A broken or outdated garage door can spell disaster for your daily routine. While you might be pressed for time, it’s essential to do your due diligence when weighing which garage door companies near St. Charles you should work with.
This guide takes you through the nine essential questions to ask during your search. And with it, you can rest easy knowing you’ve found a trustworthy, dependable company that’s bound to get the job done right.
Table of Contents
1. What Do Past Customers Say About Working with You?
2. How Long Have You Been in Business?
3. How Much Will This Cost Me?
4. Do You Offer Any Sort of Guarantee?
5. What Brands Do You Work With?
6. Do You Offer 24/7 Emergency Services?
7. Are You Properly Licensed & Insured?
8. Are You a Franchise/Owned by a Larger Company?
1. What Do Past Customers Say About Working with You?
Reputation is everything when it comes to contractors and home services.
And in your search for dependable garage door companies near St. Charles, it should be one of the first things you’re researching.
Always be sure you’re checking review scores using the sources below before settling on a company.
Google Reviews
Google is far and above the most popular choice among shoppers regarding reviews. One survey even found that 59% of customers use it to evaluate the quality of a business—rivaled only by Amazon at 57%.
Always check a garage door company’s review rating before getting your estimate.
And don’t forget! The more reviews listed, the more accurate the total score is.
HomeAdvisor/Angi’s List
Angi’s List has teamed up with HomeAdvisor to offer a marketplace of prescreened, vetted home improvement professionals in your area. Reviews are verified by HomeAdvisor (meaning no fakes), and businesses are ranked on their ability to offer great service every time.
Without a doubt, one of the best places to find garage door companies near St. Charles.
Facebook Reviews
The undisputed king of social media, Facebook has more than 2.85 billion monthly active users worldwide.
But it’s not just for connecting with friends. It’s also a great place to get business and service provider recommendations.
Be sure to check out garage door company reputations along the way.
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau is a great place to look to get a general sense of a company’s trustworthiness. Here, businesses are ranked on an A+ to F letter grade scale.
But take it with a grain of salt. The BBB has also been criticized for penalizing businesses that don’t pay a listing fee.
Trusted Referrals
Lastly, don’t forget to ask friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations.
In-person referrals are a great way to find a garage door repair company you can trust. And while some may recommend tackling the problem yourself, most who have tried that route know plenty of reasons to hire a professional.
2. How Long Have You Been in Business?
It’s true—experience isn’t everything when it comes to repairs.
And in some cases, someone just starting may be able to do a satisfactory job.
But on the whole, the longer a garage door company has been successfully operating, the better it will be at providing excellent service.
Plus, they’ll also have more first-person knowledge about avoiding mistakes and how to get the job done quickly without sacrificing quality.
So if you’ve spotted any of the signs your garage door is broken, look for a garage door company near St. Charles with at least 10+ years of experience.
3. How Much Will This Cost Me?
Let’s be realistic. Price will always factor into your decision.
But you should be careful about letting it become the only factor.
Beyond low prices often leading to low-quality products and workmanship, a tiny price tag may also cover gaps in the business’s legitimacy. It may, for example, indicate missing proper licenses, using illegal employees, or a terrible reputation among past customers.
Below are a few questions most people have regarding garage door prices to give you an idea of what’s reasonable.
What Is the Average Cost of a New Garage Door?
The average cost of a new single garage door is $300 to $1,100 for the materials. A double will typically be a few hundred dollars more.
For many, this will include a new door and new tracks.
It’s worth noting that a new door will typically cost less than replacing your old door. This is often due to hardware replacement, resizing the opening, and removal and disposal of old parts.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Single Garage Door?
Installing a single garage door will cost on average $1,136 but may range between $756 and $1,564.
This includes $300 to $1,100 for parts, $300 for labor, and other miscellaneous costs.
How Much Is a 12X14 Garage Door?
A 12 X 14 garage door is much larger than the average 9 X 7.
As a result, it’s typically suited for commercial purposes and may require a commercial garage repair and installation company.
It will also likely be much more expensive than the typical garage—anywhere from $1,000 to several thousand dollars.
Don’t forget to add labor costs, can opener, and any new hardware required.
4. Do You Offer Any Sort of Guarantee?
A warranty or satisfaction guarantee is a way for a business to show that they genuinely believe in the quality of its services.
The most reputable garage door companies near St. Charles will likely offer product warranties alongside repair or installation quality guarantees.
Gateway Door and Contracting offers more than just warranties and guarantees. We’re also guided by our pledge to our customers:
“If you allow us the privilege of serving you, we’ll treat you and your home with respect, answer all your questions with clarity, provide the best in value service, and always serve you with excellence.”
5. What Brands Do You Work With?
Unfortunately, all garage door brands aren’t of the same quality.
And truth be told, some work much better than others.
In your search for a trusted garage door company, you’ll want to find one that uses only the highest quality and best-in-value brands.
Otherwise, you may be stuck calling up a repairman again in no time.
Request a free garage door estimate today!
Best-In-Value Garage Door Brands
Below are some of the best garage door brands on the market.
Even if you don’t have these brands, a quality garage door company should be able to repair a wide range of models.
For instance, Gateway Door and Contracting provides products for the brands above but will happily service the following brands too:
- Craftsman
- Delden
- Guardian
- Hormann
- Linear
- Martin
- Midland
- Windsor
- Sommer
- Northwest Door
6. Do You Offer 24/7 Emergency Services?
Nothing’s more frustrating than getting ready for work and stepping into the garage only to find the door is broken.
When you’re in a rush, you don’t have time to wait days and days for a repair job.
The best garage door companies in the area should offer emergency repair services. Some may even operate 24/7.
You’ll also want to be extra careful about checking their reputation in these cases. A reputable company won’t take advantage of the situation and will be upfront and honest about when to repair and replace your door—not just give you the most expensive option.
7. Are You Properly Licensed & Insured?
Another vital piece of information you should obtain is proof of being licensed and insured.
If a company won’t show you proof of either, it’s typically a red flag that you’re dealing with an untrustworthy service provider.
What Does “Licensed” Mean?
Most home contractors need to be licensed by the state of Missouri before beginning work. This means the business is officially recognized and protects clients from fraud.
A licensed contractor will also generally be legally required to follow specific state and local laws.
What Does “Insured” Mean?
If a garage door company is insured, they cover an insurance policy that will protect you, the customer, in case any injuries occur.
If they are not insured, you may have to cover the costs of an injured employee if an accident occurs on your property.
8. Are You a Franchise/Owned by a Larger Company?
Lastly, ask if the company is part of a franchise or owned by a larger company.
Unfortunately, some garage door companies may engage in shady practices. For example, a company may say that your door needs extensive equipment replacement when the problem could be solved with a simple repair.
Eventually, these shady practices may catch up with that company, and negative reviews may ruin its reputation.
But if it’s just one arm of a much larger company or even listed in the phone book under different names, it can avoid the fallout from those reviews altogether.
Look at the video below for an idea of how these scams work.
Gateway Door and Contracting – The Best of the Garage Door Companies Near St. Charles
If you’re searching for the best garage door company near St. Charles, be sure to request a free estimate from Gateway Door and Contracting
At Gateway Door and Contracting Co., we take pride in offering the highest quality garage services in the area.
Here’s how we stand out from the competition:
- We’re family-owned, not a franchise – so you’ll get the best in value products, installation, and service.
- We offer the best in value garage doors and openers like Raynor, doorLink, C.H.I., Clopay, Wayne Dalton, and LinkMaster!
- Your garage door and opener will be installed or repaired by an experienced professional technician.
- We’ll thoroughly test and adjust your door and/or opener for superior performance and operation.
- We’ll walk you through the complete operation, answer all questions, and provide best practice tips.
- We’ll clean up after ourselves and even remove your old garage door; you’re always in good hands.
So if you need 24/7 garage repair or are looking for a trusted partner for installation, get in touch with Gateway Door and Contracting today for a free estimate!
