Garage Door Opener Installation in Richmond and Metro Vancouver
Up and Down Garage Doors does garage door opener installation for homes across Metro Vancouver, from our shop at 12180 Horseshoe Way, Unit 3 in Richmond. We install LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers in belt drive, chain drive and wall-mount styles. We take the old unit with us. Then we test the new one with you before we leave.
You get a free on-site assessment. The tech looks at your door first and gives you a firm written price before any work starts. For what changes the price, read our garage door opener cost guide for Vancouver. This page is about the install itself.
Check the Door Before the Opener
An opener does not lift your door. The springs do. The opener only drives it up and down. The LiftMaster and Chamberlain manuals both say to install an opener only on a door that is properly balanced. They also say spring and cable repairs must be done first, by a trained door tech.
So the first thing we do is pull the release and lift your door by hand. It should feel light and stay put about halfway up. If it drops or shoots up, the springs come first. A new motor fighting a tired spring wears out its gear and board early, and the safety reverse may not work right. Our broken spring repair page explains that job.
Sometimes your old opener only needs a part. If that is the case, we tell you. You do not need a new unit to fix a stripped gear or a bad sensor. See our garage door opener repair page for that work.
Belt Drive vs Chain Drive vs Wall-Mount
Most calls start with belt vs chain. Tap each type to compare.
Belt drive
A belt drive is the quiet one. Pick it when there is a bedroom or living room over the garage. That describes most townhomes in Richmond and a lot of newer houses. The LiftMaster 87504-267 is a belt drive with battery backup built in. It also has a camera and a 2,000 lumen light.
Chain drive
A chain drive is louder. It is simple and tough. It suits a detached garage or a heavy wood door where the noise does not reach the house. The LiftMaster 81602 is a DC chain drive with battery backup and WiFi.
Wall-mount (jackshaft)
A wall-mount opener sits on the wall beside the door and turns the torsion bar directly. Nothing hangs from the ceiling. That frees the space for storage racks or a high-lift door. The LiftMaster 8500W is rated for doors up to 850 lb and 14 ft tall, with battery backup and WiFi built in. Our wall-mount garage door opener guide has more.
You can see the current models on our LiftMaster openers page and our Chamberlain openers page.
Ceiling Height and Headroom
A ceiling-mount opener needs room above the door. The Chamberlain manual puts the header bracket 2 inches above the highest point the door reaches as it travels. The opener must sit at least 7 feet off the floor. Doors taller than 7 feet need a rail extension kit.
Low headroom is common in older Vancouver houses. It also shows up in strata garages with ducts or sprinkler pipe overhead. High ceilings show up in newer builds. In both cases a wall-mount unit is often the cleaner fit. We measure on the assessment and tell you which one works.
Safety Sensors and UL 325
Residential openers sold here are built to the UL 325 safety standard. The Chamberlain manual is blunt about it. The door will not close unless the photo eyes are connected and lined up. The beam must be no higher than 6 inches above the floor. We mount them at that height every time.
Then we run the reverse test from the manual. We lay a 2x4 flat on the floor under the door. The door has to touch it and go back up. If it does not, the force setting is wrong and we fix it before we leave. Our UL 325 opener safety page goes deeper.
Battery Backup and Power Outages
Windstorms knock the power out across the Lower Mainland most winters. When the garage is your only way into the house, that matters. A battery backup opener keeps running on its own battery for a limited number of cycles after the power drops.
California passed SB 969 in 2018. It made battery backup a requirement on new openers sold there. We have not found a BC rule like it. We still suggest it for most homes here. Many current units have it built in, like the LiftMaster 87504-267 and the Chamberlain B4655T. Read more on our opener battery backup page. If the power is out right now, here is how to open the door by hand.
WiFi and myQ on Your Phone
Most current LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers have myQ WiFi built in. With the app you can open or close the door from your phone and get an alert when it moves. We connect it to your home WiFi during the install and show you how it works. If your WiFi does not reach the garage, we tell you on the day.
An older opener with no WiFi can often take an add on. The LiftMaster 821LMC Smart Garage Control works with many of them.
What the Install Includes
- We remove the old opener and take it away.
- We mount the rail and motor, or the wall-mount unit, on solid backing.
- We set the safety sensors no higher than 6 inches off the floor.
- We set the travel limits and the closing force, then run the 2x4 reverse test.
- We mount the wall button at least 5 feet up, out of reach of small kids.
- We program your remotes and keypad and set up the app.
- We show you the manual release and the lock button.
Townhomes and Strata Garages
In many strata complexes the door belongs to the owner. The bylaws still control the wiring and how the building looks. Most opener swaps do not change the outside of the building at all. If your strata has to approve the work, we can talk to your property manager. Our strata garage door service page explains how that goes.
Where We Install
We drive out from Richmond every day. A lot of our opener work is in Richmond. We are up in Vancouver and over in Burnaby often too. A surcharge may apply depending on your area. We quote it before we come out.
Opener Installation Questions
Do you install LiftMaster and Chamberlain?
Yes, both. They share the same Security+ 2.0 radio, so most current remotes and keypads work across the two brands.
Should I pick a belt drive or a chain drive?
Pick a belt drive if there is living space over the garage. Pick a chain drive for a detached garage or a heavy door where noise does not matter.
Will a new opener fit my low or high ceiling?
Usually. A ceiling unit needs about 2 inches above the highest point of the door. When that space is not there, or the ceiling is very high, a wall-mount opener is the fix.
Is battery backup required in BC?
We have not found a BC rule that requires it. California made it a requirement in 2018 under SB 969. We suggest it for most homes here because winter outages are common.
Can I keep my old remotes?
It depends on the learn button colour on your old opener. Current LiftMaster and Chamberlain units use Security+ 2.0, the yellow button. Our learn button colour chart shows what works with what.
How much does a garage door opener installation cost?
It depends on the opener and your door. Our opener cost guide walks through what changes the price. You get a firm written price after the free on-site assessment, before any work starts.
Call for Your Opener Install
Call (778) 873-7282 and tell us the door size and the opener you have now. A photo of the label on the motor helps. The on-site assessment is free. We answer 24/7, and you get a firm price for your garage door opener installation before we start.