More often than not, a garage door that is purchased and installed from an independent door dealer costs less than one purchased through a large discount home center. Here's the reason.

Few if any home centers or lumber yards employ those who install their doors. Who then installs these doors? Local door dealers who use these installations to supplement their own business. So when you buy your door and get it installed from a home center, you have actually added another link in the chain from vendor to consumer. It should be noted that these vendors are aware of the conventional wisdom that their prices "can't be beat". As a result, they make a nice profit on making a phone call and arranging the job! If you are willing to do this yourself, you can probably save between fifteen and thirty percent off the cost of your door and installation through your local door dealer.

It should also be noted that in the event there is a problem with your door, it generally easier to get it resolved if it has been purchased from a door dealer for two reasons: ACCOUNTABILITY AND LOYALTY. Let's assume two homeowners want to buy a garage door. One calls the discount home center. The other calls a local door dealer from the yellow pages. Both doors are installed and subsequently need repair. Which one will the dealer service first? The one with the name of his company on it, or the one that he installed as a subcontractor of the home center? Always remember that the home center does not employ the installers, and has no option but to wait on the door dealer to service their customers.