Garage Door Safety Inspection: getting ready

A tenant mentioned the door is louder than it used to be. From the driveway it looks fine, but on closer inspection the hinges near the floor are streaked orange and one roller wobbles as it turns.

Worth answering before the call

Is the door a single or a double, and roughly how tall is it? What make is the opener, and does it have sensors near the floor on each side? Has a vehicle or anything else struck the door or the tracks?

Should I have the door inspected when buying a house?

It answers the questions a home inspection leaves open. A general inspector confirms the door opens and closes; a door technician records the make and age of the hardware, how much life the springs and cables appear to have, whether the safety devices pass, and what to budget for. For a seller, the same report settles a buyer's questions before they are asked and shows the door was cared for.

Do you look at the door between the garage and the house?

If the garage is attached, yes, briefly. That door should be tight-fitting, weatherstripped and fitted with a self-closer, because it is the barrier that keeps vehicle exhaust out of the living space. A technician who finds it propped open, missing its closer or failing to latch notes it in the report as a maintenance item, alongside the overhead door findings.