What to Do if You Back Into Your Garage Door

It’s a situation more common than you’d think — you’re in a hurry, about to leave your house, and you put your car in reverse while your garage door is still opening. Before you notice, you’ve backed straight into it, and you’re left wondering what to do next.

If you’ve recently backed into your garage door, don’t worry. You can handle the situation in a few different ways depending on any damages you’re facing.

In this article, we cover the steps you can take if you hit your garage door with your car, common damages that might have occurred, and the average costs associated with repairing it.

Steps to Take if You Accidentally Back Into Your Garage Door

If you find that you’ve backed into your garage door, you can take steps following the incident to help you feel a lot better about the situation.

1. Make Sure Everyone Is Safe

Stay calm and make sure that you and other passengers are safe after hitting your garage door. Even a minor accident can cause injuries, so check that your loved ones aren’t hurt first.

In a heightened situation like this, many people forget to put their cars in park before getting out. Calmly put your vehicle in park and turn it off before exiting to check for damages.

2. Assess the Damage

Observe your car and the garage door for surface damages to see if it will need repairs.

If you hit your garage door from the inside, you’ll want to move your car forward to check for dents. If you hit the garage door from the outside, stay safe by entering your garage from your house or side door to inspect damages.

3. Check if Your door Is Manually Operable

After hitting your garage door, it might be tempting to try and open it with the remote to see if it’s still operable. However, doing this can cause more damage to your garage door because it might force the door to open while damaging the entire system.

If you notice that your garage door is no longer aligned with the rails, do not attempt to move it because it could fall. However, you can check if the door is manually operable if you see only surface dents after assessing damages. To do this, you’ll want to disconnect the garage door opener and physically move the door.

4. Take Note of Damages Before Scheduling a Repair

Make a list of damages to report to your local repair company before they come out or provide you with an estimate. If your door isn’t manually operable or it’s off its tracks, you’ll want someone to repair it before attempting to use it. Stay at least 8 feet away from the door to avoid injury if the door is in this state.

Measure dents so your repair company knows what kinds of damage to expect when they arrive, and take note of the type of material your garage door is made of.

5. Call Your Local Garage Repair Company

In the case of any damages, and even if your garage door is operable, you’ll want to call a repair company to assess and repair or replace it right away. If your door is off its rails, this is something you won’t want to touch yourself. Attempting to repair your garage door on your own can cause injury or further damage to the garage door.

Repair companies will inspect your door for damage such as dents, track issues and opener problems.

6. Determine How You’d Like to Proceed

You’ll want to determine your next steps depending on what you’re comfortable with after your repair company assesses the damages. If your damage is minor, such as a few scratches and dents, costs will likely come in at less than a deductible. For extensive damages, like structural issues or a complete door replacement, you may want to consider making a claim with your homeowners insurance to cover repair costs.

Depending on the severity of damages, you also may want to call your auto insurance company. Your homeowners insurance policy will not pay to repair your car, and your auto insurance won’t pay for garage door repairs.

Use your best judgment and do what feels best for you after assessing your garage door and vehicle.

Common Issues Caused by Backing Into a Garage Door

Your local repair company will inspect your garage door for specific issues. The extent of problems will depend on how fast you hit the garage door, but common issues associated with backing into a garage door include:

• Dents or broken panels: Usually, you’ll notice dents in the bottom section of your garage door after reversing into it with your car. Residential garage doors are typically 7 feet tall and are made up of four sections. If more than two of your garage door panels are dented or broken, you’re typically better off replacing all of them to be on the safe side. The average costs to repair dented or broken panels are around $175 to replace the bottom section or $475 to replace all four panels, not including labor costs.
• Misaligned rollers: If you backed into your garage door hard enough, the vertical track might be bent, which can cause the rollers to fall out of the track channel. Average costs to repair a garage door that’s off its track are around $10 to $15 to fix each damaged or broken roller, while hinges cost about $10 apiece.
• Damaged track: A misaligned or broken garage door track will result in a door that’s inoperable and dangerous. A professional will inspect and repair it to ensure it doesn’t fall and injure you. A local garage door company can safely bend a track into place or replace it with special tools. A repair like this might cost around $125 to $150.

When you have extensive damages, you might want to consider completely replacing your garage door. Labor costs and repairs associated with fixing certain sections can run you $675, while an entire garage door replacement averages around $800. It’s essential to remember that the older your door gets, the more future repairs will add up, so sometimes installing an all-new garage door is your best bet.

Trust Door Pros for Expert Garage Door Repairs and Replacement

When you damage your garage door by accidentally reversing into it, there are many steps you can take before assessing and paying for repairs. Whether your damage is minor or extensive, you’ll want to call professionals to repair or replace any impacted materials.

If you’ve recently backed into your garage door, Door Pros has your back. We pride ourselves on our around-the-clock services, quality customer service and expert craftsmanship. We’ll assess any damages and work with you to quickly repair or replace your garage door.

Request an estimate online or call Door Pros at 1-800- 983-2608 today!