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Two Single Garage Doors Into One Double Door

Swapping two single doors for one wide door makes parking easier and gives the house a cleaner look. Durham Garage Door Repair Pros connects you with installers who take on the framing.

It's a bigger job than a door swap. Here's why.

Call (919) 555-0136or use the form for a call back

Garage opening being widened, with temporary posts holding a new header beam and an old single door leaning on the wall

Why People Do It

Two single doors with a post between them can make for tight parking, especially with wide trucks and SUVs. One double door removes the post, opens up the garage for boats, trailers and workbenches, and often looks more modern from the street.

Some people go the other way and split one wide door into two singles for a different look or to keep heat in one bay. The same framing rules apply.

What Has to Change

The post between the doors usually helps hold up the wall and roof above. Taking it out means a longer header beam across the whole opening to carry that load. That's structural work, not just a door job.

  • The old doors, track, springs and openers come out.
  • Temporary supports hold the wall while the post and old headers are removed.
  • A new header, sized for the span, goes in.
  • The opening is framed, trimmed and patched on the inside and the outside.
  • The new door, springs, track and opener are installed.

Siding, brick, the driveway apron and the slab edge may need work too, so ask what the outside will look like when it's done.

The Permit

North Carolina generally doesn't require a permit for small residential jobs, but changing load bearing structure does.

Removing a post and installing a new header falls on that side. Durham City-County Inspections makes the call on your job, and a good installer pulls the permit or works with a contractor who does.

If the old openers were hard wired or a new outlet is needed, that electrical work may need its own permit as well.

Who Does the Work

Some garage door companies handle the framing themselves. Others bring in a general contractor and install the door after. Either works, as long as one person owns the schedule and the quote covers every part of the job.

What Drives the Cost

Labor and framing are often most of the bill, not the door.

The length and type of the header, what's above the wall, the siding or brick, and the size and style of the new door all matter. A wide double door is heavy, so springs and the opener need to match.

For door prices alone, see the new door cost guide. For help deciding whether to spend on the old doors at all, read repair or replace.

When It's Worth It

It makes the most sense when the old doors are due for replacement anyway, when parking is a daily fight, or when you're already redoing the front of the house.

If your single doors are in good shape and parking is fine, new doors in the same openings cost far less. Compare styles on the garage door replacement page.

To get the opening looked at, request a call back or call (919) 555-0136.

Call (919) 555-0136