One Double Garage Door vs Two Single Doors: Cost & Pros/Cons

“Should I put in one big double door or two singles?” is one of the most common questions I get from GTA homeowners building or renovating a two-car garage. There is no single right answer — it comes down to cost, the look you want, and the structure you already have. After 15+ years installing both across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and beyond, here is the honest, numbers-first comparison I give every customer.

Cost Comparison: Double Door vs Two Single Doors

Cost is the first thing almost everyone asks about, so let’s start there. For the same two-car opening, one double door is the cheaper route in nearly every case. You buy one door slab, one set of tracks and springs, and one opener — instead of doubling up on hardware and motors. Here is how the real numbers shake out using our current GTA supply-and-install pricing (CAD, plus tax).

Item	One Double (16x7)	Two Singles (8x7 each)
Supply + install (door)	from $2,300	~$1,350 × 2 = $2,700
Openers needed	1 (from $450)	2 (from $900)
Spring systems	1 (heavier)	2 (lighter)
Typical all-in cost*	~$2,750–$3,000	~$3,600–$4,000
Old door removal	Included	Included

*All-in figures assume one opener for the double and two for the two singles, plus tax. Final price depends on door material, insulation, and window inserts (+$125 per section). See our full pricing page for line-by-line costs.

The headline: a double door typically saves $800–$1,000 over two singles for the same garage once you factor in the second opener. If you only automate one of the two single doors, the gap narrows — but most homeowners want both bays powered. For a complete breakdown of what drives the number up or down, see our guides on garage door installation cost and opener installation cost.

Why Two Single Doors Cost More

It is not just “two doors instead of one.” Two single doors mean two complete spring-and-cable systems, two sets of rollers and tracks, twice the labour to hang and balance, and — the big one — a second opener. Openers in the GTA start from $450 + tax installed, so that alone adds at least $450. The upside is redundancy, which we will cover below. If you are weighing brands and materials as well, our Clopay vs Wayne Dalton and Garaga door review comparisons help you spend that budget wisely.

Curb Appeal & Home Style

Money aside, the look is what most people actually decide on. Garages dominate the front of the typical GTA home, often taking up a third or more of the facade, so the door you choose sets the tone for the whole house.

When Two Single Doors Win on Looks

Two single doors with a centre post give a symmetrical, traditional, carriage-house feel. They suit older homes, custom builds, and any design leaning into a classic or Craftsman aesthetic. The repeated framing and the vertical centre line break up the facade in a way many architects prefer. If you love the look of carriage-style doors, our carriage vs traditional doors guide is worth a read before you commit.

When One Double Door Wins on Looks

A single wide double door reads as cleaner and more modern. With no centre post, you get an uninterrupted run of panels — perfect for a long row of windows, full-glass contemporary designs, or a minimalist flush look. On newer GTA subdivisions and modern builds, the wide double is usually the more cohesive choice. Adding window inserts (+$125 per section) brings in light; our garage door window cost guide covers the options.

Practical Differences: Parking, Durability & Maintenance

Beyond cost and looks, the two layouts behave differently day to day. Here is what actually matters once the door is installed and you are living with it through Toronto winters.

Parking & Maneuvering

A 16-foot double opening has no centre post, so you can back two cars in and out more freely and swing wide around a parked vehicle. Two 8-foot single openings act like guide rails — each car gets its own bay and you are less likely to clip a mirror — but you lose the flexibility of the wide opening. If you have larger vehicles or a tight driveway, the post-free double is easier to live with.

Durability & Redundancy

This is where two singles quietly shine. A double door is heavier, so its spring system works harder on every cycle and a single broken spring takes the whole door out of service. With two singles, each door is lighter and fully independent — if one door’s spring breaks or an opener fails, the other bay still works and you are never fully locked out. For a busy household, that redundancy has real value. That said, a quality double door from a good brand lasts every bit as long; spring quality and maintenance matter far more than layout, as we explain in how long a garage door lasts.

Maintenance & Repairs Over Time

Two doors means twice the parts to maintain — two sets of rollers to lubricate, two spring systems to inspect, two openers to service. The flip side is that each part is lighter-duty. A double door has fewer total components but heavier ones, so its spring and cables are doing more work. In practice, a yearly tune-up ($100–$120 + tax) keeps either setup running smoothly. If a single panel gets dented, a double door can be more costly to repair because panels are wider; see panel replacement for typical costs of $500–$1,000 + tax.

Insulation & Energy Efficiency

In our climate, an attached garage that shares a wall with the house affects heating bills and comfort. Both layouts can be ordered insulated, but the math differs slightly. A double door has one large slab with continuous insulation and a single perimeter to seal, which is efficient. Two singles have two slabs and, critically, that centre post and two extra side jambs — more edges where cold air can sneak in if the side and top seals aren’t maintained.

For any GTA garage, I recommend a polyurethane-insulated steel door (R-12 to R-18) and good bottom and threshold seals regardless of layout. The energy savings of an insulated door are real in Ontario winters — our insulated door energy savings and best doors for cold climates guides go deeper. For the official Canadian take on home energy efficiency, Natural Resources Canada’s energy-efficient homes resources are a solid reference.

Can You Convert Two Singles Into One Double (or Vice Versa)?

Yes — but it is a structural job, not just a door swap. Each direction has its own catch.

• Two singles → one double: You remove the centre post that separates the two openings, then add a properly sized header beam to carry the load across the new 16-foot span. The opening is re-framed, and we install a 16x7 double from $2,300 + tax. Before anything, confirm the centre post is not load-bearing.
• One double → two singles: You frame in a new centre post and split the opening into two, then hang two doors and two openers. This is less common because it costs more, but homeowners do it for the traditional look.

Both conversions almost always require a building permit in GTA municipalities because they alter a structural opening. Our GTA permit guide walks through which cities require what. Always have a contractor or engineer confirm the header sizing — the door is the easy part; the framing is what keeps the wall up. The Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) publishes useful homeowner guidance on sizing and standards at dasma.com.

The Verdict: Which Should You Choose?

There is no universal winner — but there is a right answer for your situation. Here is how I steer customers:

• Choose one double door if: budget is the priority, you want the easiest two-car parking, you prefer a clean modern look, or your garage already has one wide opening with no centre post.
• Choose two single doors if: you love the traditional carriage-house symmetry, you want the redundancy of two independent doors, or your garage already has a centre post you don’t want to remove.

What Each Option Costs in the GTA (2026)

Here is a quick reference of our current supply-and-install pricing so you can budget either route. All figures are CAD plus tax and include door panels, all hardware, weatherstripping, professional installation, old-door removal, and a safety check. Opener is sold separately from $450 + tax.

Door Size / Service	Typical Cost (CAD)
Single door 8×7 (supply + install)	from $1,350 + tax
Single door 9×7	$1,500 + tax
Single door 10×7	$1,650 + tax
Double door 16×7	$2,300 + tax
Oversized double 18×7	$2,500 + tax
Window inserts	+$125 per section
New opener / motor	from $450 + tax
Door only (delivery)	from $850 + tax

Every install comes with our standard warranties: 1-year labour, 5-year hardware, and a lifetime panel warranty against rust-through perforation. The service call is FREE with any installation; a $120 diagnostic applies only if you choose not to proceed after assessment. Browse styles and brands — we supply and install Clopay, Wayne Dalton, Garaga, Steelcraft and more — through our overhead garage doors and garage door company pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one double garage door cheaper than two single doors?

Yes. One double garage door is almost always cheaper to install than two single doors covering the same opening. In the GTA, a supply-and-install 16x7 double runs from about $2,300 plus tax, while two separate 8x7 single doors come to roughly $2,700 plus tax once you count two doors, two sets of hardware, and the extra labour. Two singles also need two openers instead of one, adding another $450 or more. The double wins on upfront cost, but two singles can be worth the premium for the look or for an existing centre post.

Which lasts longer, a double garage door or two single doors?

Both can last 15 to 30 years with good maintenance, but the parts age differently. A double door is heavier, so its single torsion spring system and rollers carry more load and the spring works harder each cycle. Two single doors spread the weight across two lighter, independent systems, so if one door's spring breaks the other still works. In practice a quality double door from a good brand lasts just as long as two singles; the bigger factor is spring quality, lubrication, and yearly tune-ups, not the layout.

Do two single garage doors need two openers?

Yes, in almost every case. Each single door needs its own opener and motor, so a two-single-door garage requires two openers, two sets of rails, and two remotes, while one double door needs just one opener. New openers in the GTA start from $450 plus tax installed, so two singles add at least $450 over a double. A few homeowners leave one single door manual, but most want both automated, which is the main reason two singles cost more over the life of the garage.

Can two cars fit through one double garage door?

Yes. A standard 16x7 double garage door gives a 16-foot-wide opening, which is wide enough for two vehicles to park side by side without a centre post in the way. The wide single opening makes it easier to back two cars in and out and to maneuver around a vehicle. Two single 8x7 doors split that same width into two 8-foot openings separated by a post, which guides each car into its own bay but leaves less room to swing wide.

Are two single garage doors better for curb appeal?

It depends on the home's style. Two single doors with a centre post give a more traditional, symmetrical, carriage-house look that suits older and custom homes, and many designers prefer it. One wide double door gives a cleaner, more modern face and lets natural light through a long row of windows. Neither is objectively better; the right choice matches your home's architecture and the streetscape, which is why we recommend looking at both with full-glass and window options before deciding.

Can I replace two single garage doors with one double door?

Often yes, but it requires structural work. Combining two single openings into one double opening means removing the centre post or pillar that separates them, then adding a properly sized header beam to carry the load above the new wider opening. That is a job for a contractor and, in most GTA municipalities, a building permit. Once the rough opening is framed, we can install a 16x7 double door from about $2,300 plus tax. Always confirm the centre post is not load-bearing before planning the conversion.