Dented Garage Door or Reversed Into It? Repair a Panel, Replace the Door, or Claim Insurance

Question 01

Can a dented garage door be fixed?

Often, yes. B&D says small and medium dents in steel doors are often easy to fix. Large or severe damage is harder, and so are dents in solid wood or insulated steel panels. The bigger question is what else the knock did. A hit that bends a track or a hinge matters more than the dent itself.

B&D's guide to garage door dents points out that a dent can also change how the door works. So the first job is to work out whether it's only skin deep.

Where the dent sits tells you a lot. A dent in the middle of a panel is often just about looks. One near a hinge or the bottom of the door is more likely to have pushed something out of line. A car bumper hits low. On a sectional door, that's where the cables attach and the seal meets the floor.

Roller doors work differently. The curtain is one long sheet of steel that rolls up at the top, so there's no single panel to swap. A dent can still change how it runs. Watch it closely the first few times you use it.

Question 02

Should I repair the panel or replace the whole door?

Fix it when the damage is in one spot and the rest of the door runs well. Think about a new door when the frame is bent, or when the door is old and needs other work too. B&D says doors that have bent their frames or come off their hinges are usually too dangerous to repair.

Swapping a panel depends on getting one that matches. B&D, for one, says a single section can be replaced on its own genuine sectional doors when the damage is minimal. It also says the door's age is a factor. A new panel may not match exactly either, because colours fade and lighten in the harsh Australian sun. For woodgrain-look doors, B&D suggests new panels all round.

If the whole door has to go, garage door installation explains what's involved, and garage door types compares roller, sectional and tilt doors. The door's age matters too. How long garage doors last helps you work out whether yours is near the end anyway.

New doors from Deadlock: Only work valued at $3,300 or less.

Question 03

How much does it cost to fix a dented garage door?

Repairs and servicing are booked as a callout valued between $200 and $300 depending on the door size and the labour involved. For a dented door, what it takes to fix depends on what the knock damaged. A dent on its own is one thing. A bent track or a slipped cable as well is more work.

• The door type. Sectional, roller and tilt doors are built differently, so they're fixed differently.
• Whether a matching panel can still be had for your door. B&D says the door's age matters here.
• What else took the hit. Tracks, rollers, hinges, cables and the bottom rail can all get knocked along with the panel.
• The finish. B&D notes that textured finishes and designer doors in wood, aluminium or acrylic can make repairs harder.

Ask Thom about the charge for your door when you call. Garage door service and repair costs explains what the callout covers.

Question 04

Is it safe to use a garage door after it's been hit?

If the door still runs and closes the way it did before the hit, a small dent is usually just a dent. Stop using it if it jerks, sticks, runs crooked or makes new noises, or if a roller or cable looks out of place. Merlin's opener manual says not to use a door that needs repair.

Don't let the opener force a damaged door either. The same manual says not to let the opener make up for a door that's binding or sticking. So if the door drags or catches, leave the remote alone and get it checked.

A car that clips the side of the opening can also knock a safety beam out of line. Garage door safety sensors and auto-reverse shows how to test the beams and the auto-reverse.

Door stuck open so you can't lock up? Car shut inside? That's what 24/7 emergency garage door repairs are for. If a cable has snapped, what to do when a spring or cable breaks covers the next steps.

Question 05

What do I need for an insurance claim on a dented garage door?

Take photos and video before anything is moved or fixed, and write down the date and what happened. Call your insurer before you pay for repairs if you can, and ask what your excess is. Keep every receipt. If your insurer wants a report from a technician, ask your insurer what they need before you book a callout.

1. 01Photos and video first. Get wide shots of the whole door and close-ups of the dent, the tracks and anything bent. Moneysmart says to do this before you move anything.
2. 02The date and what happened. Write it down while it's fresh, including how the door got hit.
3. 03Your policy number. Moneysmart says having it handy speeds things up when you call.
4. 04Your questions. Ask what your excess is, and whether you can choose your own repairer or have to use theirs.
5. 05Receipts. Keep them for anything you pay for, like getting a door that won't close made secure.
6. 06A technician's report, if your insurer asks for one. Ask your insurer what they need before you book a callout.

Moneysmart also says to talk to your insurer before you spend money on temporary repairs. Safety still comes first, though. If the door won't close or it's hanging off its track, get it made safe, take your photos first and keep the receipt.

Reversed into it yourself? The car and the house may sit on different policies, so you could be talking to two insurers. Each policy spells out what it covers, so ask before you book the repair.

Question 06

Who pays when someone reverses into a rental or strata garage door?

In a Queensland rental, the RTA says the tenant may have to pay if they or a guest caused the damage. The owner generally pays for other repairs. The tenant should tell the property manager or owner in writing as soon as possible. In a strata complex, check with the body corporate before you book anything.

The RTA's own example is a tenant who knocks a wall while moving furniture. They're responsible and may have to pay. By the same rule, a tenant who backs into the garage door may have to pay for that repair. The RTA also says a tenant shouldn't organise a routine repair without written permission. Garage door repairs in rental properties covers the rest, including what counts as urgent.

Townhouse and unit complexes need one more step. Ask the body corporate manager whose job the door is before you book, because it might not be yours to arrange. Body corporate garage doors explains how that usually works.

Question 07

What should be checked after a garage door's been hit?

Everything the knock could have reached. B&D says a technician will check whether the dent has hurt the door's structure or the parts that make it work. That means the hinges, rollers, tracks, cables and spring balance, plus the opener's safety reverse. If the door's off its track, making it safe comes first.

• Photos first. Take a wide shot of the whole door and a close-up of the dent before anything's moved. They're handy when you call, and your insurer may want them too.
• The hinges and rollers near the dent. A hit can push them out of line.
• The tracks. They can bend when a car or a trailer clips the side of the opening.
• The cables and spring balance. These are a job for a technician. Don't adjust them yourself.
• The opener's safety reverse, tested once the door runs straight again.

Every job is done by Thom. He's got 3.5 years of hands-on experience and has trained across multiple garage door brands, systems and businesses. He's insured through BizCover and based in Maroochydore. Booked work runs 6am to 6pm, seven days, with 24/7 emergency callouts.

He works across the Sunshine Coast, including Golden Beach, Warana and Aroona. To have a dented door looked at, call 0402 882 653 or book a callout. For other faults, see garage door repairs.