Choosing a garage door company for your repairs can sometimes be a bit nerve wracking. All the stories you hear about trade businesses ripping off their customers with exorbitant non disclosed fees can definitely play on your mind. This is why I’ve compiled a quick list of tips to help you make the right decision.

Tip 1: Upfront Pricing

If you can provide the company with information on the type of door and motor you have, a description of the problem and a photo of any broken parts, there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to give you a relatively accurate price. Although there are no guarantees until they inspect the site, they should be able to tell you what they think it is, or what the worst case scenario may be. A good company doesn’t want to shock you on the day with pricing, so if they refuse to do this, I’d be looking elsewhere.

Tip 2: Flat rate vs labour time

Ask the company if they have a flat rate or if they charge by time. If they charge by time you have to be careful they aren’t just dragging the job out or making it seem more complicated than it is. If a company is slow on work, they may take extra time at your job to make more money.

Tip 3: Do they actually repair?

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but many “repair” companies don’t actually repair. They may do services, but a lot of the time they won’t do actually fix broken motors. A lot of the time they’ll just tell you that it’s better to change the whole motor or door. Before booking the job, ask the company if they actually have spare parts for your particular brand of motor. Sometimes swapping the motor over with something new will be the best option, however it shouldn’t be the ONLY option.

I hope these tips allow you to choose the best company for your particular job.