Converting a Manual Garage Door to Automatic: What's Involved and What Affects the Cost

Question 01

Can my manual garage door be converted to automatic?

Usually, yes. Steel-Line says most manual garage doors can be turned into automatic doors, and opener makers such as B&D and Merlin sell openers that go on existing doors. What decides it is the door's condition. A door that's heavy or sticks needs fixing first, or the new motor pays for it.

Run down this list before you shop for an opener. Balance comes first because it decides how long a motor lasts.

Not sure how your door stacks up on the first three? That's what a callout is for. Thom checks the springs and how the door runs, then tells you straight whether it needs work before a motor goes on.

Question 02

Why does the door have to be balanced before a motor goes on?

Because the springs carry most of the door's weight, and the opener is only meant to move a door that's already balanced. B&D's and Automatic Technology's opener manuals both say the door must be well balanced before the opener goes in. B&D's adds that a sticking or binding door must be repaired by a qualified garage door installer first.

A manual door that's gone heavy over the years is easy to live with. You just lift a bit harder. Put a motor on it and the motor does that extra work every time the door moves. Both manuals also say not to use a door that's out of balance, because it can hurt someone.

Here's a quick feel test. Lift the door by hand from closed. It should move smoothly and without a fight. If it's a real struggle, stop and don't force it. Same if it wants to drop or shoot up on its own. The springs need attention before anything else. Heavy roller door and spring tension explains what's going on inside the roll.

Balance is sorted at the springs. A garage door service includes checking and adjusting spring tension and balance, and a spring that's actually broken is a job for spring repairs.

Question 03

Does it matter if it's a roller, sectional or tilt door?

Yes, because each type takes its own kind of opener. Steel-Line points out that a sectional door needs a different opener to a roller door. A roller door opener sits beside the roll at one end. Sectional and tilt door openers hang from the ceiling and pull the door along a rail.

• Roller doors. The opener fits at one end of the roll, so it needs a gap between the edge of the door and the bracket. Automatic Technology's EasyRoller manual asks for at least 41mm, or 135mm if a backup battery goes in too. B&D says its roller door openers can be added to an existing roller door.
• Sectional doors. The opener mounts on the ceiling, with a rail running to the top of the door. B&D says you can add a motor to a sectional door at any time. Its sectional opener manual asks for power on the ceiling within arm's length, and at least 57mm between the top of the door's travel and the ceiling.
• Tilt doors. The door moves as one big panel. Merlin says most tilt doors can be automated with an opener made for tilt doors, but a badly damaged or warped door may need repairing or replacing first.

Brand can matter too. B&D says its doors and openers are designed and tested to work together, and it recommends fitting its openers to genuine B&D doors. For more on how the door types differ, read roller vs sectional vs tilt doors. Got a roller door? Here's what it takes to automate a manual roller door.

Question 04

What's involved in converting a manual door to automatic?

First the door gets checked and, if needed, balanced. Then the manual lock comes off or gets disabled, the opener goes up, and the travel limits and force get set. The last step is testing that the door stops and reverses when it hits something. Remotes and any keypad get coded in along the way.

Here's what a proper fit covers, going by the opener makers' own install manuals.

1. 01Check the door. The manuals say to look over the springs and mountings for wear, damage or imbalance, and make sure the door opens and closes properly.
2. 02Sort the locks. Door locks and locking bars get removed or disabled before the opener goes in. On a roller door, Automatic Technology says covers must go over the locking bar holes in the tracks so fingers can't get caught.
3. 03Fit the opener and its release. The manual release handle goes lower than 1.8m, so you can reach it in a blackout.
4. 04Set the travel limits and force, so the door stops in the right spot at the top and bottom.
5. 05Test the safety reverse. Automatic Technology says the door must reverse when it touches a 40mm high object on the floor.
6. 06Code the remotes and fit the wall button. The makers say a wall control goes at least 1.5m up, out of kids' reach, where you can see the door.

One thing changes for good once the motor's on. The opener becomes the lock. Both manuals warn that once the opener is switched to manual, the door is no longer locked. To lock it again, close the door and hook the opener back up.

If your door already has an opener and it's the motor that's failing, that's a different job. See garage door motor replacement.

Question 05

How much does it cost to convert a manual garage door to automatic?

There's no single price, because the door decides most of it. The type and size of door, the opener it needs, any spring or balance work first, a power point from an electrician, and extras like safety beams or a backup battery all change the total. A callout gets the door checked first.

Repairs and servicing are booked as a callout valued between $200 and $300 depending on the door size and the labour involved. Getting Thom to check the door before a motor goes on is booked the same way. He's trained across multiple garage door brands and systems, so he can tell you what the door needs first.

• Door type and size. Openers are rated for door size and weight. B&D's roller door openers, for example, are rated for doors up to 15 or 16.5 square metres, depending on the model.
• Work the door needs first. Spring work and freeing up tracks that bind come before the opener, never after.
• The power point. If there isn't an earthed point near where the opener will sit, a licensed electrician's bill comes on top.
• Extras. B&D sells safety beams, keypads, phone control, a battery backup and extra remotes as add-ons.

For how opener prices work, and when repairing an old opener beats replacing it, read the garage door motor replacement cost guide. What the callout itself covers is in garage door service and repair costs.

Question 06

Do I need a power point for a garage door opener?

Yes. An opener plugs into an earthed 240V power point, and the makers want it within arm's length. Automatic Technology's manual says the outlet must be installed by a qualified electrical contractor. In Queensland, installing a new power point or moving one is electrical work, so it needs a licensed electrician.

Queensland's Electrical Safety Office lists installing a new power point, and moving an existing one, as electrical work. Doing it yourself is illegal. The office also warns that if illegal electrical work causes a fire, your insurer may refuse the claim.

Where the point goes depends on the door. For a sectional or tilt door, it's up on the ceiling near where the opener hangs. For a roller door, Automatic Technology asks for power within arm's length of the door, at a suitable height.

Question 07

Do I need safety beams, remotes or a keypad?

You'll want remotes, and a keypad is optional. Beams depend on the setup. B&D's sectional opener manual says beams must be fitted if the door closes with more than 400N (40kg) of force at the bottom edge, or if a phone app runs it when you can't see the door. Both manuals make beams compulsory for auto-close.

Safety beams are two small sensors near the floor, one each side of the opening. If something breaks the beam, the door won't close. B&D calls them a must-have for families with little ones or pets. The safety beams and auto-reverse guide covers how they work and the monthly test.

A battery backup is worth a thought here, since B&D says its backup lets the door open and close during a power outage. No other way into the garage? Both opener manuals say that if there's no walk-in door, an emergency access device should be fitted, so you can open the door from outside when the power's out.

Question 08

Can I fit a garage door opener myself?

Some people do. Steel-Line says quality openers come with step-by-step instructions, and the job takes a little experience and know-how. But B&D's sectional opener manual says its instructions are for professional installers. The door work around it is the real risk. Springs and cables aren't DIY jobs.

The power point is never a DIY job in Queensland. And the makers' own safety steps, like testing the reverse on a 40mm object and putting the release handle within reach, are easy to miss the first time. If you'd like the door looked at properly first, call Thom on 0402 882 653 or book a callout. Every job is done by Thom.