why most people don't think about:
Proper Insurance Coverage
Licensed contractors are insured with general liability & workers comp insurance. If something goes wrong with the repair, their insurance covers it. Not yours.
That one line of coverage can save homeowners tens of thousands of dollars on one claim. If a spring breaks and tears through the garage door and onto your car in the garage, it's covered by the contractor's policy… not the homeowners policy.
Warranties That Actually Hold Up
Licensed contractors that have a good reputation will stand behind their work with actual warranties. If something goes wrong with your overhead door repair while under warranty they return to make the repair for free.
You won't see this from unlicensed operators nearly ever – and even if you do, good luck trying to get them on the phone again.
Think about it:
Would you rather pay for the repair once… Or three times?
Code-Compliant Work
Licensed contractors are intimately familiar with local building codes. Work they do on your overhead door repair will pass inspection every time. That means you won't have to pay money towards:
Re-inspection fees
Permit fines
Failed home sale contingencies
Higher insurance premiums
Code-compliant work also has long-term property value. That can be important if you ever want to sell. Buyers and their inspectors will find shoddy work – and they'll use it to negotiate a lower price.
What To Check Before Hiring
Property owners should double check a couple of things before they sign. Spend 10 minutes and you could save thousands.
Active license number: Look it up on your state's contractor licensing board
Proof of insurance: Request certificate of current liability and workers comp insurance
Written estimate: Get everything in writing before any work starts
References: Check reviews and ask for recent customer references
Warranty terms: Understand exactly what is covered and for how long
Any contractor that hesitates on these basics is a huge red flag. Walk away.
Cool right?
10 minutes is all it takes to save the average homeowner time and money.
Rounding Things Off
Overhead door repair is just one of those tasks that when you try to cut corners, it ends up costing you much more down the road. Licensed contractors have the insurance, training and warranties to back up their work and protect property owners from unnecessary expenses.
The math is pretty clear:
Lower risk of injury liability
Fewer failed inspections
Real warranties that get honored
Code-compliant repairs that add long-term value
Fewer nasty surprise expenses down the road
Save yourself the headache.
Get estimates from licensed contractors, check references and leave your overhead door repair to the experts. It may cost a few dollars more upfront - but the overall cost will be nearly always less.
Your future self will thank you.
