The honest answer — and what it costs to have it done right.
Yes, it's possible to replace a garage door spring yourself. It's also one of the more dangerous home repairs a homeowner can attempt, and ER records include cases of serious injuries from DIY spring replacement. Here's what you're actually dealing with.
A standard torsion spring on a two-car garage door stores roughly 100–150 foot-pounds of torque when wound. The winding bars used to tension a spring are approximately 18 inches long — a slip or sudden release can send the bar across the garage at speed, or the spring itself can snap and uncoil violently.
Unlike most home repairs where the worst outcome is a cosmetic mistake, a slip during spring replacement can cause broken bones, eye injuries, or worse. This is not a scare tactic — it's physics.
Spring replacement by Open Sesame Garage Door Service typically runs $350–$450, including both springs on a two-spring system if recommended, plus a whole-system check. The $100 service call fee is applied toward the repair cost.
That's the honest math versus the DIY path: a spring kit might cost $60–$120, but the tools, the time, the precision required, and the injury risk that comes with it are worth considering before you start.
If your spring just broke and your car is stuck inside, call 314-897-4721. Same-day service is usually available across St. Louis and Jefferson County.
At minimum: two 18-inch steel winding bars, locking pliers, a socket set, and a ladder. The winding bars must fit the winding cone precisely — improvising with a screwdriver or other tool is specifically how injuries happen.
Parts for a standard spring pair run $60–$120. A professional repair runs $350–$450 total. The difference is roughly $250–$300 — roughly the cost of one urgent care visit, without the risk. For most homeowners, the professional route is the better value.
Extension springs carry less stored energy than torsion springs, but they can still snap and fly if they break while under tension. The installation still requires precise tensioning and safety cable installation. The risk is lower than torsion but still real.
Yes. Jerry repairs springs regardless of whether there's an opener issue. He'll check the opener as part of the visit but only recommends additional work if something actually needs attention.