New garage door installation
Convert a single garage door to a double?
Widening the opening is a framing and structural job for a contractor. Once the opening is built, we install the larger door and opener. We do not do the header work.
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Is this what you're seeing?
You have a one-car door and want a two-car opening.
You are remodeling or adding space.
Your car or truck barely fits.
You are planning a new garage layout.
You want to know who does what.
What's going on
A garage door opening is part of the wall. Making it wider means removing framing, supporting the load above, and building a new header that spans the wider space. That is structural work. It often involves a framer or general contractor, and in many places a permit and an engineer's sizing. It is not part of a door installation.
We install the door, tracks, springs and opener once the opening is finished. For the new door to fit, the opening needs to be the right width and height, plumb and square, with proper jamb framing, side room for the tracks and enough headroom for the spring system. Standard double doors are 16 feet wide, but sizes vary, and our answer on what size door you need covers it.
Plan the sequence before demolition starts. Pick the door and confirm its rough opening, then have the contractor build to those dimensions. Ordering a door before the opening is final is a common mistake, and a measurement error costs time. We can measure and confirm the dimensions with you and your contractor.
What to do right now
Do
Talk to a framer or general contractor about the header and any permit.
Check your HOA rules and the city requirements.
Think about whether you have room on the sides and above the opening.
Contact us to discuss the door size and the opener.
Don't
Do not cut into the wall before the header plan is in place.
Do not order a door until the opening size is final.
Do not expect a door company to do structural work.
Do not skip permits if they are required.
How we fix it
Once the opening is ready, we do the new garage door installation: measure, order, remove the old door, set the tracks and springs, install the new door and a matching opener, and test it. We can also coordinate timing with your contractor so the door goes in as soon as the framing is done.
Repair or replace?
The existing single door is usually removed and not reused, because its size, tracks and springs do not fit the new opening. If you are not widening the opening and just want an upgrade, a replacement door in the same size is a simpler path.
A larger door is heavier and needs stronger springs and a suitable opener. See our guide on opener horsepower.
Related questions
What size garage door do I need?
What size garage door do you need? Single doors run 8 to 9 feet wide, doubles 16 feet, both 7 feet tall. Learn how to measure your opening the right way.
Read full answerDo I need a permit for a garage door?
Do you need a permit for a garage door? Replacing a door or opener in the same opening usually does not. Changing the opening or structure usually does.
Read full answerDoes a new garage door come with an opener?
Not always. A new garage door and the opener are usually priced separately. Here's when an opener is included, when to reuse yours, and when to upgrade.
Read full answerHow long does a garage door installation take?
How long does a garage door installation take? Most installs run 4 to 6 hours, same-day completion is the norm. Here is what changes the timeline.
Read full answerRelated services
Parts mentioned
Plan your two-car door
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