Short answer: We supply and install residential garage door openers from LiftMaster, Chamberlain and Genie. Our standard install includes a battery backup, which California has required since 2019. We also balance the door, set the travel limits and force, pair your remotes and keypad, and test the safety reverse. Old openers get hauled away.
California's battery backup law (SB 969)
After the 2017 North Bay fires, when power outages left people unable to open their garages, California passed SB 969. Since July 1, 2019:
- Every automatic garage door opener sold or installed in a California home must have a battery backup that works during a power outage.
- A new or replacement garage door can't be connected to an existing opener that doesn't have a battery backup.
- Installers face a civil penalty of $1,000 per non-compliant opener.
So if you're replacing your door and the opener is from before 2019, plan on a new opener too. We'll confirm whether yours already complies before quoting anything.
Which type of opener fits your garage?
| Type | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Belt drive | Homes with a bedroom or office over the garage | Much quieter than chain. Our usual recommendation for attached garages. |
| Chain drive | Detached garages, tight budgets, heavy doors | Tough and inexpensive, but noisy. Modern DC chain units are quieter than the old ones. |
| Wall-mount (jackshaft) | Low ceilings, Eichlers, high-lift tracks, garages with storage racks | Mounts beside the door on the torsion shaft and frees up the ceiling. Very quiet. |
| Screw drive | Occasionally for certain door setups | Fewer moving parts, though it isn't as common anymore. |
Features worth paying for (and a few that aren't)
Worth it for most people:
- DC motor with soft start and stop. Easier on the door and noticeably quieter.
- Wi-Fi or myQ control. Check whether the door is closed from your phone, and get an alert if it's left open. People who've driven back home just to check love this one.
- Wireless keypad for kids, dog walkers and anyone else who shouldn't have a remote.
- Battery backup. Not optional in California anyway.
Nice but optional: built-in cameras, extra-bright LED lighting, and automatic locks on wall-mount units.
Not always necessary: more horsepower than your door needs. A properly balanced door is light, and a 1/2 HP equivalent DC opener handles most single and double steel doors. Heavy wood or oversized doors are the exception.
What's included in our installation
- Remove and haul away the old opener
- Check and balance the door before mounting anything. An unbalanced door shortens a new opener's life.
- Mount the rail or wall unit with proper reinforcement, including an opener bracket on the top section
- Install and align the safety sensors and run clean, stapled wiring
- Mount the wall control where you want it, at a height kids can't easily reach
- Set travel limits and force, then test the safety reverse
- Pair remotes, keypad, car HomeLink and the phone app
- Show you how the manual release and battery backup work
Bay Area installation notes
Low headroom. Eichlers in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and the Willow Glen area, plus plenty of mid-century homes in the East Bay, have very little space above the door. A wall-mount opener solves that problem neatly.
Older SF garages. Older San Francisco homes often have narrow, deep garages with the door right on the sidewalk, and sometimes an old roll-up or tilt-up door. We'll look at what's there and tell you what can be motorized safely.
Outages. In fire-risk areas like the Oakland Hills, Marin and the hills around Los Gatos, the battery backup is more than a box to check. It's how you get your car out during a shutoff. We'll show you how to check that it's charged.
Opener installation questions
Can you install an opener I already bought?
Yes, we can install a customer-supplied opener as long as it's a residential unit that's compliant with California's battery backup requirement. We'll still balance the door and check it over.
How long does opener installation take?
A straightforward replacement usually takes a few hours. Wall-mount units, first-time installs with no existing wiring, or doors that need repairs first can take longer.
What's the quietest garage door opener?
Wall-mount (jackshaft) openers and DC belt drives are the quietest. If there's a bedroom above or next to the garage, one of those is the way to go.
Do I need a new opener if I get a new garage door?
In California, if your current opener doesn't have a battery backup, yes. A new door can't legally be connected to it. If your opener does have one and is in good shape, we can usually reuse it.
