Automatic Garage Door Cost: Opener, Remotes and Wiring
What an electric opener adds to an existing garage door, what a new automated door costs, and what your quote should itemise.
An automatic garage door installation typically costs £1,750 for a new door (usual range £1,350 – £2,300), and the electric opener is one option within that. Adding an opener to a door you already have is a different job, and the answer depends on whether your existing door is worth automating.
Our full cost guide is at Garage door. This article covers the question it does not: how to split the price between the door, the motor and the electrics.
Two jobs that get called the same thing
Searches for "automatic garage door" cover two quite different jobs.
- Retrofit: a motor and rail fitted to your existing up-and-over or sectional door. Cheaper, but only sensible if the door is sound, balanced and square.
- New automated door: a replacement door supplied with its opener, usually with the door and motor designed to work together.
Roller and sectional doors are built around a motor and are normally sold automated. Up-and-over doors are the ones most often retrofitted.
What the opener adds on a new door
We price the opener as a separate option, so you can see its effect. Here is the same job priced both ways:
- Steel up-and-over, manual: £1,250
- Steel up-and-over, electric opener with remotes: £1,750
The gap between those two figures is the practical cost of automation on a new door. It covers the motor, rail, remote handsets and fitting, but not any new power supply (see below).
How the door type changes the total
The door itself usually matters more than the motor. Here is the typical mid-range cost by type:
| Material | Typical | Usual range | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel up-and-over | £1,550 | £1,200 – £2,050 | – |
| Insulated aluminium roller | £1,750 | £1,350 – £2,300 | – |
| GRP up-and-over | £2,100 | £1,650 – £2,750 | – |
| Timber up-and-over | £2,200 | £1,750 – £2,900 | – |
| Steel side-hinged | £2,200 | £1,750 – £2,900 | – |
| Insulated sectional | £2,300 | £1,800 – £3,000 | – |
| Timber side-hinged | £2,800 | £2,200 – £3,650 | – |
An insulated roller or sectional door costs more than a steel up-and-over, but the motor is a more integral part of it and the door sits tight to the opening, which helps if the garage is attached to the house. Timber and side-hinged doors are the awkward ones: side-hinged doors need special arms and often cost more to automate, and heavy timber up-and-over doors can overload a standard motor.
Hidden costs to look for
Most disputes about automatic door quotes come from items that are not on the first page.
- Power supply. The opener needs a socket close to the motor, usually on the ceiling. If the garage has no ceiling socket, a new spur is needed. Electrical work in homes in England and Wales is notifiable in some cases, so the installer should be registered (Part P) or the work notified to building control. Ask which applies.
- Door preparation. A door that sticks, sags or has worn springs will strain a motor. Expect to pay for repairs or new springs before automation, or accept that the retrofit is not worthwhile.
- Extra remotes and keypads. Check how many handsets are included and whether an outside keypad or wall switch is priced separately.
- Safety features. Ask for photocells or an obstruction-detection feature to be listed, plus a manual release for power cuts.
- Removal of the old door. Our model prices disposal separately, so confirm whether it is in the figure.
- Door width. A double door needs a stronger motor, and the price rises accordingly.
Retrofit or replace?
A rough decision rule we use:
- If the door is under-performing, drafty, damaged or hard to lift, replace it. Putting a motor on a failing door shortens the life of both.
- If the door is sound and the only issue is convenience, retrofit an opener, ideally from the door manufacturer or the manufacturer's recommended range.
- If you want an insulated door because the garage is used as a workshop or gym, price a new roller or sectional door with an opener.
For a garage that doubles as a utility room or is part of a bigger project, it may also be worth looking at related work, such as our guides to New driveway and Rendering, since access and scaffolding can overlap.
What a good quote includes
Ask for an itemised quote that lists:
- the door type, size and finish
- the motor model, with its stated door weight and size limits
- how many remotes, plus any keypad or wall control
- the electrical work and who will certify it
- safety devices and the manual release
- removal and disposal of the old door
- warranty terms for the door and the motor separately
We calculate our figures from labour hours × local rates plus materials, checked against market prices and real quotes. If a quote sits well outside the range above, our "is my quote fair" tool lets you enter the details and compare line by line.
The bottom line
Automation is a modest part of a new door's price, but a poor door or a missing power supply can make a cheap quote expensive. Get the door condition assessed first, ask for the electrics to be itemised, and compare at least three written quotes.