The door won't open or close

What has probably happened

• A broken spring — check for a gap in the coil above the door.
• A snapped or unwound cable, which often leaves the door sitting crooked.
• The opener has no power, or its gear has stripped.
• The safety sensors near the floor are misaligned, dirty or unplugged — the door will open but refuse to close.
• The lock was engaged, or the release cord was pulled and never re-engaged.

What the technician does

• The technician works out which of the four it is before quoting anything.
• Springs, cables, rollers and the opener drive are all checked as one system.
• Sensors realigned, cleaned and tested through a full close.
• The door rebalanced so the opener is not fighting its weight.

Questions people ask

The opener light blinks but nothing happens.

A blinking light with no movement usually points at the safety sensors. Something is in the beam, one has been knocked out of line, or a wire has come loose. It is often a quick fix.

It opens fine but will not close.

Almost always the sensors. That is by design — the door is refusing to close because it believes something is underneath.

Is this an expensive repair?

It depends entirely on which of the causes it is, and nobody can tell you honestly over the phone. The estimate is free and the price is agreed before any work starts.