Garage Door Opener From Costco: Install

Most of the openers we install in Richmond now arrive with the customer, and a garage door opener from Costco is the most common box we see. A Chamberlain belt drive from Costco, a Chamberlain from Canadian Tire, a LiftMaster from a dealer, a unit from Home Depot or Rona. That is fine with us; these are the same Chamberlain Group openers we fit ourselves, just in a retail box. This page is about what is actually in that box, what is not, and what a proper install involves, so you can decide whether to do it yourself or have us do it.

What a garage door opener from Costco includes

A garage door opener from Costco, Home Depot or Canadian Tire from a big box store, such as the Chamberlain B series units sold in Canada, normally includes the motor head, the rail in sections, the belt and trolley, a header bracket, a door arm, two remotes, a wall control, a wireless keypad on some models, the safety sensors with wire, and the hanging straps. Models with Wi-Fi have MyQ built in, and models with a battery backup include the battery. The horsepower ratings on the box (1/2, 3/4, 1, 1-1/4 HP) are explained in our opener horsepower guide; for a standard double steel door in a house, any of them will lift it, and the bigger ratings mostly buy speed and quiet.

What the box does not include

This is the part the aisle sign does not mention. From the Chamberlain installation manuals for their belt drive models:

• Door reinforcement. The manual states that horizontal and vertical reinforcement is not supplied and is required on lightweight doors such as steel, aluminium, fibreglass and glass panel doors. That covers nearly every residential door in Metro Vancouver. Without a strut on the top section, the opener arm pulls the top panel into a bow over time and eventually cracks it at the hinge line. Our strut reinforcement guide shows what the bracket and strut look like.
• Header mounting structure. The header bracket has to be fastened to structural framing. In a lot of Richmond homes from the 1980s and 1990s the wall above the door is drywall over a header that is set back, and the bracket needs a block or an angle bracket to reach it. In garages with a finished ceiling, the manual notes that a support bracket and additional fasteners may be needed to hang the motor head. None of that is in the box.
• Angle iron and hardware for hanging. The perforated straps supplied are fine for a short drop. If the ceiling is high or the trusses run the wrong way, you need angle iron to make a rigid hanger, or the motor head will swing and the rail will twist.
• A properly balanced door. The manual requires the door to be balanced before the opener goes on. A door that will not stay half open on its own has weak or wrong springs, and an opener fitted to it will strip its gear or burn out. See our balance test guide to check yours in two minutes.
• Removal and disposal of the old opener.

What a proper install involves

In order, on a typical Richmond or Vancouver house with an existing door:

1. Balance test the door and check springs, cables and rollers. If the door is not balanced, that gets fixed first or the opener is not going on.
2. Remove the old opener, its bracket, arm and any hangers.
3. Fit a strut and operator reinforcement bracket to the top section if the door does not already have one.
4. Mount the header bracket into solid framing, blocking it out if needed, at the height the manual gives for the door's arc.
5. Assemble the rail, hang the motor head on rigid angle, and set the rail level and centred on the door.
6. Fit the door arm, wire the wall control and the safety sensors (sensor brackets no higher than six inches off the floor, both lights steady), and set travel limits and force.
7. Test the safety reverse with a two by four flat on the floor and by hand. Program remotes, keypad and MyQ.

For an experienced installer with the parts on the truck this is about two hours. For a homeowner doing it for the first time with a ladder and a boxed rail, most of a day, and the reinforcement and hanging hardware mean a second trip to the store.

When to do it yourself

If you have a single lightweight door that already has a strut and an operator bracket, an existing opener in the same spot so the header bracket and hangers are already in solid wood, and you are comfortable on a ladder with a drill, the boxed install is doable. Follow the manual's order and do not skip the balance test or the safety reverse test.

When to let a pro install it

• The door is a double door, a wood door, or any door with no strut on the top section.
• The door is hard to lift by hand or will not stay half open. That is a spring problem and an opener will not fix it.
• There is no opener there now, so the header bracket and hangers have to be located and built from scratch.
• The ceiling is finished, high, or the trusses do not run where the motor head needs to hang.
• You want a wall mount opener instead of a rail unit; those need a torsion shaft in good condition and a different install. See our wall mount opener guide.

Bringing us your opener

We install a garage door opener from Costco or any other retailer across Metro Vancouver and quote the labour and the reinforcement parts before we start, so you know the whole number. If the door needs spring or cable work first, we tell you that at the balance test, not after the opener is on the ceiling. If you have not bought yet and want the opener supplied as well, our opener installation page explains what we carry and what installed openers cost in Vancouver.

Frequently asked questions

Will you install a garage door opener I bought at Costco?

Yes. We install customer supplied Chamberlain and LiftMaster openers across Metro Vancouver from our shop in Richmond and quote the labour and any reinforcement parts before we start.

What is missing from a boxed garage door opener?

Door reinforcement (strut and operator bracket), structural blocking for the header bracket, angle iron for a rigid hanger, and the work of balancing the door first. The Chamberlain manual states reinforcement is not supplied and is required on steel, aluminium, fibreglass and glass panel doors.

Is a Costco opener the same as a dealer opener?

They are made by the same company. Dealer models such as LiftMaster can differ in rail construction, warranty terms and accessories, but the retail Chamberlain units are sound openers when installed properly on a balanced, reinforced door.

How long does a garage door opener install take?

About two hours for a professional on a door that is balanced and already reinforced. Add time for a strut, blocking or a first time install with no existing hardware.

Do I need a strut on my garage door for an opener?

On a sectional steel, aluminium, fibreglass or glass door, yes. The manufacturer's manual requires it, and without one the opener arm bows and cracks the top section over time.