Garage door won't open — Oakland, California

A garage door that won't open can be caused by a broken torsion spring (most common — you'll hear a loud bang), a dead opener motor, stripped gears, a disconnected or broken cable, a misaligned track, or something as simple as dead remote batteries or a locked manual latch. If the spring is visibly broken (a gap in the coil above the door), do not attempt to open the door manually — the door weighs 150–400 lbs and the remaining spring cannot counterbalance it safely. A garage door technician ($75–$150/hour, $150–$350 for a spring replacement) can diagnose and fix the issue, usually same-day. If the opener motor hums but the door doesn't move, the gear may be stripped ($100–$200 to replace) or the disconnect cord was pulled.