How much does a garage door cost based on the material?

Material is the biggest cost driver when pricing a new garage door, but it does not work in isolation. Within any material category, gauge, insulation type, panel style, and finish can push the price higher than entry-level doors of a more expensive material. A premium steel door with polyurethane insulation and a faux-wood finish costs more than a basic uninsulated wood door. Understanding what drives cost within each material helps you make a comparison that is actually apples to apples.

How much do steel garage doors cost?

Steel is the most common residential garage door material and spans the widest price range. Entry-level steel doors in 27 to 28 gauge without insulation start at about $300 to $600 for the door alone on a single-car opening. A standard double-car (16-foot) door at the same tier runs $500 to $900.

Mid-range steel doors in 24 to 25 gauge with polystyrene insulation run $700 to $1,200 for a double-car door. Premium steel doors with 24-gauge skin and injected polyurethane foam, the construction that maximizes rigidity and insulation, run $1,000 to $1,800 for a standard double-car door and more for carriage styles or custom finishes.

Add $200 to $500 for standard installation on most residential doors. Prices from Forbes Home and HomeAdvisor data put the average installed cost of a steel double-car door at roughly $900 to $2,500 depending on tier.

In Colorado, the extra investment in 24-gauge steel and polyurethane insulation tends to pay back in hail damage avoided and better thermal performance through Denver's cold winters.

How much do wood garage doors cost?

Wood is the most expensive common material and the most maintenance-intensive. Real wood doors start at about $1,000 for a single-car door in a simple flat-panel design and quickly climb from there. A double-car wood door in a raised-panel or carriage style from a major manufacturer runs $1,500 to $3,500. Custom wood doors, including true custom carriage-house swing-out doors in cedar or redwood, can exceed $5,000 to $8,000 before installation.

Wood looks exceptional when it is well-maintained, but Colorado's climate is hard on exterior wood. The combination of dry air, UV, and temperature swings causes paint and stain to check and peel faster than in humid climates. A wood door in Denver should be inspected annually and refinished every 2 to 4 years to prevent cracking and water infiltration at the panel seams.

For homeowners who want the wood aesthetic without the maintenance, faux-wood steel doors (steel panels with factory-applied wood-grain texture and print) offer a visual match at lower cost and far less upkeep. These run $1,000 to $2,500 for a double-car door and require no periodic staining or resealing.

Material	Single-car door cost (door only)	Double-car door cost (door only)	Installed cost (double-car)
Steel (builder-grade)	$300 to $600	$500 to $900	$700 to $1,400
Steel (mid-range)	$500 to $900	$700 to $1,200	$1,000 to $1,800
Steel (premium insulated)	$800 to $1,400	$1,000 to $1,800	$1,400 to $2,500
Aluminum	$600 to $1,200	$900 to $2,000	$1,200 to $2,700
Wood	$1,000 to $2,500	$1,500 to $3,500	$2,000 to $5,000+
Fiberglass	$700 to $1,500	$1,000 to $2,500	$1,400 to $3,200
Vinyl	$600 to $1,000	$800 to $1,500	$1,100 to $2,100

How much do aluminum garage doors cost?

Aluminum doors run $500 to $1,200 for a single-car and $900 to $2,000 for a double-car door before installation. Aluminum is lighter than steel and naturally rust-resistant, which makes it a good fit for humid coastal climates. In Colorado, aluminum's rust resistance is less of a selling point because the dry climate does not stress steel the way salt air does.

The main trade-off is dent resistance. Aluminum is softer than steel and dents more easily from ball strikes or hail. Contemporary-style aluminum doors with large glass panels are popular on modern homes because of the clean look, but those doors cost significantly more, $2,000 to $5,000 or more for full-view glass panel designs.

How much do fiberglass and vinyl doors cost?

Fiberglass doors run $700 to $1,500 for a single-car door and $1,000 to $2,500 for a double-car door. Fiberglass resists rust and dents, and can mimic wood grain well. The material is lighter than steel or wood. The downside is that fiberglass becomes brittle in very cold temperatures, which matters in Denver where single-digit lows are not unusual in January and February. A sharp impact on a fiberglass door in cold weather can crack the panel.

Vinyl doors run $600 to $1,000 for a single-car door and $800 to $1,500 for a double-car door. Vinyl is durable, rust-free, and requires minimal maintenance. It handles moisture better than steel or wood. The selection of styles and colors in vinyl is narrower than steel, but vinyl doors perform reliably in Colorado's climate without the brittleness concern of fiberglass.

What else drives up cost beyond the material?

Size matters most after material. A 9-foot single-car door is priced differently from an 8-foot or 10-foot. A double-car at 18 feet wide costs more than a standard 16-foot. Non-standard heights, 8-foot doors versus the common 7-foot, add to the price.

Insulation level within any material category moves price noticeably. Polyurethane insulation versus polystyrene versus no insulation can shift the price by $200 to $600 on the same door model.

Window inserts, decorative hardware, faux-wood finishes, and premium paint colors all add to the base price. If you are budgeting for a door, start with the bare door price and add these line items separately so the quote is transparent.

G Brothers Garage Doors serves the Denver metro and Front Range. We carry doors across all material categories and price points, provide free estimates, and offer same-day installation on many standard doors. Call us to compare options side by side before you commit.

A note on getting accurate quotes: material costs shift with steel prices, and wood door prices follow lumber markets. The price ranges in this page reflect general market conditions, but actual quotes may vary. When comparing bids, make sure each quote lists the same specs: material type, gauge (for steel), insulation type and R-value, panel style, and whether the quote includes installation hardware, springs, and cables or just the door panel itself.

Some dealers quote door-only and add hardware and labor separately. Others quote all-in. A $700 door-only quote and a $1,100 installed quote for the same door are the same price if the dealer's hardware and labor runs $400. Reading the line items, not just the total, makes the comparison useful.

Also consider that the cheapest door is rarely the cheapest option over 10 to 15 years. A builder-grade 28-gauge steel door that dents in the first hail storm, needs two spring replacements over its life, and fades noticeably by year 7 costs more in total ownership than a 24-gauge insulated door that survives the same hail undamaged, needs one spring replacement, and holds its finish for 12 years. Material selection is not just a budget decision. It is a long-term cost calculation.