In short
- Torsion springs sit on a steel shaft above the door and twist; extension springs run above both horizontal tracks and stretch.
- HomeStars puts torsion springs at about 10,000–20,000 cycles and extension springs at 5,000–10,000.
- One Ottawa firm's published list: a torsion pair $350–$550+, an extension pair with safety cables $250–$450.
- A Canadian door maker's chart lists 12 inches of headroom for standard torsion hardware and 8½ inches for extension, plus 2 inches with an opener.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pair of torsion springs, Ottawa | $350–$550+ | One Ottawa firm’s published list (July 2025), parts and labour |
| Pair of extension springs with safety cables, Ottawa | $250–$450 | Same Ottawa list, parts and labour |
| Pair of torsion springs, Canada | $280–$510 | HomeStars Canada-wide guide, parts and labour |
| Pair of extension springs, Canada | $150–$350 | HomeStars Canada-wide guide |
| Installation labour | $150–$395 torsion, $100–$250 extension | HomeStars Canada-wide guide |
| Safety cables added to extension springs | $50–$100 | One Toronto company’s published guide (May 2026) |
| Enclosed-tube spring system converted to torsion | $580 + tax | One Calgary firm’s published list (April 2026) |
| Extension springs converted to torsion | Price is set after a look at the job | No open Ottawa or Canadian price found |
Sources. Ottawa list: Ottawa Garage Door Spring Replacement: Costs and Timing, one Ottawa firm’s page, published 28.07.2025, seen 29.10.2026. Canada-wide: HomeStars, How Much Does a Garage Door Spring Cost in Canada?, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026 (pair prices, labour, cycle ranges). Safety cables: Garage Door Spring Replacement: Cost, Types and Safety Guide, one Toronto company’s guide, updated 07.05.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Enclosed-tube conversion and spring colour marks: Garage Door Spring Replacement: The Complete Canadian Homeowner’s Guide, one Calgary firm’s list, April 2026, seen 29.10.2026. Headroom and door width: a Canadian door maker’s headroom chart and its springs page, seen 29.10.2026. Wall-mount openers: HomeStars, garage door opener installation, seen 29.10.2026. Safety: DASMA, Safety Tips and DASMA Technical Data Sheet 190, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation and roofing businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Each list belongs to the business that published it; the company that calls you quotes its own price.
Which system your door has
With the door closed, look up. A shaft across the top of the opening, with one or two coiled springs and a drum at each end, is a torsion setup. Long springs along the ceiling above the left and right tracks, with pulleys and cables, are extension springs. On some doors the spring hides inside a steel tube above the opening.
One Ottawa firm’s guide says most newer homes in suburbs such as Barrhaven have torsion springs, with extension springs on older or lighter doors. A Calgary firm notes that a paint mark on the spring stands for the wire gauge. A photo of the whole assembly, and a close one of any colour mark, tells the company which parts to bring.
The two side by side
| Torsion | Extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | On a shaft above the door | Above both horizontal tracks |
| How it lifts | Twists, turning drums that wind the cables | Stretches as the door closes |
| Cycles (HomeStars) | About 10,000–20,000 | About 5,000–10,000 |
| Pair, one Ottawa list | $350–$550+ | $250–$450 with safety cables |
| Pair, Canada-wide | $280–$510 | $150–$350 |
| Standard headroom | 12 inches | 8½ inches |
| Door size | Suits heavier and wider doors | Lighter doors up to 8 feet wide |
| When it breaks | Stays on the shaft | Needs a safety cable to stay contained |
The pair price favours extension springs; the lifespan favours torsion. At half the cycles, an extension pair can come due twice while one torsion pair lasts.
How each one fails
A broken torsion spring stays threaded on its shaft. A Canadian door maker, a Calgary firm and a Toronto company all count that as the safety point in its favour.
An extension spring is at its highest tension with the door down. DASMA, the door makers’ association, says a safety cable must run through each one and be fixed to the wall or ceiling at both ends, so a snapped spring stays put. If yours have none, write that in your request; the Ottawa list prices extension pairs together with safety cables.
Enclosed tubes keep the spring out of sight, which the Calgary firm says makes a break easy to miss. DASMA’s spring data sheet adds a point for all three types: extreme cold wears springs. Cold-weather faults are on the winter page.
Headroom, door width and the opener
Headroom is the distance from the top of the opening to the ceiling. A Canadian door maker’s chart for residential hardware:
- Torsion: 12 inches and over for standard tracks; 5 to 12 inches needs a low-headroom double-track system.
- Extension: 8½ inches and over standard; 5 to 8½ inches needs the low-headroom version.
- Under 5 inches: neither fits as standard.
- Electric opener: add 2 inches to each figure.
The same maker uses extension springs only on doors up to 8 feet wide, so a double door on extension springs is worth a question on the call. HomeStars describes the wall-mount opener as a unit beside the door that turns the torsion bar, used under low or sloped ceilings. If you plan one, put the springs in the same quote; see opener installation.
When a conversion is worth pricing
Switching from extension to torsion replaces one counterbalance system with another, so it fits a moment when work is due anyway:
- An extension spring has broken and the pair needs replacing.
- The springs have no safety cables.
- A heavier insulated door, or a wider one, is going in.
- You want a wall-mount opener.
- Parts for an enclosed-tube system are hard to get.
We found no open Ottawa or Canadian price for an extension-to-torsion conversion, so the company sets it after seeing the door. The one published conversion figure we found is the Calgary firm’s $580 plus tax for an enclosed tube. If a new door is likely within a few seasons, weigh the conversion against the springs that come with a new garage door.
What the two quotes should show
Ask for the like-for-like spring job and the conversion as separate prices. The conversion quote should list what comes off (springs, pulleys, safety cables) and what goes on (shaft, springs, drums, bearings, lift cables), the cycle range of the new springs, labour and HST. In your request, give the headroom, the door’s width and whether an opener is mounted.
Ontario rules cover both. Home repair work over $50 needs a written agreement with the work, the total with taxes and the payment terms. The bill can exceed the estimate by 10% at most unless you sign a change, and signing at home gives you a 10-day cooling-off period.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Garage Door Desk passes your request to one independent local garage door company. That company calls you back, looks at the springs and the space above the door, prices the options and does the work you choose.
Questions people ask
Which is better for my door, torsion or extension?
A Canadian door maker recommends torsion springs for smoother operation and safety, and keeps extension springs for lighter, smaller doors no wider than 8 feet. Where headroom is short, extension hardware or a low-headroom torsion kit may be what fits.
Can a door on extension springs be switched to torsion?
Usually, when there is room above the opening: 12 inches for standard torsion tracks, or 5 to 12 inches with a low-headroom double-track kit, per the maker’s chart. Ask for the conversion as its own line on the quote.
Why does a torsion pair cost more?
HomeStars lists torsion labour at $150–$395 against $100–$250 for extension, and the parts cost more too.
What is a spring inside a tube?
Some doors carry the spring inside a steel tube above the opening. One Calgary firm says it is enclosed, harder to inspect and tied to the maker’s own parts, and lists converting it to standard torsion at $580 plus tax.
Does a wall-mount opener work with extension springs?
HomeStars describes the wall-mount opener as a unit beside the door that drives the torsion bar. A door on extension springs has no bar for it to turn, so ask whether that opener comes with a spring conversion.
