New home, no opener?
Builders charge extra for the opener package, and plenty of buyers say no at closing. That leaves a brand-new garage with a working door and nothing to lift it — which is a one-visit fix.
We hear the same story from buyers across the new communities on the E-470 corridor and down the I-25 corridor to Colorado Springs: the builder's opener option was priced like an upgrade, so it got declined, and now the car is parked outside. The good news is the house was built ready — the opener is the easy part.
Your garage is almost certainly ready for one
New homes are typically built with the door, the torsion spring, and an outlet near the ceiling already in place — the builder's opener is an option, not a construction step. Installation is mounting the unit, hanging the rail, and setting the travel and force limits: one visit, no modifications to the house.
You choose the opener, not the builder
The builder's package is one model at one price. On your own you pick what actually fits — a quiet belt drive under a bedroom, battery backup for the afternoons the power blinks, or a straightforward chain drive that just works. We install LiftMaster and Genie and will tell you the difference in plain terms.
The door gets checked, not just the motor
A new house does not guarantee a balanced door — builder doors are installed fast, and a door that is out of balance wears an opener out early. Every install ends with the 12-Point Precision Check: balance, spring tension, cables, tracks, rollers, limits, photo-eyes, auto-reverse — tested before we leave.
A written quote before any work
The quote names the actual opener model, so you can look it up and see what it sells for. If anything about the door itself needs attention, you hear it with a price attached before the work — not on the invoice afterwards.
What an install includes
The opener unit and rail, mounted and aligned · travel and force limits set for your actual door · wall button, remotes, and photo-eye safety sensors connected and tested · the auto-reverse verified, because that is the feature that matters · and the full 12-Point Precision Check on the door itself before we leave. Every job ends with that checklist whether anyone is watching or not.
Getting a number
Call (303) 994-0375 and mention the community or floorplan if you know it — the door size is usually answerable from that. You can also send a photo of the door and the ceiling outlet through the online estimate form and we will come back with a written quote naming the exact opener model. For opener troubleshooting on an existing unit, see garage door openers.
Questions new-build buyers ask
Common questions
The builder wanted to charge me for the opener at closing. Is it cheaper to do it after?
Builders price the opener as an option package, and buyers regularly tell us the number did not make sense — that is usually how they find us. What we will promise is a written quote naming the exact model before any work, so you can compare it against what the builder offered and decide with real numbers.
Is my new garage already wired for an opener?
Almost always. New construction typically includes a ceiling outlet and the low-voltage wires for the wall button and safety sensors, because the door itself is part of the build. If your garage turns out to be missing the outlet, adding one is electrical work — in some jurisdictions that needs its own permit — and we will tell you that up front rather than discovering it on install day.
Which opener should I put in a brand-new home?
If a bedroom or living space sits above the garage, a belt drive is the quiet choice. If the neighborhood loses power in storms, battery backup keeps the door working when the house is dark. Beyond that it is budget and preference — we install LiftMaster and Genie and will walk the options on the phone before anyone drives out.
Will installing my own opener affect the builder's warranty on the door?
The opener is a separate appliance bolted to the structure, not a modification of the door. What matters for the door itself is that it stays balanced and the hardware stays tight — which is exactly what the 12-point check at the end of every install is for.
How long does the installation take?
A straightforward install on a prewired garage is one visit. Garry and Damaris work together as one two-person crew, so scheduling depends on the work already booked — call and we will tell you honestly the soonest appointment we can offer.
Which new communities do you cover?
We cover Denver, Aurora, Centennial, Parker, Englewood, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Monument and Colorado Springs — including the new construction along the E-470 corridor, Painted Prairie, the Aurora Highlands, Sterling Ranch, and the Colorado Springs communities like Lorson Ranch and Meridian Ranch. Colorado Springs is a real drive from the Denver side, so installs there are planned rather than same-day.
Start at Square One.
Tell us what your garage door is doing. You do not need to diagnose it before you call.