Having the right amount of garage lighting makes your space much more enjoyable, eliminates shadows, lets you see inside cabinets and on shelves, and reduces eye strain while you work or engage in hobbies. This calculator uses industry standards to find exactly how many light fixtures your garage needs and see where to install them for perfect lighting coverage.

How the Garage Lighting Calculator Works

To get started, you’ll need to input the following to get your results:

• Enter the garage dimensions. (length, width, ceiling height)
• Select the type (storage, general, workshop, or detailed work), which determines the amount of lumens per square foot you need.
• Choose the light fixture type. (Different LED options have varying lumen outputs.)
• Set the mounting height for the fixtures. (Lower than your ceiling height) 
• Consider the number of windows in your garage and include that for the final calculations.

For example: With a ceiling height of 10 feet, the mounting height could be 8.5 feet (lights hung 1.5 feet down from the ceiling. Most people choose to hang shop lights on chains or directly mount them below the ceiling joists. The mounting height affects how the light spreads, and lower mounting can reduce shadows but may cause glare or obstruct taller items.

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• Click “Calculate Layout” to get your results.

Calculation Logic:

• Calculates total garage area. (length × width)
• Multiplies the area by required lumens per square foot based on usage type.
• Divides the total required lumens by fixture lumen output to get the number of light fixtures you need.
• Creates an optimal grid pattern (rows × columns) for even light distribution.
• Calculates spacing between the fixtures.
• Generates a visual layout on canvas showing your potential fixture placement.
• Yellow circles represent fixtures with a radiating glow effect to show output.
• Dotted lines show the grid spacing for installation reference

Lighting Fixture Design Tips 

As a general reference, here are some lighting guidelines to use.

• Storage (50 lumens/sq ft): Works well for minimal activity, or just accessing stored items.
• General Use (75 lumens/sq ft): Best for parking cars, light maintenance, and general tasks.
  Workshop/Hobby (100 lumens/sq ft): Recommended light fixtures for working on regular projects, woodworking, and repairs.
  Detailed Work (150 lumens/sq ft): Illumination you’ll need for precision work, painting, detailing, or professional use.

Fixture Selection Tips:

• 4ft LED shop lights are the most popular to use in standard garages.
• 8ft fixtures work well for larger garages but will require more planning for installation.
• High bay fixtures are the best for very tall ceilings (10ft+)
  Always choose fixtures with at least 80+ CRI for true color rendering

Installation Tips

• Mount your fixtures perpendicular to the garage door for the best visibility at the workspace.
• Keep fixtures at least 12 to 18 inches from the walls.
• Use the grid pattern shown in the visualization for even coverage throughout.
• Consider daisy-chaining fixtures to reduce wiring runs.
• Add dedicated task lighting at the workbenches for detailed projects.