Fix it
Garage door will not close all the way
A door that stops a few inches short and stays there has hit its down limit early. A door that stops short and reverses has hit something. A door that closes but leaves daylight at one end is sitting on an uneven floor or has a worn bottom seal — and that is the cheapest of the three by a distance.
Do this first
Note whether it stops and stays, stops and reverses, or closes but leaves a gap. Those are three different faults with three different answers.
2 of 3 are yours to fix
What it usually turns out to be
| Cause | How to tell | What happens next | Yours? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The down limit is set short | It stops a few inches up and stays there, quite happily. | Adjust the down travel on the opener head, a quarter turn at a time. | Yes |
| The bottom seal is worn or the floor is uneven | The door is fully closed but there is daylight at one corner. | A new bottom seal takes up half an inch or so. A badly out-of-level floor takes a stepped seal. | Yes |
| The track is out of line at the bottom | The door pinches or scrapes in the last foot of travel. | The vertical tracks are adjusted back to plumb and the correct distance apart. | Call somebody |
What it costs
$70 – $160
For a bottom seal with retainer. National guide range, checked September 2026 — get it in writing.
Exact price
Want somebody to look at it?
The range above is a guide. Tell us what you need and somebody who works your area will price it properly.
If the door will not move and a car is stuck behind it, do not wait on a form — leave the door where it is and ring somebody. Do not pull on the spring or the cable.
Your details are used to quote this job and nothing else.
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