Garage Door Installation in Seattle, WA
A new garage door is the largest moving part of your house and the single biggest impact you can make on your home’s curb appeal — short of repainting. It’s also a 25-year decision.
Free Consultation
In-Home Quote
4-6 Hour Install
Same-Day Completion
Top Brands
Clopay, Amarr, CHI
4.9★ Rating
350+ Google Reviews
We install garage doors across Seattle, Bothell, Redmond, and the surrounding Puget Sound area. Most residential installations are completed in a single visit (4–6 hours). We carry product lines from the major manufacturers — Clopay, Amarr, CHI, Wayne Dalton, Haas — and we handle the full job from removal of the old door through final calibration and opener programming.
Call (206) 245-5495 for a free in-home consultation, or scroll for details on what’s involved.
When You Actually Need a New Door (vs. a Repair)
Most “I think I need a new garage door” conversations end with the homeowner being relieved. About 60% of the time, what looks like a door that needs replacement is actually a repair situation — a broken spring, off-track door, or damaged opener.
Here’s when it really is time for a new door:
- Multiple panels are dented, cracked, or warped. One damaged panel can be replaced individually. Two or three damaged panels usually means the whole door has reached end-of-life.
- The door is uninsulated and you're using the garage as living space. Single-skin steel doors have an R-value of essentially zero. If your garage is a workshop, gym, or attached to a heated room, an insulated replacement pays back through energy savings.
- The door is 20+ years old and looks dated. A 1990s-era door drags down the look of an updated house. Often this is the first thing a real estate agent flags.
- You're replacing the door after a vehicle impact. Backing into the door at any speed almost always means full replacement rather than panel repair.
- Sections are rusting through. Surface rust is cosmetic; rust-through (where you can see daylight) means the steel skin has failed.
If none of these apply, you may want our repair-or-replace decision page or a phone consultation before committing to a full install.
What You'll Choose During the Install Consultation
A garage door consultation covers four main decisions:
Insulated steel is the most common choice for Seattle homes. Two skins of steel sandwich a polyurethane or polystyrene core. R-values range from R-9 (basic) to R-18 (premium). Durable, low maintenance, holds paint well.
Aluminum and glass — the modern, contemporary look. Full-view doors with frosted or clear glass panels. Striking curb appeal, lighter weight, no rust. Less insulation, more expensive.
Wood and wood composite — the traditional, premium choice. Real wood doors look incredible but require refinishing every 3–5 years in Seattle’s wet climate. Composite doors mimic wood grain without the maintenance.
Fiberglass — niche but worth knowing about. Looks like wood, doesn’t rot, lighter than steel. More prone to cracking from impact than steel.
The four main style families are:
Raised panel — the traditional rectangular sections with raised ‘panels’ embossed into each section. The default style on most American houses.
Carriage house — designed to look like swing-out barn doors but operating as a standard overhead door. Often paired with decorative hardware.
Contemporary / flush — flat panels, often with horizontal lines or a single solid surface. Pairs with modern architecture.
Full-view — aluminum frame with glass panels, often used on modern homes or where the garage doubles as a hobby/display space.
This is the decision that matters most for ongoing comfort:
R-6 to R-9 — basic insulation, fine for detached garages or unheated spaces
R-12 to R-13 — mid-tier, suitable for attached garages in mild climates (this is Seattle’s sweet spot for most homes)
R-16 to R-18 — premium, worth it if the garage is conditioned space or a workshop
Higher R-values also reduce noise transmission. A R-18 door is noticeably quieter to operate and dampens street noise from inside the garage.
If your existing opener is more than 10 years old, replacing it during the door install makes sense. Newer openers are quieter (belt-drive over chain), have battery backup (important for Seattle’s frequent winter power outages), and integrate with phone apps for remote access.
We cover this in detail on our opener installation page.
What the Installation Actually Involves
A residential garage door installation is a 4–6 hour job for our two-person crew:
- Removal and disposal of the old door — we remove the existing door panels, tracks, springs, and hardware. The old door is hauled away at no additional charge.
- Inspection and preparation of the opening — we check the framing, header, and side jambs for damage or rot. Most installations don't require carpentry.
- Track installation — vertical and horizontal tracks are installed first, plumb and level to spec. This is where installation quality shows.
- Door panel assembly and installation — panels are assembled on-site, then installed from bottom to top with rollers fitted into the tracks.
- Spring system installation and tensioning — torsion springs are sized to the door's exact weight, mounted on the header shaft, and wound to spec.
- Opener installation and programming — if included, it's mounted, safety sensors are aligned, and we program your remotes, wall console, keypad, and Wi-Fi connections.
- Testing and cleanup — we cycle the door through 10+ full open/close operations, verify safety reversal, check seal contact, and clean up all packaging.
You don’t need to be home for the entire job, but we ask that someone be available at start and finish — for the consultation on any pre-existing issues we find, and for the walkthrough/training at the end.
Premium and Smart-Door Upgrades
Most new installations today include at least one upgrade beyond the basic door:
- Wi-Fi-enabled openers — LiftMaster MyQ, Chamberlain MyQ, Genie Aladdin Connect. Open and close the door from your phone, get alerts when it's been left open, integrate with Amazon Key for package deliveries.
- Battery backup — allows the door to operate during power outages, which happen often enough in Seattle winters to matter.
- Smart safety features — motion-detecting cameras integrated into the opener, automatic close timers, geofencing alerts.
- Insulated steel with thermal break — R-values up to R-18 and significantly better noise dampening. Worth it for attached garages with conditioned living space above.
- Decorative hardware and windows — magnetic carriage-house handles and hinges. Window inserts in the top section that bring daylight into the garage.
New Construction Projects
We do occasional work on new home construction and additions, coordinating with builders during the framing-and-finish phase. For new construction, the main considerations are:
- Rough opening specifications — standard residential is 16’×7′ or 8’×7′; high-lift conversions require additional headroom
- Framing requirements — minimum header height (typically 12″ above the opening), side room (3.75″ minimum each side), and backroom clearance
- Permit and code compliance — Washington State has specific requirements for safety reversal sensors, manual release, and wind-load ratings
- Coordination with framers and electricians — we typically install during the finish phase after drywall
If you’re building or remodeling and need a garage door consultation, call (206) 245-5495 and we’ll come out to review the plans with your contractor.
What Installation Costs in the Seattle Area
Pricing for a complete installation (door + tracks + springs + labor + haul-away):
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Basic Uninsulated Steel, Single-Car (8'×7') $1,400–$1,900
Entry-level option
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Insulated Steel R-12, Two-Car (16'×7') $2,200–$3,200
Most popular choice
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Premium Insulated Steel R-18 with Windows $3,200–$4,500
Two-car, high efficiency
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Full-View Aluminum and Glass, Two-Car $4,500–$8,000+
Modern contemporary look
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Wood or Wood Composite, Two-Car $5,000–$12,000+
Premium traditional style
Popular add-ons:
- New Wi-Fi opener with battery backup: $550–$850
- Carriage house decorative hardware: $150–$300
- Window inserts (4 panels): $200–$400
Common Questions About Garage Door Installation
Most residential single- or two-car installations take 4–6 hours from arrival. We schedule one job per day per crew so we’re never rushing the install to get to the next call.
No. We need someone home at the start (consultation on any issues we find) and at the end (walkthrough, opener training, remote programming). The middle 3–4 hours you can run errands or work from another room.
We generally don’t, for a few reasons: warranty doesn’t apply, parts are often missing or wrong, and big-box doors are typically lower-spec than what we’d recommend for a Seattle home. You usually save money by buying through us at trade pricing.
Clopay (largest US manufacturer, widest style range), Amarr (similar quality, sometimes better pricing), CHI (commercial-grade residential), Wayne Dalton (good warranties), and Haas (premium American-made).
Usually yes, if the opener is less than 10 years old and you’re not upsizing the door significantly. If your opener is older or the new door is much heavier (e.g., upgrading to wood), a new opener may be required for safe operation.
Standard residential garage door replacement does not require a permit in King or Snohomish County. New construction does, and the permit is handled by the general contractor, not by us.
Door manufacturers’ warranties range from 5 years to lifetime depending on the line. Our installation labor warranty is 1 year. Springs we install carry a 3-year warranty.
Service Area
We install garage doors throughout the Seattle metro area:
King County: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Mercer Island, Medina, Woodinville
Snohomish County: Bothell, Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Everett, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Brier, Maltby
If you’re within roughly a 45-minute drive of North Seattle, we install there.
Ready to Talk About a New Door?
Call (206) 245-5495 for a free in-home consultation. We’ll measure your opening, walk you through the style and material options, and provide a written quote on the spot. No high-pressure sales.
Family-owned · Washington State Licensed (CHSGAGD820QO) · Insured · 350+ Verified Google Reviews at 4.9★