There are a few different ways to get an opener installed. One is to call your garage door company you may have used in the past or threw advertising. The other is going to a home improvement department store like Lowes, Home Depot or Sears. There is a slight difference between the unit you get from local garage door co. and the big retailers. The difference is the opener 9ft. rail that allows opener to travel back and forth. The garage door co. will install a professional grade opener this means the 9ft. rail is one piece. The retailers sell a rail that comes from factory in pieces so it can fit in a smaller box. The rail that comes in pieces tends to cause problems with opener functions sooner than the openers with a solid rail. Also the pieced rail is not as strong as the solid one.

The cost for installing a new opener

The cost for installing a new opener will vary because there are several different types of openers. There are 4 different drive types Chain, Belt, Screw and jackshaft.

Chain Drive

Most common drive opener. Uses a bicycle chain to move door up and down with a sprocket. Retail Price $150-250

Belt Drive

These openers use a rubber belt to move the door up and down. They are built to be quiet and cost a little bit more. Retail Price $200-300

Screw Drive

This type uses a 9ft. screw built into the rail that spins and moves a trolley back and forth. Screw drives are not recommended for freezing weather because the screw will stick in freezing weather and are a less quiet sounding opener Retail Price $200-250

Jackshaft Drive

This type of opener is a much smaller version of a commercial grade garage door opener like you would find at your local auto repair shop. These were designed for garages that cannot use a conventional opener. They are the most expensive and I do not recommend them for very heavy custom wood garage doors. They attach to the torsion shaft and are screwed in directly to the top left or right side of the door. Retail Price $350-450

Garage Door Opener Labor To Install

The labor to install any of these openers can range from $80 to $200 depending on the company you hire. I get a few calls a year where a homeowner has bought one at a retail store and tried to install themselves and got discouraged with all the parts involved. For this service I usually charge $100-$150, Depending on time needed to install.