Garage Door Going Up Crooked or Uneven
A door that lifts with one side ahead of the other is unbalanced, and an unbalanced door is on a short path to coming off its track entirely.
What is causing it
Ranked by how often we actually find each one. Work down the list — the first two or three cover the large majority of cases.
1. A cable slipping or unwinding on one drum
If one cable is not wrapping evenly, that side lifts less. The commonest single cause.
→ Cable and drum reset — $149–$290.
2. Drums set at mismatched positions
The two drums must be set identically on the torsion bar. Off by even a turn and the door climbs crooked from day one.
→ Drum re-seating and torqueing.
3. A broken or seized roller on one side
One side drags while the other travels freely.
→ Roller replacement — $129–$240.
4. Uneven spring tension
On a two-spring door with one spring weaker or newer, the pull is asymmetric.
→ Spring balancing or matched-pair replacement.
5. A bent track on one side
Impact damage or a shifted slab pulling one vertical track out of plumb.
→ Track straightening and re-anchoring.
6. A shifted slab or settling frame
Houston clay soil moves. A garage frame that has settled unevenly takes the track with it.
→ Track re-shimming to the new geometry.
What you can safely check yourself
- Stop using the door until it has been looked at — every crooked cycle risks a full derailment.
- From inside, look at both cables while the door is down: both should be wound neatly on their drums with no slack.
- Check for an obviously shattered roller or a visibly bent track section.
- Do not attempt to adjust cables or drums — they are under full spring tension.
- Photograph both top corners; it helps us bring the right parts on the first visit.
⛔ Where to stop
Crooked is the stage immediately before off-track. Once it derails you are looking at bent track, damaged sections and a much larger bill, so this is the moment to call.
What it costs to fix in Houston
Most repairs for this problem land in the $149 – $480 range. You get a flat number in writing before we start, and it does not change once we are working. Our full published price book is on the pricing page.
The service that fixes this is Off-Track Garage Door Repair — $149 – $420, typically 60–120 minutes on site.
Getting it sorted
We hold same-day slots across Greater Houston every day, and we run 24/7 for emergencies. Call (713) 555-0142, tell us what the door is doing, and we will give you a real arrival window plus a good idea of the cost before anybody drives anywhere.
Crooked or Uneven Garage Door — questions
Why is my garage door crooked?
Almost always a cable or drum problem — one side is not being lifted the same distance as the other. Less often a seized roller, uneven spring tension, or a bent track.
Is a crooked garage door dangerous?
Yes. It is racking in its tracks, loading hardware in directions it was not designed for, and it is one cycle away from coming off. Stop using it.
How much does it cost to fix?
$149 to $480 depending on cause. Cable and drum reset is the common one at the lower end; add roller or track work toward the top.
Stop guessing. We will tell you.
Describe the symptom on the phone and we will usually name the cause before we leave the shop.
