She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

She picked five other garage door companies from their ads in the yellow pages and on the internet. She requested estimates from each, then asked each to bring copies of their insurance documents when they returned to discuss the estimates.

Here are her results:

• Company 1 brought in the lowest estimate and an auto insurance form.
• Company 2 gave a higher estimate and a liability insurance form.
• Company 3 had a moderate estimate — no insurance forms. Company 3 said it would show her the forms after she signed the contract.
• Company 4’s estimate was the highest. The salesman stated the company had auto insurance and liability insurance, yet brought no forms.
• Company 5 presented a moderate estimate. The salesman maintained his company held auto insurance, liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance. He said he had left the forms behind, but would email copies as soon as he returned to the office.

Which of these companies followed through when she asked them to produce copies of insurance forms? None! She told me,  ”I didn’t care if they left a message on my cell phone, emailed, mailed a copy, pushed them under the front door, or sent a carrier pigeon,  but they didn’t send documents at all. ”

My guess is  they didn’t have them. The State of New Jersey requires garage door companies to be ‘fully insured’, which means:

1. Auto insurance on each truck.
2. Liability insurance that covers any damage to the home.
3. Up-to-date worker’s compensation insurance.

The problem is that the state doesn’t regulate the garage door industry closely.  Just about every company has auto insurance, and most carry liability insurance. But worker’s compensation insurance is very expensive, especially for a garage door company, so many companies take a chance and never purchase it at all.

If one of its workers is hurt on the job, the company simply folds and starts doing business again under another name.

How does this affect the home owner?

The worker who is out of work and recovering from his injury has to find a way to pay his medical expenses, so he’s going to sue the home owner. After all, the accident happened on the home owner’s property.

This very intelligent young woman handled the situation perfectly. She asked up front to see the insurance documents.

I’m proud that all Precision Door  workers carry proof of all three insurances and showed them to her before she even asked.

Chain drives use a metal chain to run the garage door on its track. Chain drives are the most common used drive, and they are typically the least expensive… but they are also the noisiest. If you have a detached garage far from the house (where the noise doesn’t matter), a chain drive is probably the best fit for you. If you like to be able to hear when the garage door is being opened or closed, so for instance you will know what time your kids are getting in throughout the night, then this may be a good choice for you. But if you’d rather no noise, say because there are bedrooms above the garage, the chain-drive might not be for you.

Belt drives are thought to be the best opener available. Belt drive openers run on a rubber belt and are as reliable as chain drives. But they are virtually silent! So if your garage is attached to the house, and you hate the noise involved with garage doors, this is definitely a good choice. However, belt drives cost more then chain drives. So for a little less noise, you’ll be paying a little more money.

Screw drives are the third type of opener. They use a lifting device that runs along a threaded steel rod. Basically there are fewer moving parts in the screw drive then in the other openers, so it’s less maintenance. These openers work well in constant climate, so they’ll be a great choice if you live in an area that has a typically constant temperature all year round. But if you live in an area that has hot summers and cold winters, a screw drive opener will not stand up to drastic temperature change. They are also slower moving and noisy. However, newer screw drives models offer a plastic lined track, which helps to reduce some of the noise and allow the door to open and close faster.

Whether someone chooses a belt drive or chain drive opener generally comes down to noise and money. Chain drive motors make a little more noise and cost a little less.

Update10/28: We have created a video so that you can hear the difference between a chain-drive, belt-drive, and screw-drive opener.

This video, filmed in our Morris County showroom, features 3 popular types of garage door openers.