How long do garage door springs last?
August 7, 2026 · 5 min read
Springs are rated in cycles, not years. Understanding that is the difference between planning a replacement and being stranded by one.
Springs are rated in cycles, not years
One cycle is one full open and one full close. A standard torsion spring is rated for roughly 10,000 cycles. That is the number the manufacturer stands behind, and it is the only honest way to talk about lifespan.
Convert it to years and it depends entirely on your household. A family opening the door four times a day burns through about 1,460 cycles a year — call it seven years. A busy household with teenagers and two vehicles can double that and see a spring go in three or four.
What shortens their life
Cold matters less than people think. Corrosion matters far more, and on the coast that is the real driver. Salt air off the Strait attacks the steel, and once the surface pits, the spring fails earlier than its cycle rating suggests.
The other big one is imbalance. If one spring in a pair breaks and only that one is replaced, the new spring works against a worn partner and both wear unevenly. That is why springs are replaced in matched pairs — not as an upsell, but because a mismatched pair fails early.
- Salt air, worst near Steveston, Tsawwassen and Ladner
- High cycle counts — laneway suites and multi-vehicle households
- Replacing one spring of a pair instead of both
- A door that has been out of balance for a long time
Warning signs before one breaks
A door that has become noticeably heavier to lift by hand. A door that opens unevenly or hangs crooked. Visible gaps, rust or stretched coils on the spring itself. A door that slams the last foot instead of settling.
None of those mean the spring has failed yet. All of them mean it is on the way, and a planned replacement is a great deal less disruptive than the alternative.
When it does break
You will know. It is a single very loud bang, and afterwards the door will not lift, or lifts a few inches and stops. The opener will strain and get nowhere.
Do not try to force it open, and do not try to lift it by hand. With a broken spring the door is 150 to 200 lbs of dead weight with nothing counterbalancing it. If a vehicle is trapped inside, that is worth a phone call rather than a booking.
Is a high-cycle spring worth it?
Sometimes. High-cycle springs are rated for 20,000 cycles or more, roughly double the standard. On a door that runs many times a day, the maths works easily.
On a typical household door opened three or four times a day, a standard spring will likely outlast your interest in the question. Spend the difference on galvanised springs instead if you live near the water — corrosion resistance will do more for you than cycle count.
Common questions
- Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
- It is not a DIY job. A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones, and it needs the correct winding bars and precise sizing. This is the one part of a garage door where the risk genuinely is serious injury.
- Why replace both springs if only one broke?
- They are installed as a pair and wear at the same rate. Replacing one leaves a new spring pulling against a worn one, which unbalances the door and typically means a second failure within a year.
- How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs?
- Look above the closed door. A single spring on a horizontal bar across the opening is a torsion system. Springs running alongside the horizontal tracks on each side are extension springs.