How Much Horsepower Do I Need For a 2 Car Garage Door Opener?

Residential garage doors range by size, insulation or R-Value, weight, etc. For this reason, the question, ” How much horsepower do I need for a two car garage ” needs to be addressed with more detail.
In some cases, a single-car garage door may be twice as heavy as a double garage door. It all comes down to the weight, which is affected by the materials used, and the R-Value of the garage door.

Every garage door opener manufacturer sets the weight limits for any particular opener model, and it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Below are the average weight limits for most garage door openers.

The numbers are valid for Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Sears, Genie, and Linear garage door openers.

1/2 HP – Garage doors Up to 350 lbs.

3/4 HP – Garage Doors Up to 600 lbs.

1 HP – Garage Doors Up to 750 lbs.

1 HP+ For Garage Doors Over 750 lbs.

In general, if the garage door springs are properly adjusted, and the door is balanced, even a 1/2 HP opener will be able to lift a 600 lbs. custom garage door. However, it may cause the opener’s premature failure and goes against the manufacturer’s guidelines. The main reason for failure will be the auto-reverse feature of the opener. When your heavy garage door is on its way down, and the sensors get triggered, your garage door opener needs to stop and reverse the door back up. That’s where the wear and tear will be more significant if the door’s weight exceeds the recommended limit.

So How Much Horsepower Do I Need Garage Door Opener If I Don't Know The Weight of The Door?

We understand that an average homeowner won’t be able to easily get the door’s weight. Therefore we’ll provide some basic information on how much horsepower opener you need for standard garage doors.

Single-Car Garage Doors – If you have a steel garage door with no wood overlays on the outside, a standard 1/2 HP garage door opener will be enough, and you shouldn’t spend extra on a more powerful garage door opener. This applies to single-layer wooden garage doors as well. However, if your single-car garage door has a wooden overlay or is a custom-made double-layer wooden door, we would suggest choosing a 3/4HP garage door opener for smoother and safer operation.

Double-Car Garage Doors – A 1/2 HP garage door opener is sufficient for most standard double-sized garage doors and will be enough to operate the door safely. However, garage doors with wooden overlay or custom-built wooden garage doors will require a more powerful operator. We would suggest checking your local stores and comparing the price of 3/4HP and 1HP garage door openers and go for the one that makes more sense financially. You might get an opener that will be an “overkill” for your door, but having an underpowered opener for a heavy garage door will be the worst.

Can't Decide Which Garage Door Opener is Right For You?

Choosing a suitable garage door opener may be overwhelming for some non tech-savvy homeowners. Modern garage door openers come with many different features, from a built-in security camera to an electronic lock. And navigating through all the different options can be difficult. We strongly suggest contacting your local garage door repair company and asking them for assistance if you feel overwhelmed. They will know the weight of your garage door and will be able to offer you the best suitable garage door opener that will fit your needs.