Lift-cable replacement, drum re-spooling, and tension recalibration. We pair new cables with a spring inspection so the door is safe and balanced before we leave.
Sonoma's garage door cable repair jobs land on our schedule daily. The housing here is mainly suburban houses with attached two-car garages, mixed with some older central-neighborhood homes, and we size every fix to match it rather than forcing a one-size part.
Climate is half the story for a garage door in Sonoma County. Given a mild Mediterranean climate of warm, dry summers and gentle, damp winters, with low annual rainfall and abundant sun, Sonoma doors wrestle with long dry spells that crack aging weatherstripping, mild but steady humidity swings that quietly seize hinges, and fine road and yard grit that grinds rollers over time.
In our experience around Sonoma, the repairs that come up most are opener logic-board failures after summer heat spikes, frayed lift cables on aging sectional doors, worn nylon rollers on doors cycled several times a day, and dried, cracked bottom seals from constant UV. We'll show you exactly what failed and why before we touch a tool.
Lift cables transfer the spring's stored energy to the door panels — they're under high tension every cycle and degrade slowly through fraying, corrosion, and mis-spooling on the drum. A cable repair visit replaces both cables (always replace as a pair so the door stays balanced), re-spools the drums to the correct number of wraps, recalibrates spring tension to match, and inspects related components like the bottom bracket where one end of each cable terminates.
Cables are galvanized aircraft-grade steel — typically 1/8-inch diameter for residential doors and 3/16-inch for heavier or commercial doors. We carry both diameters along with the bottom-bracket fittings, drum caps, and shaft set-screws that occasionally need replacement alongside the cables.
Cable failure usually leaves the door off-track or hanging crooked. Continuing to operate the opener after one cable has snapped causes the other side to take the full load and is the fastest way to bend tracks or damage panels. Stop the opener and call for repair when you see a frayed or snapped cable — fast service is standard.
Signs you need garage door cable repair
Frayed cable visible at the drum
Strands of steel poking out of the cable indicate active wear. Cables don't self-heal — frays accelerate to snap.
If one corner is higher than the other when the door is fully down, one cable has stretched, slipped on the drum, or partially failed.
Snapped cable, door stuck
A fully snapped cable leaves the door off-track or jammed. Don't try to force it — call for repair.
Rust streaks on cables
Coastal homes see cable corrosion progress until the strands weaken. Visible rust means the cable is no longer at full strength.
Loud bang followed by crooked door
Cable snap sounds similar to spring snap but is usually quieter. If the door is crooked after the noise, suspect cable failure.
Common causes & what we fix
Mis-spooled drum
When a cable jumps off its drum groove, it crosses over itself and wears at the crossover point. Re-spooling fixes the spool but the wear point becomes the weak link.
Drum cap or set-screw failure
If the drum slips on the shaft, one cable unwinds while the other tries to hold. This sudden imbalance can snap the loaded cable.
Bottom bracket failure
The bracket where the cable attaches at the door bottom occasionally cracks or pulls free, letting the cable whip free under tension.
Coastal corrosion
Salt-air pitting on uncoated cables can drop tensile strength 30–40% over 10+ years. Galvanized aircraft cables resist this far better.
Spring imbalance
An over- or under-tensioned spring puts uneven load on the cables and accelerates wear on the loaded side.
Our process
1
Call or schedule online.Pick a 2-hour window. We confirm in under 5 minutes with the assigned tech's name and photo.
2
On-site diagnosis. Free for most repairs; $39 diagnostic on minor service calls (waived if you proceed). You see the issue and the fix before we start.
3
Flat-rate quote. Written estimate before any work. No hourly creep, no upsell pressure — techs are salaried, not commissioned.
4
Same-visit fix. 96% first-call fix rate. We test the door with you before leaving and clean up everything we touched.
How much does garage door cable repair cost in Sonoma, CA?
Budgeting garage door cable repair in Sonoma? Pricing opens at $149, flat-rate and in writing first. We quote both repair and replacement when it's a close call, so you can pick on cost with the full picture in front of you.
Garage Door Cable Repair the United States starts at from $149, and every quote for professional Garage Door Cable Repair the United States is flat-rate and presented in writing before work begins — there are no surprise add-ons or hourly creep. Senior (65+) and military discounts of 10% off labor apply to all residential work. Financing through Synchrony is available on Garage Door replacement the United States projects over $1,500 at 0% APR for the first 12 months, with fast approval and no prepayment penalty.
Why homeowners in Sonoma, CA choose us for garage door cable repair
Locals choose us for Sonoma garage door cable repair because we don't vanish after the invoice: licensed (CSLB #1098234), insured, daily dispatch, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee on every job.
Our Garage Door repair the United States work is backed for the long haul: the garage door cable repairworkmanship guarantee is 10 years — separate from any manufacturer warranty on the parts themselves. If the install or repair we performed fails because of how we installed it, we return and fix it at no charge for a full decade. Springs rated for 30,000 cycles carry a lifetime warranty for the original homeowner. Parts and accessories carry standard 1–5 year warranties depending on the item; we'll explain exactly what's covered before we start any work, in writing.
Honest sizing and honest scope are the two principles that drive how we quote garage door cable repair and every Garage Door installation the United States. We don't up-sell unnecessary work, our techs are salaried (not commissioned), and the diagnostic is structured so you see exactly what we see — including the parts that are still in great shape and don't need attention. If a repair is the right call, we recommend the repair. If replacement is the better long-term economics, we say so. Either way, the quote is flat-rate, written, and good for 30 days so you can compare and decide on your own timeline.
Areas we serve for garage door cable repair
We provide garage door cable repair throughout Sonoma, CA and the surrounding Sonoma County area. Serving Sonoma and surrounding neighborhoods.
Knowing the area matters. Sonoma County spans Wine Country valleys, redwood forest, and a rugged stretch of Pacific coast, which is why we keep Sonoma crews local rather than dispatching from far away.
We don't stop at the Sonoma line: Yountville, Napa, Petaluma, and American Canyon are all on the same daily loop.
Garage Door Cable Repair near you in Sonoma, CA
For Sonoma homeowners who searched garage door cable repair near me, the advantage of going local is simple: faster arrival, a tech who knows California's Mediterranean climate region, and someone you can reach again if you ever need to.
We cover ZIP codes 95476 and the surrounding area. Reach times for Garage Door Garage Door Cable Repair the United Statesvary by traffic and time of day; we'll quote an accurate ETA when you call. Our dispatch line routes directly to an on-call technician — there's no voicemail system between you and the person who'll be solving your problem.
Frequently asked about garage door cable repair
Top questions homeowners searching for Garage Door Cable Repair near me ask us:
Most cable repairs run $149–$229. Add $69 if drums need replacement, $40-$60 if a bottom bracket has failed. We quote flat-rate before starting.
Cables on a balanced door wear at the same rate. The second cable is days to weeks behind the first. Replacing both at once is faster, cheaper than two visits, and properly re-balances the door.
Most cable jobs run 45–60 minutes including spring tension verification and balance test. Add 15 minutes if drums also need replacement.
No — running the opener with a failed cable bends tracks and risks the door coming off the rail entirely. Disconnect the opener and avoid using the door until repair.
5 years on cables and drums. 10-year workmanship on the install. Galvanized cables in coastal homes typically last well beyond warranty.