Commercial Door Service

Purpose

Define the commercial door service workflow. Commercial accounts (warehouses, dealerships, fire stations, fleet maintenance, dock doors) are the highest-margin recurring work in garage door - but the doors, cycle counts, + uptime requirements are different from residential. A residential tech who can't translate to commercial leaves /year in recurring contracts on the table.

Scope

Applies to:

• Sectional commercial overhead doors (commercial steel, aluminum + glass storefront, insulated commercial)
• Rolling steel doors (slat doors, fire doors, security doors)
• High-speed roll-up doors (Albany, Rytec, Hörmann)
• Dock doors + dock levelers (paired service)
• Commercial operators (1 HP+)

Excludes: pedestrian commercial doors (separate trade), gate operators (separate scope), specialty restaurant + healthcare doors with specific code requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead tech (must have commercial certification; OSHA 30-hour + door manufacturer training preferred)
• Helper for heavier doors + 2-person lifts
• Customer-side contact (facility manager OR maintenance supervisor)
• Account manager owns the recurring relationship + scope changes

Door types commercial techs encounter

Sectional commercial overhead doors

• Similar to residential but heavier construction
• Spring counts higher (often 2 - 4 torsion springs vs 1 - 2 residential)
• Track gauge thicker (3" or 4" vs 2" residential)
• Operator: industrial trolley OR jackshaft (most modern)
• Cycle counts: 25,000 - 50,000 cycles/year typical (vs 1,500 residential)

Rolling steel doors

• Slats curl onto a barrel above the opening
• Drive: chain operator OR direct-drive jackshaft
• Spring assist: barrel-internal spring assembly (different from sectional torsion)
• Fire doors: rolling steel doors held open by a fusible link; close automatically on fire
• Service: barrel disassembly + slat replacement; specialty work

High-speed doors

• Rubber-or-fabric curtain rolls onto barrel; opens + closes in <3 seconds
• Used in cold-storage, food + beverage, high-traffic loading
• Pneumatic OR electric actuation
• Service: curtain replacement, sensor calibration, soft-edge replacement

Dock doors + levelers

• Door at loading dock with companion dock leveler (hydraulic or mechanical floor that bridges to trailer)
• Service: door work + leveler hydraulics + bumpers + lights

Annual + semi-annual PM (the recurring revenue base)

Commercial contracts almost always include scheduled preventive maintenance. Standard offerings:

• Annual PM: 1 visit/year - typical light-duty (low cycle, less critical)
• Semi-annual PM: 2 visits/year - most common commercial
• Quarterly PM: 4 visits/year - high-cycle (dealerships, dock doors, FedEx + Amazon distribution)
• Monthly PM: 12 visits/year - extreme high-cycle, fire doors, life-safety

PM scope (per visit)

1. Visual inspection of all moving parts
2. Lubrication of springs, hinges, rollers, chains
3. Tension check on springs + chains
4. Cable inspection (fraying, kink)
5. Operator function + force settings
6. Safety device test (photoeye, edge sensor, force reverse)
7. Track alignment
8. Bottom seal + side seal condition
9. Operator gear oil + chain check
10. Door cycle test (3 - 5 cycles)
11. Report findings + recommendations to facility manager

Fire door annual test (required by code)

Fire doors (rolling steel doors that drop in event of fire) are governed by NFPA 80 + must be DROP-TESTED annually. This is a specialty service.

1. Coordinate with facility manager + fire marshal
2. Disable smoke detector OR confirm test mode
3. Trip the fusible link manually
4. Verify door closes fully + latches
5. Re-set + restore operation
6. Document drop time + closing speed
7. File certificate of compliance with facility + fire marshal

NFPA 80 documentation is audit-required for many commercial buildings. Most building owners have no idea this is required + are exposed to citation.

Diagnostics: commercial-specific

High-cycle motor failure

• Bearings + brake pads wear faster on high-cycle
• Inspect motor brake; replace if worn
• Plan replacement at 80% of rated cycle life - failure during business hours = expensive

Spring cycle life

• Standard commercial spring: 25,000 - 35,000 cycles
• High-cycle spring (10K - 100K cycles): premium, longer life
• Customer demand high-cycle if cycle counter shows annual cycles >15,000

Track shock from forklift impact

• Common in warehouse + distribution; forklift hits door, bends track + panel
• Quote tracks + panel together; insurance claim is the customer's path

Sensor calibration on high-speed doors

• Photoeye + activation loops + radar sensors
• Sensor drift causes random false activation; recalibrate quarterly minimum

Customer-facing pricing model

Per-visit + parts

• Parts at retail markup
• Best for: customers without budget for PM contract OR who want flexibility

PM contract (recurring)

• Flat annual fee for X visits/year including PM scope
• Repair work above PM scope at preferred rate
• Best for: distribution, manufacturing, fleet - predictable budget + door uptime guarantee

Service-level agreement (SLA)

• PM contract + uptime guarantee (e.g., 4-hour response for breakdown, 24-hour repair)
• Premium pricing 30 - 80% over PM-only
• Required by some FedEx + Amazon + auto-dealer customers

Documentation

Every commercial visit:

• Pre-visit photos
• PM checklist signed + dated
• Repair recommendations + quotes
• Door cycle count (where counter installed)
• Customer signature
• Service report emailed within 24 hours

References

• DASMA Commercial + Industrial Door Standards
• NFPA 80 (Fire Doors + Other Opening Protectives) - annual drop test requirement
• UL 325 (operator safety)
• ANSI / DASMA 102 + 105 + 108
• IDA (International Door Association) commercial training
• Manuall internal: Annual Garage Door Service, Garage Door Opener Types Reference