Garage Door Stuck After an Earthquake
My garage door won't open after the earthquake — is my garage safe?
What is actually causing it
Most likely first, based on what our crews find on the call.
01Opening racked out of square
A wide garage opening is the weakest line in the wall, and shaking moves it out of square before it damages anything else. The door then binds in tracks that are no longer plumb. If the door is jammed and the jamb, header or slab shows new cracking, treat it as a structural question first and a door question second.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
02Door jumped the track during the shaking
Doors swing in their tracks during strong motion and rollers can leave the channel. Do not force it back. Do not run the opener.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
03Contents fell against the door
Shelving, bikes and stored boxes pile against the inside of the door and block it. This is safe to check and clear, and it is the most common benign cause.
Safe to check yourself, with the door closed and the opener unplugged.
04Opener knocked off its mounts
A powerhead hanging by one bracket, or a rail bowed at the header, will bind the trolley. Unplug the unit before doing anything else, then leave it.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
05Spring or cable failure during the event
The shock load can finish a spring or cable that was already near the end of its life. Assume the counterbalance is compromised until it has been checked.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
06Slab heaved or cracked at the threshold
Ground movement lifts a slab edge and the door no longer clears it. That is a threshold and floor question, and it is worth documenting for insurance before it is altered.
Do not attempt this yourself. It is under spring or cable load and it injures people every year — this one is a licensed-technician job.
Why this happens more in California
A garage opening is a genuine structural weak point, and California's building stock is full of them: houses and small apartment buildings with living space over a wide, largely open ground-floor garage are the classic soft-story — the configuration that failed repeatedly in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and that Los Angeles later made subject to a mandatory retrofit ordinance for wood-frame buildings with tuck-under parking. That history matters after a quake because a door that suddenly binds is often reporting on the opening, not on itself. If your door jammed and you can see fresh cracking at the header, the jamb or the slab, get the structure looked at before anyone pays to straighten track. Photograph everything first; earthquake damage is not covered by a standard homeowners policy in California and any claim will run through separate earthquake cover.
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Frequently asked questions
My garage door won't open after the earthquake — is my garage safe?
Is this safe for me to fix myself?
How much will the repair cost?
Are you licensed?
Describe the noise. We will tell you what broke.
Most calls are diagnosed in under two minutes, with a price range before anyone drives out.
CA-GARAGEDOOR California — California contractor licence CSLB #1098234. Licensed, bonded and insured. 1-year parts & labor.