Garage Door Repair in San Francisco, CA
Springs, cables, openers and new doors for San Francisco garages, from the Sunset and Richmond to the Excelsior and Bayview. Tell us what the door does and we book the soonest visit.
- Spring and cable repair
- Opener repair and installation
- Doors on flats, apartment buildings and ground-floor garages
- New garage doors
Garage door repair in San Francisco from Emil Garage Doors covers broken springs, snapped cables, worn rollers, openers, remotes and sensors, plus new door installation. We serve the City and County of San Francisco, from the Outer Richmond and the Sunset near Ocean Beach to the Excelsior and Bayview in the south and southeast. Searching for garage door repair near me in San Francisco, ZIP codes include 94110, 94112, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94124, 94131 and 94134? Call (213) 340-4232 and we book the soonest visit. See also garage door repair near me.
Services in this city
Garage door repair
Doors that stick, shake, scrape, tilt or will not move. We find the failed part and fix it.
Learn moreSpring repair
Torsion and extension spring replacement, balanced and tested.
Learn moreCable repair
Lift cables, drums and brackets, with the door leveled.
Learn moreOpener repair and installation
Chain, belt and wall-mount openers with the battery backup California requires.
Learn moreNew garage doors
Modern, glass, wood-look and carriage-house doors, installed and hauled away.
Learn moreGate repair
Driveway gates and operators.
Learn more
A city of flats, apartment buildings and ground-floor garages
According to the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 estimates, the median home in San Francisco was built in 1946. About 38 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and only about 18 percent of all homes are detached houses. Roughly 49 percent sit in buildings with 5 or more units. So most garages here belong to a flat, an apartment building or an attached house, not a detached house with its own driveway.
SF Planning's historic context statement for the Sunset, which we saw only in a search summary, describes tract houses built from 1925 to 1950 with a garage on the ground story and living space above, on 25-foot-wide lots that look like rows of small attached houses. In a building like that the garage door is a big part of the front, and a door that sticks or drops matters to the whole household. Wikipedia names the Painted Ladies, a row of Victorian houses at Alamo Square, among the city's most famous older homes.
Tell us whether the door serves one house, a flat or a shared building garage, and whether a landlord or building manager has to approve the visit. We weigh and balance each door before choosing springs, and we add a battery backup when an older opener is replaced.
- Narrow ground-floor garage doors
- Shared garages in multi-unit buildings
- Opener replacement with battery backup
San Francisco areas we serve
Areas are described by their landmarks, from local sources. Call if yours is not listed.
| Part of San Francisco | What is there | What we often see on garage doors |
|---|---|---|
| The Sunset, around 19th Avenue and 22nd Avenue | Tract houses built from 1925 to 1950, many with a ground-floor garage under the living space, according to SF Planning's context statement | Narrow ground-floor garage doors on closely spaced lots |
| The Richmond, along Clement Street and Geary Boulevard | Neighborhoods north of Golden Gate Park that search results describe as often foggier and cooler than inland districts | Damp-morning wear on seals, tracks and rollers; we inspect each door first |
| The Excelsior, Bayview and Visitacion Valley, in the south and southeast | Neighborhoods around Mission Street, 3rd Street and Leland Avenue, where Wikipedia says fog is less pronounced than in the west | Housing styles vary block to block, so we inspect the door, springs and opener first |
San Francisco ZIP codes cover many neighborhoods, and we did not verify which ZIP belongs to which neighborhood.
What customers say
Real reviews from our Google listing, copied as the customers wrote them.
Called the office to let them know my issues and asked if we could get someone out to look at my door. Was told between 11-12...drove home from work at 11:05 and Emil was waiting and ready to get to work. Not knowing anything about how to fix a garage door, Emil did a great job explaining why I was having issues. Quoted a reasonable price (well at least what I thought was reasonable) and less than 40 minute later he had fixed the problem. Great customer service from intake of the call to fixing my door! If you need a garage door repair...support local business and give them your business, you won't be disappointed.Guadalupe · Google review
My garage door and opener were pretty banged up and not working properly. Emil Garage Doors came out, did a thorough evaluation of door and all it's parts. Even though the previous home owner rigged up the garage door opener with the wrong springs and parts, Emil repaired the door and saved us money by using some of the old parts. That kind of honesty will get 5 stars all day long. Thank you Emil Garage Doors for your great service.Bradford · Google review
I woke up to a loud crash when a tree in my front yard fell over and hit my garage door. Emil Garage Doors was able to give be a really good price on a new garage door. They uninstalled the old, damaged door and realigned the tracks the garage door connects to which had been damaged as well. The new door looks great and most importantly functions well. Thank you for going above and beyond in my time of need!Stuart · Google review
They were able to come within a few hours of my call. Another company could only give me a 4 hour window of arrival time the next day, but these guys was able to give me a 2 hour window the same day. One the guys called before arriving. He was friendly and competent in explaining the problem and our options. I was so grateful he had replacement springs and was able to fix our garage door in less than an hour.David · Google review
Not paying attention I closed the garage door on a pipe laying in the track. Needless to say it did some damage even though the automatic reverse opened the door back up. Emailed what happened on Sunday evening. Appointment with quote provided in just a few minutes and appointment confirmed. Once again they arrived on time. Completed repairs quickly and for less then the quote. Cleaned up like they were never there. I highly recommend them and will continue to use them for my garage door repairs.Carroll · Google review
Technician showed up on time, assessed our issue & presented replacement options. He proceeded to install new equipment during the same visit and everything was finished in less than two hours. We were impressed with the performance of our tech. It’s easy for us to recommend this company.Kathleen · Google review
5-Star Rated on Google · Read all our reviews on Google · All customer reviews
What San Francisco weather does to a garage door
Wikipedia, using the downtown National Weather Service station, describes a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with cool, moist winters and mild, dry summers. Average highs are about 66 degrees in July, 68 in August and 58 in January, and only about 20 to 25 days a year reach 80 degrees. Rain averages roughly 23 inches a year, although the article's text and table differ by a little. Snow is rare.
Hot interior air draws cool wind and fog through the Golden Gate, and Wikipedia says fog is less pronounced in the eastern neighborhoods. Search results agree that the Sunset and Richmond are often foggier and cooler than inland districts such as the Mission, but we found no station numbers by neighborhood, so we give none. Wikipedia also records the April 18, 1906 earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, which damaged the Marina and South of Market, with soil liquefaction in the Marina. As general advice, after a strong shake watch for a door that sits crooked, rubs the tracks or reverses on its own, and call us instead of forcing it.
Twice a year, wipe the tracks, oil the rollers and hinges, and press the test button on the battery backup. Wipe a damp bottom seal dry and check it for gaps.
- Wipe damp tracks and seals
- Oil rollers and hinges twice a year
- Check the door after a strong shake
Garage doors we service in and near San Francisco
Home styles from the neighborhood and the communities next door. Click a photo to enlarge.
Four steps from call to done
You call or send the form
Give us your street or neighborhood and describe the problem.
We look at the door
We check the part that failed and the parts that carry load around it.
We agree on the work
You hear the options and the price, and nothing starts until you say yes.
We fix it and test it
We run the door through full cycles and test the safety sensors and the reverse.
Battery backup, permits and design rules in San Francisco
Battery backup. California requires a battery backup on residential garage door openers sold or installed in the state (Health and Safety Code section 19892). A new door cannot be connected to an older opener that lacks one. See opener installation.
Design rules. Planned communities and historic overlays can limit door style and color. Ask before you choose a new door: new garage doors.
City permits. San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, so its rules come from the City and County of San Francisco, not Los Angeles. The city's Replace a Door page says you must apply in person at the Permit Center for an over-the-counter permit if you are replacing a garage door that rolls up into the ceiling, or installing or replacing a door powered by a motor, such as an automatic garage door. The Department of Building Inspection Permit Center is at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd floor, phone 628-652-3240, open Monday 9 am to 5 pm and Tuesday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, and closed on public holidays. Details are at sf.gov/replace-door. We found no city page on permits for spring, cable or roller repair on an existing door, so ask the Permit Center.
Historic buildings and curb cuts. The same page says a landmark building in the city's category A* needs Planning approval before the work, and you can email pic@sfgov.org or visit the Planning counter at the Permit Center. If you do not know your building's status, it likely is not one. Separately, SF Planning's guidelines for adding garages and curb cuts say a new curb cut should not exceed 10 feet. That bulletin covers adding a garage or curb cut, not swapping the door in an existing opening.
Prices in San Francisco
| Service | Price | What affects it |
|---|---|---|
| 12-point safety inspection | $89 | Springs, cables, rollers, tracks, sensors and opener checked |
| Torsion spring pair, standard two-car door (10,000 cycle) | $250 to $450 | Door weight and size |
| Heavy-duty torsion springs (25,000+ cycle, heavy, wood or oversized doors) | $350 to $900 | Door weight, spring wire size and cycle rating |
| Lift cable replacement, pair | $175 to $350 | Door weight and cable length |
| Belt-drive opener with battery backup, installed | $550 to $900 | Horsepower, smart features, door size |
| Wall-mount (jackshaft) opener, installed | $900 to $1,400 | Door size, headroom and wiring |
| Insulated steel garage door, 16x7, installed | $1,800 to $3,600 | Short or long panel, windows and color |
| Full-view aluminum and glass door, 16x7, installed | $4,500 to $9,000 | Glass type and frame color |
Prices reviewed November 2026. Final price is confirmed after we see the problem.
Also serving near San Francisco
San Francisco has Daly City and Brisbane to the south in San Mateo County, with the Pacific Ocean on its west side and San Francisco Bay on its east side. The cities and neighborhoods below are our closest pages.
San Francisco garage door repair: questions we hear
Is there garage door repair near me in San Francisco?
Yes. Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors in San Francisco (ZIP codes include 94110, 94112, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94124, 94131 and 94134) and the neighborhoods next door. Call (213) 340-4232, tell us your street or neighborhood and what the door does, and we book the soonest visit. See garage door repair near me.
What is the average price to repair a garage door in San Francisco?
Typical prices: a 12-point safety inspection is $89, a torsion spring pair for a standard two-car door is $250 to $450 (heavy-duty springs $350 to $900), a cable pair is $175 to $350, and a belt-drive opener installed with battery backup is $550 to $900. The final price is confirmed after we see the door.
What is the most common garage door repair in San Francisco?
Broken torsion springs are among the most common garage door repairs, because springs wear out after a set number of open-and-close cycles. Cables, rollers, safety sensors and off-track doors follow. See garage door spring repair.
How much is a service call for a garage door?
Our 12-point safety inspection is $89. It covers the springs, cables, rollers, tracks, sensors and opener, and we explain what we find before any repair starts.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a garage door?
A repair is usually cheaper when the door itself is sound and only a spring, cable, roller or sensor failed. Replacement makes sense when panels are bent or rotted, the door is very old or the opening needs a different size. We tell you which one fits before we start.
Which ZIP codes do you serve in San Francisco?
San Francisco ZIP codes include 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94127, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134 and 94158, according to zip-codes.com. We did not verify which ZIP belongs to which neighborhood, so call us with your street and we confirm we reach it. We also serve nearby Daly City.
Does a garage door replacement in San Francisco need a permit?
The city's Replace a Door page says an in-person over-the-counter permit from the Department of Building Inspection is required to replace a garage door that rolls up into the ceiling, or to install or replace a motor-powered door. We found no city page on spring, cable or roller repair on an existing door. Call the Permit Center at 628-652-3240 to ask about your job.
Is a San Francisco garage door limited to 10 feet wide?
Not as a rule for replacement that we could find. SF Planning's guidelines say a new curb cut should not exceed 10 feet, but that bulletin covers adding a garage or curb cut to an existing building. It does not cover swapping a door in an existing opening. If you plan to widen the opening, ask Planning first.
Can a handyman fix a garage door?
A handyman can often handle a simple job such as a sensor or a roller. Springs and cables are under high tension and need a trained technician, so call us for those.
Does California require a battery backup on a garage door opener?
Yes. California Health and Safety Code section 19892 says residential openers sold or installed in the state need a battery backup, and a replacement garage door cannot be connected to an older residential opener that lacks one.
Do you also repair gates in San Francisco?
Yes. See gate repair and electric gate repair.
Garage door acting up in San Francisco?
Call now or send your details. We book the soonest visit for your neighborhood.