How A1 Checks Every Garage Door Article for Accuracy (Our Editorial Policy)

Key takeaways 

1. Every technical article on a1garage.com is reviewed by a named A1 trade expert before it’s published. Their name and credentials appear on the article. 

1. Price ranges come from completed A1 jobs. We explain what pushes a job to the low or high end of a range. 

1. Every article gets a full review at least every 12 months. Cost articles get one at least every 6 months. 

1. We cite manufacturers, safety standards bodies, and industry associations. We don’t cite anonymous blogs or competitor marketing as fact. 

1. Sponsored, affiliate, and dealer relationships are disclosed at the top of the article, before any recommendation. 

1. Found an error? Email us. We reply within 2 business days. 

Ever read two garage door articles that gave you two different prices, and wondered which one to believe? Or wondered whether the person telling you to “just tighten the spring” has ever stood next to one? 

A1 Garage Door Service has been fixing and installing garage doors since 2007. Today our technicians handle [X,000] calls a month from 35 locations across 21 states. The questions homeowners ask us on the phone are the same ones they type into Google or ask an AI assistant. How much should this cost? Is this safe to do myself? Should I repair it or replace it? 

If our website answers those questions wrong, someone overpays, or worse, someone gets hurt. Your garage door is the gateway to your home, and it’s the largest moving object in it. Its springs hold enough tension to break bones. Sometimes the right answer is a $15 tube of lubricant, and we’ll tell you when it is. So we treat what we publish the same way we treat a service call: get it right, explain it plainly, and own it when we miss. 

This page shows who writes our articles, who checks them, where our prices come from, and what we do when we get something wrong. 

What does A1 commit to in every article? 

“High standards” means nothing unless you can check it. So here are the specific rules every piece of content on a1garage.com must meet before it’s published: 

• Factual. Every technical claim (spring cycle ratings, opener horsepower, door R-values, safety requirements) must trace back to a manufacturer spec sheet, a published standard, or A1’s own job records. If we can’t source it, we cut it. 

• Current. Every article shows the date it was last substantively reviewed. Cost articles carry the year in the title, and we update them on a set schedule (see below). 

• Unexaggerated. We don’t call ourselves “#1” or “the best” unless we can point to the proof: a review count, an award, a ranking with a source. We don’t use fear to sell. If a $15 tube of lubricant fixes your noisy door, we’ll tell you that. 

• Safe. We never publish instructions for homeowners to adjust or replace torsion springs, extension springs, cables, or bottom brackets. These parts are under extreme tension and cause serious injuries every year. Articles that cover maintenance clearly separate homeowner-safe tasks (lubricating rollers and hinges, replacing weather seal, testing safety sensors) from jobs that need a trained technician. We also won’t tell you to spray WD-40 on your door. It’s a cleaner and degreaser, so it strips the grease your rollers and hinges need. Use a silicone-based or white lithium garage door lubricant instead 

• Fair. Our techs have a rule: make the right sell, not the easy sell. Our articles follow it too. When we compare options, we show the downsides of each, including the option that earns A1 more money. Sometimes repair is the right call. Sometimes replacement is. We say which and why. 

Who reviews A1’s technical content before it’s published? 

Every article that covers repairs, parts, installation, safety, or pricing goes through a two-step review before it goes live. 

Step 1: Who checks the technical details? 

Every article that covers repairs, parts, installation, safety, or pricing is checked by a senior A1 technician before it goes live. Time Eisenbrandt, Director of Content, leads that review team. The reviewer who checked an article is named at the top of it. 

Our technical reviewers check: 

• Repair and installation descriptions against manufacturer installation manuals and spec sheets 

• Part names, sizes, ratings, and compatibility 

• Safety warnings, including whether any step could lead a homeowner into pro-only work 

• Price ranges against A1’s completed-job data 

• Whether the article matches what our technicians actually see in the field 

If a reviewer flags something, the article doesn’t publish until it’s fixed. 

Step 2: Who checks sources and readability? 

Fred Smith, A1 Garge Door Service Content Writer

The editorial reviewer checks that every statistic has a source link, every claim in the title is answered in the body, the language is plain enough for a homeowner to follow, and the disclosure rules below are followed. 

How can I tell who wrote and checked an article? 

Every article shows the author’s name and the technical reviewer’s name and credentials. You should always be able to see who wrote what you’re reading and who checked it. 

How often does A1 review and update existing content? 

Garage door prices change. Manufacturers retire models. Safety standards get revised. An article that was right two years ago can be wrong today, so we run every article on a schedule. 

Content type	Scheduled full review
Cost and pricing articles	At least every 6 months
Product and brand comparisons	At least every 12 months
Safety and maintenance guides	At least every 12 months
Location and service pages	At least every 12 months

What triggers an update before the scheduled review? 

• Price movement. Our job data shows a typical price has shifted more than 10% from what the article says. 

• Product changes. A manufacturer discontinues, renames, or redesigns a product we discuss. 

• Standards changes. A safety standard (such as UL 325 for openers) or a building code we reference is revised. 

• New industry data. A source we cite publishes a new edition, such as the annual Cost vs. Value report. 

• Reader or technician reports. A reader flags an error, or one of our technicians tells us the article doesn’t match what they see on jobs. 

What does the “last updated” date mean? 

We change the date only when a reviewer has checked the article or made a substantive change to it. Fixing a typo, swapping a photo, or adjusting formatting doesn’t change it. We don’t bump dates to make old content look new. 

How does A1 build the prices and cost ranges on its website? 

Pricing is where homeowners get burned most often in this industry. A low “starting at” number gets you to book, then the real price shows up in your driveway. We don’t publish numbers that way. 

• Real job data. Price ranges on a1garage.com come from completed A1 jobs. We don’t copy national averages from other websites or use competitor quotes as our numbers. 

• Ranges with reasons. We publish a range, then explain what moves a job to the low end or the high end: door size, material, insulation, spring type, opener features, and local labor costs. 

• Market context. Prices differ from one A1 market to the next. When an article’s numbers reflect a specific region, we say which one. 

• No inflated or teaser numbers. We don’t publish a “starting at” price that few customers actually pay, and we don’t inflate the high end to make a quote look like a deal. 

• Dated. Every cost article shows when its numbers were last checked. 

• Where our numbers have limits. Our ranges come from A1 jobs, so they reflect A1’s prices. A solo operator or a big-box installer may quote lower, and sometimes that’s a fine choice. If you get a lower quote, ask what spring type, cycle rating, and warranty it includes. In markets where we’ve only been operating a short time, our ranges are built on fewer jobs, and the article will say so. 

Want a number for your own door? Our online cost estimator gives you a personalized price range before you talk to anyone. No bait-and-switch, no pressure. 

Note: Published ranges are estimates for planning. Your final price depends on an in-person inspection of your door. Our technicians give you the price before any work starts. 

What sources does A1 cite, and how do we choose them? 

When an article states a fact we didn’t measure ourselves, we link to where it came from. A source qualifies as authoritative if it meets at least one of these tests: 

• It created the product (manufacturer documentation) 

• It wrote the standard (safety and standards bodies) 

• It represents the trade and publishes its methods (industry associations) 

• It’s a government agency or a research publisher with a stated methodology 

Which sources does A1 cite most often? 

• Manufacturer specifications and installation manuals for the doors, springs, and openers we discuss, such as Clopay, Amarr, LiftMaster/Chamberlain, Genie. 

• DASMA (Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association) technical data sheets and standards 

• IDA (International Door Association) for technician training and certification information 

• UL 325, the safety standard for automatic garage door openers, including entrapment protection 

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for injury data and recalls 

• The Cost vs. Value Report from the Journal of Light Construction (Zonda) for remodeling return-on-investment figures 

• NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) for housing and construction data 

• U.S. Department of Energy for insulation and energy-efficiency guidance 

Which sources won’t A1 use? 

• Unattributed blog posts or forum threads 

• Competitor marketing pages 

• AI-generated summaries without a primary source behind them 

• Statistics we can’t trace back to the original publisher 

When we cite a figure that’s updated yearly, like the Cost vs. Value garage door replacement return, we cite the most recent edition and name the year. 

Does A1 publish sponsored, affiliate, or partner content? 

Here’s our disclosure policy, in plain terms: 

• No paid recommendations. A1 doesn’t accept payment from manufacturers or anyone else to recommend a product or write a positive review. 

• Dealer relationships disclosed. A1 is an authorized dealer or installer for some brands we write about, including Clopay, Amarr, LiftMaster/Chamberlain, and Genie. Any article that recommends or compares those brands says so at the top. 

• Affiliate links labeled. If an article contains links that earn A1 a commission, a disclosure appears at the top of the article, before the first link. 

• Sponsored content labeled. If we ever publish content paid for by a partner, it’s labeled “Sponsored” in the title area and names the sponsor. 

• Our own services. A1 is a garage door company, and our articles mention our services. We teach the topic first, then explain where A1 fits, so the information is useful whether or not you call us. 

• Family of Brands. Welborn Garage, Don’s Garage Doors, and Garage Door Doctor are part of A1’s Family of Brands. When we mention them, we say they’re related companies. 

How can I report an error or request a correction? 

If something on our site is wrong, outdated, or unclear, we want to know. Our technicians and readers catch things we miss. 

How do I contact A1’s content team? 

• Email: [email protected]

Please include the page link, the sentence you believe is wrong, and a source if you have one. 

What happens after I report an error? 

1. We confirm we received your report within 2 business days. 

1. The technical reviewer checks the claim against our sources and job data. 

1. If it’s an error, we fix it within 5 business days of confirming it. 

1. We add a dated correction note at the bottom of the article explaining what changed. For example: “Correction, [Month DD, YYYY]: An earlier version listed the typical torsion spring cycle rating as 15,000. The standard rating is 10,000 cycles.” 

1. We reply to tell you what we found, whether we changed the article or not. 

We don’t quietly delete mistakes. If we got it wrong, the correction note says so. 

Frequently asked questions about A1’s content accuracy 

Who checks A1 Garage Door Service articles before they are published? 

Every technical article is reviewed by Tim Eisenbrandt, Director of Content, before it goes live. He checks repair steps, part specifications, safety warnings, and pricing ranges against manufacturer documentation and A1’s own job records. The reviewer’s name appears on each article. 

Where do the prices on A1’s website come from? 

Price ranges on a1garage.com come from completed A1 jobs. We don’t use national averages or competitor quotes. We publish a range with the low and high ends explained, note which market the numbers reflect, and refresh cost articles at least every 6 months. 

How often does A1 update its articles? 

Every article gets a full review at least once every 12 months. Cost articles are reviewed at least every 6 months. Updates also happen sooner when a manufacturer changes a product, a safety standard changes, our job data shows prices have moved, or a reader reports an error. 

Does A1 get paid to recommend garage door brands? 

A1 does not accept payment for product recommendations or reviews. Where we are an authorized dealer for a brand or earn money from a link, we say so at the top of the article, before any recommendation. 

How do I report a mistake on A1’s website? 

Email [email protected] with the page link and what you believe is wrong. We confirm receipt within 2 business days, and confirmed errors are fixed within 5 business days with a dated correction note on the article. 

What does “last updated” date on an A1 article mean? 

It means one of our reviewers checked the article or made a substantive change to it on that date. Fixing a typo or swapping an image does not change the date. We never move the date forward to make an old article look new. 

 

Does A1 use AI tools to write its articles?
 

Sometimes we use AI tools to help draft or organize an article. A person on our team always edits it, and a senior technician checks every technical claim before it is published. If AI got something wrong, our reviewer catches it, and the names on the article are the people responsible for it. 

 

Why are A1’s prices different from national averages I see online? 

National averages blend every kind of installer, every region, and often old data. Our ranges come from completed A1 jobs, so they reflect what our customers actually paid for our work. They may run higher or lower than a national figure depending on your market and the parts involved. 

 

Are A1’s prices the same in every city? 

No. Labor costs, climate, and local building codes change what a job costs. A door built for Minnesota winters costs more than one built for Phoenix. When an article’s numbers come from a specific market, we name it. For your own door, our [cost estimator](LINK) gives you a range before you talk to anyone. 

 

Questions about how we work? 

We’ve been answering homeowners’ garage door questions since 2007, and we’d rather give you a straight answer than a sales pitch. If you have a question about this policy or anything you read on our site, email [email protected]. If your door needs help right now, schedule a visit or try our cost estimator to see a price range first. 

A1 From Day 1.