Garage door won't close?

A door that starts down and reverses, or an opener light that blinks, usually means the safety sensors are misaligned, dirty or blocked. Fix the sensors; never bypass them.

Not sure which one it is? Snap your garage door and we’ll narrow it down.

Does the door refuse to lift instead?

A broken spring or no power usually causes that. Garage door won't open

Likely causes

Safety sensors misaligned, dirty or blocked
Most commonModerate DIY
The door reverses on the way down, or the opener light blinks and the door won't close. The sensor lights at the bottom of each track are off, blinking or dim.
Part: $150–250 (safety sensor realignment)
Something in the door's path
CommonEasy DIY
An item, tool or debris sits under the door or in the track, and the door stops or reverses when it reaches it.
Bent or blocked track
CommonCall a pro
The door catches, jerks or stops partway, and a track looks bent, dented or has a rock or debris in it.
Part: $5–400 (a bracket up to full track replacement)
Close limit set wrong
Less commonModerate DIY
The door touches down on the floor and then reverses right away, with the sensors aligned and lit.
Lock or vacation mode on the wall console
Less commonEasy DIY
The wall console shows lock or vacation mode, and the remote does nothing or the door ignores it.
Remote batteries
Less commonEasy DIY
The wall console closes the door but the remote doesn't, or the remote's light is weak or off.

Quick checks

Never disable or bypass the safety sensors; they are what stops the door from closing on a person, pet or object. Springs and cables are under extreme tension, so never adjust, loosen or replace them yourself. Keep fingers out of panel joints, rollers and tracks. Unplug the opener before working on it.

Look at the two safety sensors at the bottom of each track. Both lights should be steady. If one is dark or blinking, the sensors don't see each other.
Wipe each sensor lens with a soft cloth and clear anything blocking the beam between them.
Check that neither sensor has been bumped to point up, down or sideways.
Clear anything from under the door and from the tracks.
Look at the wall console for a lock or vacation mode, and turn it off.
Try the wall console. If it closes the door but the remote doesn't, replace the remote batteries.
Photograph the safety sensors and their lights, the opener's lights or wall console, and the track along one side.

Sharpen the read

Diagnose your garage door in seconds, for free

No account, no phone number. Fixology’s AI reads your photo and tells you what’s likely wrong, how worried to be, and whether it’s a DIY fix.

Snap one of these:

the safety sensors at the bottom of each track and their lights
the opener's lights or the wall console
the cables and rollers along one side
the spring above the door, showing any gap

Add a note or more photos next. Nobody calls you.

When to call a pro

Call a garage door pro for a bent track, a door that sticks or jerks along the track, or sensors that still won't line up after you clean them. Anything involving a spring or cable is pro-only. For the bigger picture, see the garage door guide.

Typical cost: HomeAdvisor puts garage door repair at an average of $265 ($155–379), with labor at $75–150 per hour. Safety sensor realignment runs $150–250, and track work ranges from $5 for a bracket to $400 for a full replacement.

Sources: HomeAdvisor: How much does garage door repair cost? (updated June 20, 2026)

After a scan, Fixology can also help you find pros near you.