Questions to ask before booking a garage door company

Garage door work involves springs and cables under dangerous tension and, in New Jersey, rules about who may do home improvement work. These are questions to ask any company before you book, with the New Jersey consumer guidance behind them. They apply to every company you consider.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs says home improvement contractors must register with the Division before advertising or doing home improvement work. Registered contractors must show their registration number on commercial vehicles, in ads, on websites and on consumer contracts. To register, a contractor must provide proof of liability insurance and disclose its business location.

That gives you specific things to ask and check:

• What is your New Jersey home improvement contractor registration number? Then verify it yourself instead of relying on what you are told.
• Can you show proof of liability insurance, and who is the insurer? Ocean County Consumer Affairs suggests asking for a copy of the commercial general liability policy and the insurer's phone number.
• What is your legal business name and business address, and does it match the contract?

The Division says to verify registration before hiring anyone and before paying any money. You can search the Division's online database or call the Division at 800-242-5846. Ocean County Consumer Affairs adds that registration is not an endorsement, so also ask whether complaints have been filed. Registration alone says nothing about workmanship.

A garage door company should be able to explain what it will do and why. Useful questions:

• Will a technician inspect the door and confirm the cause before quoting or replacing anything?
• Which parts will be replaced, and what are their brand, type and rating? For springs, that includes whether they are torsion or extension. See torsion vs extension springs.
• If the door has two springs, will both be replaced? DASMA advises replacing both even if only one is broken.
• Will the spring, cable and bracket work be done by trained technicians? DASMA says spring systems should be repaired only by trained professionals and that cables should be replaced only by a trained technician.
• What will you do about related parts, such as cables, rollers and the bottom brackets, while the door is being worked on?
• Will the door be balanced and the opener's safety reversal tested afterward? See how a garage door stays balanced and how to test your opener safety reverse.
• Who does the work: your employees, or subcontractors? Ocean County Consumer Affairs recommends asking whether subcontractors will be used.

The Division of Consumer Affairs says contractors must provide a written contract for work over five hundred dollars, and that it should include start and completion dates, all work to be performed and the specific products to be used. Ocean County Consumer Affairs also lists the contractor's legal name and business address, the total price and the registration number, and says to get any warranties and guarantees in writing and to specify brand names or material grades.

• Does the written quote list each part and each task, or only a lump sum?
• Are the total price, the start date and the completion date stated?
• Are any warranties or guarantees written down, with what they cover and for how long?
• What is excluded, and what happens if the technician finds more damage once the door is opened up?
• Does the contract list the contractor's registration number?

Ocean County Consumer Affairs also notes that you can cancel a signed contract for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you receive a copy, and that cancellation should be in writing. Read the cancellation terms in your own contract.

Both New Jersey sources are cautious about paying everything in advance. The Division says paying the full cost up front is not customary and that a common rule of thumb is one-third up front, one-third midway and one-third on completion. Ocean County Consumer Affairs lists a request for more than one-third before work begins as a red flag and advises avoiding cash. For a short repair, a different structure may be normal, so ask when payment is due and in what form.

• How much is due before work starts, and how much after?
• What payment methods do you accept, and will I get a written receipt?
• Is final payment due only when the work is complete and I have inspected it?

Not every garage door job needs a permit, and requirements vary by municipality and by homeowners association. Ask who checks, and check yourself. Ocean County Consumer Affairs advises making sure the municipality issues all required construction permits and that final inspections are completed before final payment. See HOA rules and permits for garage doors in New Jersey.

• If a permit or association approval is needed, who applies for it?
• How are old parts, the old door and packaging removed?
• What will be left as it was, and what do I check before the technician leaves?

Ocean County Consumer Affairs recommends written estimates from at least three contractors, with questions about how long each has been in business, whether it carries liability insurance and whether it will use subcontractors. It also advises caution with unsolicited contractors offering a deal. Compare what each quote includes, not only the total. See what affects garage door repair cost for the factors that make quotes differ.

Be wary of anyone who diagnoses a problem without looking at the door, who pressures you to decide on the spot, or who avoids giving a registration number. A good company should be comfortable with every question on this page.

While you compare companies, you can document the problem from the floor: photos of the springs, cables, tracks and damage, the opener model and notes on what happened. Do not touch springs, cables, brackets or the bottom fixtures.

See when a garage door is unsafe to use and garage door repair for what a repair visit covers.

• Garage Door Repair

• NJ Division of Consumer Affairs: Home improvement contractor registration release
• Ocean County Consumer Affairs: Hiring a home improvement contractor
• DASMA: Garage door safety