A garage door is one of the largest moving parts of a house and, for many Johannesburg homes, the main way in for the car and the family every day. It is also one of the easiest purchases to get wrong on price alone. The figure on the quote depends on far more than the panel you see from the street, so it pays to understand what you are buying before you compare numbers.
What a garage door quote should include
Before comparing prices, make sure each quote covers the same things. A complete quote for a new door lists:
- The door itself, with its material, size and type.
- The tracks, springs, rollers, hinges and fixing hardware it needs to run.
- The motor, if the door is automated, with its battery backup and the number of remotes.
- Installation, removing and disposing of the old door, and making good around the opening.
- The guarantee on the door, the motor and the workmanship, in writing.
A low price that leaves out the hardware, the battery or the removal of the old door is not a low price. Ask for a written breakdown so you can see exactly what each line costs and what you are being charged for.
Material: the biggest single factor
The material decides most of the price, and also how much looking after the door needs over its life.
- Steel roll-up and chromadek doors are the most affordable. They are light, simple to automate, easy to maintain and can be painted in a range of colours.
- Steel and aluminium sectional doors cost more. They run up and back along tracks in horizontal panels, seal better and suit most modern homes. Aluminium does not rust and is lighter than steel.
- Fibreglass sits at the lower end of the range but is the least robust, and can crack or fade in the Highveld sun.
- Wood, most often meranti, is usually the most expensive and needs the most maintenance. Custom designs cost more again. See our guide to wooden garage doors for the trade-offs.
- Steel with a wood-grain finish gives much of the look of timber for less money and far less upkeep.
Size, door type and finish
A single garage door uses less material than a double, and a double less than a caravan-height or custom-sized opening, so size moves the price in a straight line. The way the door opens matters too: a one-piece tip-up door, a sectional door and a roll-up door are built differently and priced differently. Our overview of the types of garage doors explains how each one works.
Extras add up: insulated (double-skin) panels, windows in the door, decorative panelling, and a factory finish such as pre-sealed timber. Insulation is worth considering if the garage doubles as a workshop or sits under a bedroom, as it keeps the space cooler in summer and warmer in winter and cuts noise.
Automation, batteries and remotes
A motor is the most common add-on, and the one to get right. It has to be sized for the weight of the door: a heavy wooden or double door needs a stronger motor than a light roll-up door. Make sure the quote includes a backup battery, so you can still get the car out during load shedding, enough remotes for the household, and the safety settings that stop and reverse the door if something is in its way. Our article on modern garage door openers covers what to look for.
Installation and your opening
Installation is quoted per job because no two openings are the same. An opening that is out of square, a weak lintel, old tracks that have to come out, or a door that has to be made to measure all add time and cost. This is why a reliable price needs someone to measure the opening on site rather than quote from a photo.
Why the cheapest door can cost more
Garage doors are not mass-produced like cars or appliances, so the quality of the parts varies a great deal between makers: the springs, the tracks, the rollers and the motor. A door that is cheap because its springs and hardware are cheap will cost you in repairs, and a poorly fitted door wears out its motor early. Fitting a door yourself can look like a saving, but it needs the right tools, two people and experience with springs, which are under high tension and can cause serious injury.
Think about the whole life of the door. With regular garage door maintenance, a well-made and well-fitted door runs for many years. A cheaper door that needs frequent repairs, or a wooden door that is not looked after, ends up costing more than the better door would have.
How to compare garage door quotes
- Get every quote in writing, for the same material, size, door type and motor.
- Check what is included: hardware, battery backup, remotes, removal of the old door.
- Ask about the guarantee on the door and motor, and on the workmanship. Our workmanship is guaranteed for 24 months.
- Ask who services and repairs the door after it is installed, and whether parts are readily available.
- Be wary of a price far below the others. It usually means cheaper parts, a lighter motor or something left out.
Prices for steel, aluminium and timber change through the year, so any published price list goes out of date quickly. We measure the opening, talk through the options and give you a written quote, so you know exactly what you are paying for. See our garage door installations and repairs for the doors and motors we supply.
If you are pricing a new garage door, a short site visit gives you a quote you can rely on: the right door and motor for your opening, with every item listed. Call Tyson on 071 846 7554 or request a free written quote.