Garage door repair in Southwest Ranches, where the lots run an acre or more

A town formed to stay rural

Southwest Ranches voted to become a town in 2000 rather than be annexed, and its own description is plain: about 13 square miles between Griffin Road and Sheridan Street, zoning that is almost all rural residential and agricultural, home sites of one to two and a half acres at minimum, and no sidewalks. Census estimates show 98 percent of homes are detached houses, and the median one was built in 1982, earlier than in any other town we serve around Pembroke Pines. A house from the 1970s or early 80s predates the large-missile impact test Broward's code now applies to garage doors, so an original door almost certainly never passed it. On lots this size the garage isn't always attached to the house, either: a detached garage or a workshop has a door of its own, and we work on those too. Replacing an older door.

When the power drops on an acre lot

After Irma in 2017, the Weather Service reported that more than three quarters of power customers in South Florida lost electricity, many for close to a week. Without power, the opener can't move the door. The release is a cord with a red handle hanging from the opener's carriage: pull it with the panels shut, and you can then open it by hand, provided both springs are intact. With a snapped spring, leave the door alone; it's far too heavy to lift. Slide the side lock afterward, since a released door doesn't lock itself. A battery backup lets the opener work while the grid is down; Florida doesn't require one, but on an acre lot far from the road it's worth having, and so is a surge protector on the opener's outlet in lightning season. Opener repair and replacement. If a storm leaves the door stuck open, call: a person answers around the clock, and the first goal is getting the house closed. Emergency repair.

Permits through CAP Government at Town Hall

The Town contracts its building permits and inspections to CAP Government, Inc., whose staff keep office hours at Town Hall. Applications and plans go through CAP's online portal, every package includes the Broward County uniform application and a Notice of Commencement, inspections are requested by email, and some permits need the Town's zoning or engineering approval before they're issued. The wind rules are Broward's, and Broward is all High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) ground: a replacement door needs an impact approval that covers its exact model and size. Before the first visit, show us what you have. Text us a photo showing three things: the full door from the driveway, the torsion tube along the header, and the motor's rating sticker, so the van leaves with the parts your door needs.

ZIP codes

• 33330
• 33331
• 33332