Door types and materials
Steel sectional doors dominate the market for good reason: durable, low-maintenance, available in every style from flush panels to carriage-house stamping, and the best value per dollar. Within steel, the quality lever is construction: single-layer (one steel skin, no insulation), double-layer (steel plus insulation board), and triple-layer "sandwich" doors (steel–insulation–steel) that are stiffer, quieter, and far more dent-resistant.
Beyond steel: aluminum-and-glass full-view doors for modern architecture; composite and faux-wood-overlay doors that deliver the wood look without the warping and refinishing; and true wood custom doors, beautiful and expensive both to buy and to maintain. In hail-prone and coastal metros, ask specifically about impact-rated and wind-load-rated models — see your city page for local code notes.
Insulation and R-value — when it matters
If the garage is attached, conditioned, used as a gym or workshop, or sits under a bedroom, insulation pays for itself in comfort and energy. Polystyrene panels deliver roughly R-4 to R-9; injected polyurethane bonds to both skins and reaches R-12 to R-18 while making the door noticeably more rigid. In hot-summer metros an insulated door can keep an attached garage 10–20°F closer to house temperature; in cold metros it protects pipes and anything stored.
For detached, unconditioned garages in mild climates, a well-built single or double-layer door is a perfectly rational choice — don’t let anyone insist R-18 is mandatory everywhere.
What installation costs
Installed national ranges for a 16x7 double door, including removal of the old door: builder-grade non-insulated steel $1,200 to $1,800; insulated double-layer steel $1,600 to $2,500; triple-layer premium steel or carriage-house style $2,200 to $3,500; full-view aluminum/glass $3,000 to $5,500; custom wood $4,000 to $10,000+. Single-car doors run roughly 60% of double-door pricing. New tracks and springs are included in a quality install — reusing old tracks with a new door is a corner-cutting red flag.
Add-ons that are usually worth it: a new opener installed at the same time ($250–$450 incremental, since the crew is already there), high-cycle springs, and exterior keypad. Windows add $200 to $600 depending on style and glazing.
What a quality installation looks like
Expect an in-person measure before a final quote — rough opening width and height, headroom, side room, and backroom all constrain what fits, and low-headroom or high-lift tracks change the price. Installation day takes three to five hours for a standard replacement: tear-out, new tracks and springs, door sections, weather seal, opener reconnection, balance test, and force/travel calibration. The crew should walk you through manual release operation and leave you the door’s wind-load or insulation documentation where applicable — you may need it for insurance.
Standard 16x7 double door installed, including haul-away of the old door. Premium wood, full-view glass, and hurricane-rated doors run higher. See your city’s page for local price ranges.
