Anytime garage door springs break the spring has reached the end of its life. Torsion spring (Torsion springs are tubular and attach to metal pole above door opening) are rated by cycles. (Cycles: 1 cycle is equal to a garage door opening and closing one time.) Most torsion springs are rated between 10000 and 15000 cycles).

5 to 10 years

A good estimate is about 5 to 10 years depending on how many times a day you use your garage door. If your garage is used for storage and you open it only twice a month than the springs can go past 10 years. I have seen some springs last almost 30 years.

Extension spring

Any kind of extension spring (Extension springs are found on sides of door or run along sides on top of track) will last about the same amount of time. If your garage is not primarily used every day to go in and out than springs can last up to 20 years.

There is no real way to know exactly how long they will last. It’s all just an estimation of time and usage of door.