A Dented Panel
A reversed vehicle, a basketball or a snow blower leaves a dented panel, and whether it can be swapped depends mostly on the door age.
Short answer
A single section can be replaced where the door model is still available and the colour and profile match, which on a door under about ten years old is frequently possible. On an older door, discontinued models and faded colour make a matched replacement difficult, and a new door is often the better value.
When a panel swap works
The door is a current or recent model from a manufacturer still supplying it.
The colour and the profile can be matched, which on a white door is easier than on a colour.
Only one or two sections are damaged.
The rest of the door — the other sections, the hinges, the rollers, the track — is sound.
The damage is confined to the section rather than having bent the track or the bottom bracket.
And the door is otherwise the door you want, rather than one you were going to replace anyway.
Fading and matching
A ten-year-old door has faded, and a new section in the original colour will not match it. On a white door that is usually acceptable; on a dark colour or a woodgrain finish it frequently is not. Ask to see the replacement section against the existing door before committing, because the photograph in the catalogue will not tell you.
When a new door is better value
The model is discontinued and no matching section is available.
More than one or two sections are damaged.
The door is near the end of its life anyway, with rust at the bottom panel or failing hinges.
The door is uninsulated and you want insulation, in which case the replacement is an upgrade rather than a repair.
The damage extends to the track, the bottom brackets or the frame.
And where the cost of two sections plus labour approaches the cost of a new door, which on an older door it frequently does.
What else to check after an impact
The track, for bends and for loose mounting.
The rollers and hinges on the affected sections and the ones either side.
The bottom brackets, which are under spring tension and are a specialist item.
The cables, which can be damaged or displaced.
The opener arm and the top bracket, where a door has been forced.
And the door balance afterwards, because a replaced section can change the weight slightly and an insulated replacement for an uninsulated section definitely does.
Common questions
Can one garage door panel be replaced?
Where the model is still available and the colour matches, yes.
Will the colour match?
On a faded older door, frequently not. Ask to see it against the existing door first.
What else should be checked after an impact?
The track, rollers, hinges, bottom brackets, cables and the balance.