A new build home does not include a garage door opener in the base price of the home. A home buyer is required to purchase one from the builder and have them install it, or the buyer can choose to install one after taking possession of the home.
I would strongly recommend asking your builder about the cost of installing a garage door opener, and see if they have any room for negotiations. A garage door opener will cost you anywhere from $150 to $800, as this varies on quality, power, and function.
The installation of a garage door opener can cost anywhere from $110 to $300 per opener, with additional costs tied to the brackets and tools required for the installation.
To put it into perspective, we hired a garage door company to come out to our home and install two garage door openers. We purchased ours from The Home Depot for $250 each.
Prior to arriving, our quote was $220 for the two garage door openers. After it was all said and done, our bill had gone up to $500. Shocked? We were too!
Our garage door technician arrived, and said “Oh, you need to have brackets, do you have them?”. We obviously did not. They billed us $120 for two brackets.
An hour into the installation, they realized the garage door opener arm was slightly short and they needed to install studs to the wall to support the arm – they billed us $160 for two studs.
Our bill quickly rose from $220 to $500 for two garage door opener installations. With the cost of the openers, we were all in for $1000. Our builder quoted us $500 each for the garage door opener with a keypad. At the end of the day, it was all an experience for us, and we know better for next time around.
While the garage door opener cost with the builder seemed high at first, it all made sense to us. One thing to note is that if the garage door opener had been installed by our builder, we would have been provided some sort of warranty service for the installation as well.
It’s essential for homebuyers to review the specifications and features provided by the builder and, if necessary, inquire about the inclusion of a garage door opener. If a garage door opener is not included and the homebuyer wants one, they can negotiate with the builder to include it as part of the deal or make plans to install one after the purchase (if you know someone).
There are a few big box home improvement stores that also offer garage door opener installation services, such as The Home Depot (starting at $149) or RONA (starting at $199).
When in doubt, it’s recommended to communicate with the builder or sales representative to clarify what features are included with the new home and whether a garage door opener is part of the package.
