- 1726 Great Hwy San Francisco, CA 94122
- Garagedooralfonso@gmail.com
Lift cables carry the door's weight from the spring system down to the bottom brackets — when one frays or snaps, the door hangs crooked and can slam or jam without warning. We replace cables in matched pairs, re-tension the system, and check what caused the failure. Typical San Francisco cable jobs run $160–$290, with an exact quote before work begins.
| Lift cable pair, replaced and tensioned | $160–$290 |
| Cables plus drum reset and balance check | $190–$360 |
| Bottom bracket replacement if worn | +$50–$120 |
Typical San Francisco and Bay Area ranges (parts + labor), last updated July 2026 — see the full SF garage door cost guide. You get an exact, upfront quote before any work begins — call (415) 494-4774 or book online.
A snapped cable has very distinct and alarming symptoms. Unlike a broken spring, which may just stop the door from moving, a broken cable often results in a visibly damaged and jammed door.
⚠️ Never attempt cable replacement yourself:
Extreme Spring Tension: The cables are what transfer the lifting force from the torsion springs. To replace a cable, the springs must be safely and professionally de-tensioned. Failure to do this can result in the springs releasing their energy explosively, causing severe injury.
Risk of Door Collapse: The remaining cable is holding the door’s weight under immense, unbalanced stress. Attempting to move the door or adjust the cables can cause the other cable to snap, leading to a complete and sudden collapse of the door.
Specialized Tools & Knowledge: A professional must not only replace the cable but also re-level the door, reset the cable drums, and re-tension the spring system correctly. This requires specialized tools and precise calibration to ensure the door is balanced and safe.
Our technicians at Alfonso Garage Door are trained to safely manage the high-tension systems, secure the door, and perform the replacement without risk to you or your property.
Visually inspect the cables on both sides. Look for any signs of fraying, broken strands, or rust, especially near the bottom brackets and the cable drums.
Check the pulleys (on extension spring systems) for wobble or wear.
Do not lubricate the cables themselves, as this can cause them to slip.
Instead, focus on lubricating the rollers, hinges, and springs, which reduces the overall strain on the entire system, including the cables.
Schedule a professional tune-up. A technician will check the cable tension, inspect for wear, check the pulley alignment, and ensure the door is properly balanced, which is the best way to extend the life of your cables.
Visible fraying or individual broken wires ("whiskers").
Rust or corrosion on the cables.
The door is moving in a jerky or shaky way.
The door appears slightly off-balance or crooked.
Owner
Leads the team with expertise, ensuring reliable garage door installations and repairs.
Technician
Skilled in maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting of all residential and commercial garage doors.
Technician
Experienced in spring replacement, opener installation, and emergency garage door services.
Technician
Specializes in cable, roller, and track repairs, ensuring smooth and safe door operation.
We follow all DASMA Garage Door Safety Guidelines on every job.
Our safety protocols and training are aligned with OSHA Safety Standards to protect both our technicians and your property.
Contact us for a no-obligation assessment of your garage door needs. We provide transparent pricing and honest recommendations.
Our certified technicians arrive on time with fully stocked service vehicles, ready to complete most repairs on the first visit.
All our work is backed by comprehensive warranties on parts and labor, ensuring your complete satisfaction.
We provide follow-up service and are always available for questions or additional needs.
Most cable replacements in San Francisco land between $160 and $290 for the pair, parts and labor. If the drums need resetting or a bottom bracket is corroded through, the total can reach $360. You get one exact written price before we start — never an estimate that grows.
The usual culprits are age, rust, and fraying at the bottom bracket where the cable bends hardest. Near the coast, salt-heavy air corrodes the strands from the inside out, so a cable can look fine and still be one cycle from failure. Sometimes the real cause is a door that's out of balance, which overloads the cables — we check for that on every cable job.
You can, but it's a false economy. Both cables were installed together and have identical wear, so the surviving one is living on borrowed time. Replacing the pair adds only the cost of one cable to the job and means both sides lift evenly — a mismatched pair can pull the door crooked.
Yes. The cables terminate in the same counterbalance system as the springs, which store enough torque to cause serious injury if released wrong. Re-rigging cables requires winding bars and knowing the correct drum rotation. This is one of the two garage door repairs (springs being the other) we genuinely urge people not to attempt.
This is exactly why we run 24/7. From our Great Highway shop we cover the Sunset, Richmond, and west side fastest, and the rest of San Francisco typically within a couple of hours. Call (415) 494-4774, don't force the door, and we'll get it lifted safely and re-cabled the same visit.
Often handled in the same visit as snapped cable repair:
Same-day, true 24/7 snapped cable repair across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and the East Bay — including:
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