The truck pulls up, the old opener comes down, and the new one goes up. Most residential swaps take two to three hours from knock to handshake. You get a working door, a clean ceiling, and a remote that actually works.
What we need from you before we arrive
Pick the opener. If you have not decided, we carry LiftMaster belt-drive and chain-drive units on the truck — quiet enough for a bedroom above the garage, strong enough for a solid wood double door. Know your door height. Standard is seven feet; eight-foot and ten-foot doors need extra rail. Clear the cars and the floor space under the opener. We need room for a ladder and a parts bin.
Removing the old unit
We unplug the power, drop the rail, and unbolt the motor head from the ceiling brackets. If the existing brackets are solid and spaced for the new rail, we reuse them. If they are bent, spaced wrong, or nailed into drywall instead of joists, we install new lag-bolted brackets. The old opener, rail, and remote go in the truck. We do not leave it by the curb.
Hanging the new motor and rail
The rail assembles on the floor. We lift the motor head, bolt it to the ceiling brackets, and level the rail to the header bracket above the door. Belt drives get a tension check; chain drives get a sag check — half an inch at mid-span. The header bracket must land on solid framing. If the original installer nailed it to the drywall, we open a pocket, find the header, and lag it properly.
Wiring the wall control and safety eyes
Two low-voltage wires: one to the wall button by the pedestrian door, one pair to the photo eyes at the floor. We staple along the ceiling and down the wall, keeping wire out of the door’s travel path. Photo eyes mount no higher than six inches off the floor, aimed dead at each other. If the sun hits one eye at noon, we shade it or swap sides. A misaligned eye is the number one callback on a fresh install.
Setting travel limits and force
The door runs open and closed on the opener’s learn cycle. We adjust up-limit so the top section sits just below the header. Down-limit stops the bottom seal flush with the concrete — no daylight, no crush. Force settings are dialed so the door reverses on a two-by-four laid flat, but does not false-reverse on a cold morning when the seals stick.
Programming remotes, keypad, and vehicle buttons
Every remote that came in the box gets paired. If you have a Homelink or Car2U system in the car, we program that too. Keypad goes on the jamb outside, code of your choice. We hand you the remaining remotes and the manual. You try each one while we watch. If a button fails, we swap the remote on the spot.
The safety checklist we run before we leave
- Photo-eye reversal: beam broken at mid-travel, door reverses.
- Mechanical reversal: two-by-four on the floor, door reverses on contact.
- Force test: door stops and reverses when we resist the bottom edge by hand.
- Wall button: opens, closes, stops mid-travel.
- Remote range: tested from the street and from inside the car.
- Manual release: red handle pulls clean, door moves freely by hand, re-engages on next cycle.
- Hardware torque: every lag bolt, trolley bolt, and chain/belt clip checked with a wrench.
What changes the timeline
A straight swap on a seven-foot door with good brackets and wired eyes: two hours. Add a new circuit because the outlet is missing or shared with a freezer: plus forty minutes. Replace rotted header bracket framing: plus an hour. Ten-foot door with extension rail: plus thirty minutes. We tell you before we start.
After we drive away
The opener carries the manufacturer’s warranty — typically five years on the motor, one on parts, lifetime on the belt or chain. Our workmanship is covered for two years. If a remote drops off the code or an eye drifts, call us. We do not charge for a phone diagnosis.
When to call instead of troubleshooting
The door reverses at the same spot every cycle — that is a limit or force issue. The motor hums but the trolley does not move — stripped gear or broken drive. The wall button works but remotes do not — logic board or antenna. You do not need to know the part name. Describe the symptom and we bring the right part.
Call 778-873-7282 — Metro Vancouver.