Garage door sensor repair.
Same-day Palm Beach County dispatch. Written warranty. Eric answers.
Photo-eye safety sensors are required by federal law on every garage door opener manufactured since 1993. They're the small black or silver boxes sitting about 6 inches off the floor on each side of the garage door opening. They face each other and project an invisible infrared beam — when anything breaks the beam, the door reverses or refuses to close.
The most common sensor issue in Palm Beach County is misalignment, usually from someone bumping into a sensor post with lawn equipment, a bike, or the car. Realignment is often free during a service call. Sensor failure (one or both completely dead) requires replacement.
Florida humidity and pollen accumulate on the lens surfaces and can interfere with the beam. We clean lenses as part of every service visit. Hurricane debris is another common cause of sensor damage — we replace damaged sensors during post-storm service calls.
Is this you?
Sensor LED blinking
Misaligned sensor. Realignment usually free during another visit, or $89 standalone.
Both sensor LEDs dead
Both sensors failed. Replacement: $89-$145 for the pair.
Door reverses immediately on close
Sensors detecting obstruction or beam interruption. Clean lenses + realign + check path.
Sensor visibly damaged
Cracked housing, broken mounting bracket, water damage. Replace.
Palm Beach County price ranges.
| Sensor realignment | $89 |
| Sensor pair replacement | $89–$145 |
| Sensor + bracket + wire replacement (full upgrade) | $185–$245 |
| Sensor cleaning + alignment (bundled with other service) | Free |
| Hurricane-damaged sensor replacement (insurance-eligible) | $145–$285 |
Quoted in writing before any work begins.
Common questions.
Can I bypass the safety sensors?
No — federal law (UL 325) requires functional safety sensors on every opener manufactured since 1993. Bypassing is illegal and dangerous.
Why do my sensors keep going out of alignment?
Usually because something keeps bumping them. Common culprits: lawn equipment, kids' bikes, garbage cans, or the car. We can install steel guards to protect the sensors if recurring damage is an issue.
How do I align the sensors myself?
Gently rotate the misaligned sensor (the one with the blinking LED) until both LEDs go solid. The sensors need to face each other within about 1 degree.
My sensors look fine but the door still won't close — what's wrong?
Check the path for obstructions, clean the lenses with a dry cloth, then re-check both LEDs. If both LEDs are solid and the door still won't close, the issue is elsewhere — opener limit or force settings, or opener failure.