Picking the Right Garage Door

When selecting a garage door for your home, the list of questions includes basic material, style, and price. There is a range of options and prices for garage doors, starting with the basic stock offerings and moving up to architecturally designed custom doors. The wood you select, the quality of the insulation, the glass inserts, and the panel style will all impact the purchase price of your garage door. Of course, you can pay bargain basement prices for a garage door that will only last a few years — Orbreak out the checkbook for a craftsman’s $10,000 work of art. With a little homework, however, you can find the best door for your home while staying within your budget. Here are some general guidelines for what to expect when you go shopping.

Stock Doors

No matter the material you choose, a basic garage door comes without significant panel design and without glass. From there, each upgrade will impact the cost of your door. Whether you install it yourself, the degree to which you customize your selections, and the materials you select, will determine whether your door is on the low, medium, or high end of the spectrum. A basic wood garage door for a two-car garage made of pressed wood or Masonite, with recessed panels, ready for paint, will cost around $575. In the value range, customers can also select flush faces or upgrade the wood for an increase in price. This price will not include installation, but typically includes new tracks and rollers. Ordering the door installed typically adds about $100, as do basic glass inserts. An average steel door, single-faced without insulation or windows, typically costs about $360.00. Adding windows to steel doors is slightly more expensive, but installation costs are usually the same.