Snapped Garage Door Cable: What to Do (and Not Do)
Lift cables run under real tension right alongside the springs, so when one snaps, the door is suddenly hanging unevenly — and how you respond in the next five minutes matters.
What a snapped cable looks like
The door hangs crooked, drops on one side, or won't move at all. Sometimes you'll see the frayed cable end dangling near the bottom bracket. Either way, the door is no longer safely supported.
Don't try to force it
Don't use the opener, don't try to lift the door by hand, and keep the area clear. A door hanging on one cable can shift or drop further without warning.
Why it's a two-cable job
Both cables see the same wear over the same years, so when one goes, the other usually isn't far behind. We replace them as a pair so you're not back here again in a month.
What the visit looks like
We check the drums, rollers, and springs while we're in there — a snapped cable is sometimes a symptom of a bigger alignment issue, and it's worth fixing the cause, not just the symptom.
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