What you see, and what it points to
Water on the floor just inside the door after rain points to the bottom edge, where the rubber or vinyl strip meets the slab. A strip that has flattened, cracked or pulled out of its channel can let water past, and so can a slab that slopes toward the door. You cannot tell which from the puddle alone.
What a seal job costs in Michigan: what we can show
This page has no estimate for a bottom seal, side stops or a floor seal, because we found no national published range for them and no Michigan company price. Our methodology says parts drive most of the difference between jobs. Ask for the seal, the labor and any slab work to be listed separately.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan median hourly wage, mechanical door repairers | $25.18 an hour | Nearest BLS code (49-9011, mechanical door repairers), read through O*NET OnLine. Pay, not price. |
| Michigan 25th to 75th percentile hourly wage | $21.73 to $33.03 an hour | Pay, not price. |
| Michigan median annual wage | $52,370 a year | Pay, not price. |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn median hourly wage | $24.12 an hour | Pay, not price. |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood median hourly wage | $28.65 an hour | Pay, not price. |
| Kalamazoo-Portage median hourly wage | $29.42 an hour | Pay, not price. |
| Lansing-East Lansing median hourly wage | $30.96 an hour | Pay, not price. |
| United States median hourly wage, same occupation | $26.79 an hour | Same occupation, national, comparison only. Pay, not price. |
How we estimate costs: this job has no estimate, because we found no national published range for it. The wage rows show what the nearest occupation is paid, which is not a price. We have not collected quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
What a weather seal does, and what the floor has to do
A bottom seal is a flexible strip along the lowest edge of the door that presses against the slab when the door is closed. Side and top seals, often called stops or weatherstripping, close the gap between the door and the frame. Their job is to keep the opening closed against wind, water, leaves and debris.
DASMA's technical data sheet 197 deals with water at the bottom of sectional doors. It says rainwater commonly migrates past the bottom edge of exterior-facing sectional doors, and that the solutions are a slightly inclined sill, with a 3 to 5 degree slope, or a notch in the slab for the door to rest in, together with a floor seal. The seal and the slab, then, work together. If water runs toward the door across the floor, the strip is fighting the slope.
Do it yourself or call a company
Safe to look at yourself. Looking at the seal, the sides and the floor needs no tools and no contact with the springs. Look for a flattened or cracked strip, a gap of daylight, and the way water travels across the slab. Photographs of each help a company price the right job. If the cause is not the strip, call a company.
Anything involving the spring system is separate. DASMA says spring systems "are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals", and that bottom brackets, which connect to the springs under extreme tension, should be adjusted or loosened only by a trained door systems technician. The bottom corners are where the brackets sit, so if a seal job would mean loosening anything at the corners, stop and have a technician do it. That is why we point out where the dangerous parts are without ruling on the strip.
Winter, closed doors and the R-value on the label
DASMA's data sheet 190 says that in climates subject to extreme heat or cold and frequent precipitation, doors should be kept closed where possible, and that lubrication per the manufacturer's instructions helps spring life. We found no Michigan source that says cold breaks springs faster, so we do not say it. See the winter guide.
If a seller offers an insulated door or a seal as a way to cut drafts, the label matters. DASMA data sheet 163 says R-value is calculated for a door section only, U-factor is tested on the complete installed door, and the two are not comparable and are not reciprocals. A section R-value should not be used for the whole door. Ask which figure you are being shown. The insulation guide explains it.
Seal problems that cannot wait
- The door will not close fully, or hangs open, with the property exposed overnight.
- A door that is crooked or sagging at one corner, with the seal pulled away, because that points to a track or cable fault.
- A flattened or cracked bottom strip with the door working normally.
- Daylight along the sides or top.
What to check before you call
- Photograph the bottom edge, both sides and the top with the door closed, in daylight.
- Run a hand along the bottom strip and note where it is flat, cracked or out of its channel.
- Watch which way water moves across the slab in rain, toward the door or along it.
- Close the door and look for daylight; note which edge it shows on and whether it is wider at one end.
Permit position for a seal or floor work
Replacing a seal has no permit answer in any Michigan source we can cite, and none addresses a slab slope or notch. State law says construction or alteration of a building needs a building permit unless the act or code excepts it, and the local building department decides how that applies. Ask your city's building department before any floor work.
Ask the company for its legal name and, if it says it holds a license, the license number, and check that number with the agency that issued it before any work starts.
- MCL 125.1511 (Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act) Read Oct 19, 2026.
A tool for this job
Repair or replace the garage door
Three questions: what is wrong, how many repair visits the door has had in the last two years, and whether you want insulation. You get a direction and the questions to put to a company. It sets no age cut-off, because we hold no source for one, and the costs it mentions are modeled estimates, not collected prices.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
Why does water come in under my garage door?
DASMA says rainwater commonly migrates past the bottom edge of exterior-facing sectional doors. Its fixes are a slightly inclined sill with a 3 to 5 degree slope, or a notch in the slab for the door to rest in, with a floor seal. A new bottom strip alone may not change that if the slab slopes toward the door.
Should I keep my garage door closed in winter?
DASMA says to keep it closed where possible in climates with extreme cold and frequent precipitation, because a door left open faces more variation in temperature, moisture and air quality. It also says lubrication per the manufacturer's instructions helps spring life.
Is the R-value of a seal or door the same as its U-factor?
No: DASMA says the two are not comparable and are not reciprocals. R-value is calculated for a door section only, and U-factor is tested on the complete installed door. A section R-value should not be used for the whole door.
Does replacing a garage door seal need a permit in Michigan?
We found no Michigan rule that says it does or does not. State law requires a permit for construction or alteration of a building unless excepted, and your city decides how that applies. Ask the building department; Kentwood's wording on replacement doors with an unaltered opening is the only city text we found, and it does not name garage doors.
How much does a garage door weather seal cost?
No estimate: we found no national published range for weather seals and no Michigan company price. The cost table shows what mechanical door repairers are paid, which is pay, not price. Ask for the seal, the labor and any slab work to be listed separately in writing.
- BLS May 2025 wages for mechanical door repairers (SOC 49-9011), Michigan, as shown by O*NET OnLine Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- DASMA TDS 197: Water Infiltration Under the Bottom of a Sectional Door Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DASMA TDS 190: Factors Affecting Spring Cycle Life Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DASMA TDS 163: U-factor and R-value for Garage Doors Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DASMA Safety Tips: Garage Doors Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Kentwood Inspections FAQ Read Oct 19, 2026. The source implies this without saying it, so check with the source before you act on it.
- GarageDoorMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.