Updated June 2026 with current pricing
A garage door that goes down crooked is not a track problem, a roller problem, or a hinge problem. It is a cable problem. Every time a garage door closes unevenly, one side is moving faster or farther than the other, and the cables are what control that movement. Understanding what is happening inside those cables is the key to understanding why your door is crooked and why it should never be something you attempt to fix yourself.
Why Cables Control Whether Your Door Closes Straight
Garage door cables run from the bottom corners of the door up to drums mounted at each end of the torsion spring shaft above the door. As the door closes, the cables wind around those drums in tight, even coils, lowering both sides of the door at exactly the same rate. When something disrupts that process on one side, the door tilts. The cause is always in the cable system.
The Three Causes of a Crooked Garage Door
Cable Stretch
Garage door cables are made of dozens of individual strands of steel twisted tightly together. That twist is what gives the cable its strength and its length. Over time, individual strands can break inside the cable. As strands break, the cable becomes less tightly twisted, and a less-twisted cable is effectively longer. If one cable stretches more than the other, one side of the door hangs lower than the other and the door closes on an angle.
Cable Spooling
Spooling is the opposite problem. Instead of the cable getting longer, it gets shorter. This happens when individual strands or groups of strands pull out from the side of the cable, causing it to bunch and wrap unevenly on the drum. A spooled cable gathers differently than a healthy cable, so one side of the door raises and lowers at a different rate than the other. The result is the same as stretch: the door closes crooked.
Cable Jumping Off the Drum
The third cause is the most visible. If a cable jumps off the drum it is supposed to wind around, that side of the door loses controlled movement entirely. The door will drop unevenly or refuse to close properly. A broken spring is a common trigger for this. When a spring snaps, the sudden loss of tension can allow the cable to slip off the drum. The spring may need to be replaced alongside the cable repair, but the cable coming off the drum is still the direct cause of the crooked movement.
Commercial and Heavy Residential Doors: The Center Coupler
On commercial garage doors and heavy wood residential doors, there is one additional cause worth knowing about. The torsion spring shaft runs across the full width of the door and is held together at the center by a coupler. If that coupler slips, the shaft loses alignment and the door can go out of level. This is less common than a cable issue but shows up more often on larger or heavier doors. In most cases the coupler repair can be handled alongside the cable work. Pricing for this is assessed on-site.
Why You Should Never Attempt a DIY Cable Repair
Garage door cables work in constant tension with the torsion springs above the door. Those springs store significant mechanical energy at all times, enough to cause serious injury if a cable or spring releases unexpectedly during a repair. Unlike many home maintenance tasks, there is no safe way for a homeowner to work on garage door cables without the proper tools and training. We strongly recommend against any DIY attempt on cables, regardless of how accessible the problem looks. The risk is real and the repair is not expensive enough to justify it.
What a Cable Repair Costs
A jumped cable, which includes resetting the cable on the drum, adjusting the springs, and inspecting the door system, is $295, including the service call.
Stretched or spooling cables will require replacement, and this will add $95 on a standard 7′ or 8′ tall door.
If the spring is broken as well as the cable being jumped, we charge an additional $300 on a standard two-car garage door to install two new 80,000 cycle lifetime springs along with the cable repair.
All pricing is flat-rate and confirmed before any work begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my garage door going down crooked?
A crooked garage door is always a cable issue. The three causes are cable stretch, where broken strands cause the cable to lengthen; cable spooling, where strands pull out and the cable shortens and wraps unevenly; and a cable jumping off its drum, which is sometimes triggered by a broken spring. All three cause one side of the door to move differently than the other.
Can a broken spring cause a crooked garage door?
A broken spring can cause a cable to jump off its drum, which then causes the door to close crookedly. The cable coming off the drum is the direct cause of the uneven movement. In most cases both the spring and the cable need to be addressed as part of the same repair.
Should I fix a crooked garage door myself?
No. Garage door cables are under significant spring tension at all times. Working on them without the proper tools and training is genuinely dangerous. We strongly recommend against any DIY attempt on cable issues. A professional can assess and repair the problem safely, and the repair cost is not significant enough to justify the risk.
How much does it cost to fix a crooked garage door?
A jumped cable repair is $295 total, including the service call. Cable replacement due to stretch or spooling is assessed on-site. All pricing is flat-rate and confirmed before work begins.
If cables need to be replaced at the same time, add $95 for the set ($390 total).
If springs need to be replaced at the same time, add $300 for a standard double door ($595 total).
My heavy wood or commercial garage door is out of level. Is that the same problem?
Not always. On commercial doors and heavy wood residential doors, a slipping center coupler on the torsion spring shaft can cause the door to go out of level independently of the cables. This is assessed on-site and in some cases can be addressed as part of the same service call as a cable repair.
What areas do you serve?
We repair crooked garage doors throughout Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Queen Creek, and Phoenix.
Crooked Garage Door Repair in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Queen Creek, and Phoenix
If your garage door is closing unevenly, the cable system needs attention. Triple B Garage Doors and Gates provides same-day service throughout the Phoenix Metro area. All pricing is flat-rate and confirmed before we start. Call or text us at (480) 489-5799 and we will get a technician out to you the same day.