Panel Replacement
A dented, cracked, or rusted section does not always mean a new door. Most modern doors are built in sections, and one or two bad panels can come out and get replaced while the rest of the door stays.
When panel replacement works
When the damage is limited to one or two sections and the door model is still made. When the framing and tracks are sound. When the cost of two panels and the labor beats the cost of the whole door.
When it does not
When the damage is structural, bowed, rusted through, or spread across the door. When the model is discontinued and the replacement section does not match. When the door is old enough that a new door costs less than the patch.
