The fine print

Hidden costs of garage door installation

Eight charges that quietly inflate the bill. Some are unavoidable, all of them are predictable if you know where to look.

Section 01

Eight surprise charges

Old door disposal
$25 to $100
Not always included. Bulk-pickup landfill fees pass through to you on a separate line.
How to spot it: Ask in writing whether haul-away is included before signing.
Old track removal
$50 to $150
If your existing tracks are bent, rusted, or sized for a thinner door, the installer cuts them out.
How to spot it: Have the installer measure existing tracks during the site visit.
Headroom modification
$200 to $500
Standard tracks need 12 to 15 inches of clearance above the door. Low-headroom kits cost more in parts and labour.
How to spot it: Measure floor-to-ceiling above the opening before quoting.
Structural repair
$100 to $500
Rotted framing, damaged headers, or sagging jambs surface only when the old door comes down.
How to spot it: Ask up front whether the contractor handles carpentry, or sub-contracts.
Electrical work
$100 to $300
An opener needs a dedicated outlet within six feet of the centre of the ceiling. Many older homes do not have one.
How to spot it: Photograph the existing outlet location and share with the installer.
Permit fees
$50 to $200
Required for new openings and structural changes, optional for like-for-like replacements.
How to spot it: Confirm in writing whether the installer pulls the permit on your behalf.
Weatherstripping
$50 to $100
Bottom seal, side jamb seals, top seal. Often quoted separately from the door.
How to spot it: Ask whether weatherstripping is included or a parts line item.
Code-compliance upgrades
$100 to $400
Older homes may need photo-eye sensors retrofitted, an auto-reverse motor, or a wired wall console added to meet current code.
How to spot it: Ask whether the installer brings the install up to current local code.

Section 02

Three real-world scenarios

Scenario A
From $400 to $700
Standard 16x7 replacement, quote was $400 labour. On the day, the existing tracks proved out of square and had to be cut and replaced ($150). Old door went to the landfill, charged through ($75). Final $625, plus a $75 disposal-fee surprise = $700.
Scenario B
From $400 to $900
Same starting point. Once the old door came down, the right jamb was rotted from years of moisture. Carpentry repair took three hours at $85 per hour ($255). Then the ceiling outlet for the new opener had to be added ($200). Final $855, rounded to $900.
Scenario C
From $400 to $1,200
Replacement turned into a near-new install. Headroom was nine inches, requiring a low-headroom track kit. Old extension springs replaced with torsion springs. New tracks, low-headroom hardware, structural blocking, and the original $400 labour added up to $1,150 plus a $75 weatherstripping line.

Section 03

How to protect yourself

Itemise everything
Refuse a single lump-sum quote. Ask for door, labour, springs, opener, removal, and any permits as separate lines.
"Not to exceed" clause
Ask the installer to cap the maximum the bill can grow without your written approval. A 10 to 15 percent buffer is reasonable.
Written change orders
Any scope change has to be on paper, with a price, and signed before extra work begins. No phone calls, no verbal okays.

Can the installer charge more than the original quote?

Only if you sign a written change order that documents the new scope and the new price before the extra work begins. Reputable installers pause and call you the moment something unexpected appears. Walk away from anyone who keeps working without your authorisation and presents a higher bill at the end.

What if they find damage behind the old door?

The professional response is: stop, take photos, call you, explain options, get written approval. The unprofessional response is: keep working, charge for the damage at the end. Ask up front how the installer handles structural surprises and how they document scope change.

Should I pay for a pre-installation inspection?

On older homes, a $50 to $100 site visit before the install can be money well spent. The installer measures headroom, checks the framing, photographs the outlet location, and quotes a more accurate scope. Most installers will credit the inspection fee against the final invoice if you book the install.

Are these surprises avoidable?

Most of them, with a thorough site visit and a written scope. The exceptions are structural surprises hidden behind drywall or behind the old door. For those, your protection is a not-to-exceed clause in the quote and a written change-order policy.