Here we share the standard garage dimensions including 1, 2, 3 & 4 car garages sizes and average ceiling height.
How big of a garage do you really need? When deciding what size garage is best there are a few factors that should be taken into consideration to make sure you get the right fit. First we need to address several questions to help narrow down the necessities.
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How many cars do you own? The first factor to deciding the size of the garage is how many cars need to be inside it. Sometimes you could have four cars and only need two of them in the garage, as the other two can be in the driveway or the street.
Keep in mind that when parking in the garage and driveway sometimes it can be difficult to maneuver when another vehicle is parked right behind it. This can mean you should consider getting an driveway pad or an extra garage and driveway to accommodate the amount of vehicles that need to move daily. You will also need to consider the types of cars you own, as an SUV or truck will take up substantially more room.
Will you use your garage as a workshop? Another factor of how big a garage needs to be is if you already planned for the cars that are going to be in the garage, what about the stuff? Is there a need to use the garage as a workshop, if so there needs to be room for tools and general space to work, depending on the typical projects done in the space can further decide the amount of space that needs to be dedicated to the workshop area.
On top of that the space could potentially be used for outdoor supply or food freezer storage. Whether it is bikes, sporting equipment, extra food storage you name it, sometimes the garage is the best place for it to be readily accessible as well as keeping any bad odors or dirty things out of the home. This can be a great time to park a tall work truck in the driveway as it does not block anyone parking on that side of the garage.
Garage Door Dimensions
As a general rule it is important to leave about two and a half feet from the car to the nearest object, whether that be another car or the wall of the garage. This is so the car doors can open and you can exit the vehicle.
1 Car Garage Dimensions
For single car garages the general size is about 12 feet wide by 20 feet long, and the garage door width should be 9 feet. This fits the average car, SUVs and trucks should be verified and consider getting a larger door and garage to accommodate larger vehicles.
2 Car Garage Dimensions
For double car garages the general size is about 18-20 feet wide by 20 feet long, and the door width should be 9 feet each if there are going to be two separate doors or 16 feet overall to cover both vehicles.
Notice how the 20 feet is the same for both single and double car garages. That is because the cars are to be placed next to each other in these situations and each car only needs 20 feet of space front to back.
Some style garages can stack the cars such as with a tandem car garage. In that case the length would be doubled, but stacked garages are extremely atypical as it is difficult to maneuver the vehicles in and out.
Another thing that can change the 20 feet is if there is a desire for a little extra garage storage. Adding some space in front of parked cars can leave a space for trash cans, salt bags, shovels, or even outdoor shoes if the spaces is needed.
3 Car Garage Dimensions
For triple car garages the general size is about 31 feet wide by 20 feet long, and the door width should be 9 feet each if there are going to be three separate doors or 16 feet and a 9 foot to cover all vehicles.
There is not a typical option that has all three cars able to use one door. This makes the garage door extremely wide and potential to not work correctly and is just less structurally sound. There are custom items that can be made per size if neither of these options is what you wish to be on your garage.
4 Car Garage Dimensions
For single car garages the general size is about 12 feet by 20 feet, and the door width should be 9 feet each if there are going to be four separate doors or two 16 feet doors or different combinations of 16 and 9 foot increments based on which doors should be opened in unison with which doors.
Each separate door needs a 1.4 foot piece of wall in between it, this area accounts for the space to get in and out of the vehicle as well as any electrical or structural pieces that need to be added for the garage doors to properly function.
The dimensions can also vary depending on if you have an attached or detached garage. Attached designs share the same roof as the home and in general have less room than a detached unit.
Average Garage Height
The average height of a garage door is about 7 feet, sometimes they are the same height as interior walls which is 8 feet. This area is usually based on the location to the house. Detached garages are usually the 7 to 8 feet as they are not dependent on any other aspect.
When a garage is attached to a home and you have a connecting door from the home to the garage the floor heights are different due to the foundations and platforms that are different for a garage and the rest of the home.
In some cases the second level continues over the garage, all at the same height as the second level. This can mean the garage needs to be a little taller to accommodate the lesser floor height to keep the floor height if the second level all the same.
Having a taller ceiling can be an added bonus for storing bikes one racks from the ceiling. Make sure when installing bike racks overhead that it does not interfere with any above floors or the garage door, as they typically function using a great deal of overhead space.
Savannah Phillips is an NCIDQ certified Interior Designer with a Bachelors of Science in Interior Design from Illinois State University. She is skilled in Space Planning, Furniture Layouts, Material and Finish Selection and FF&E Procurement.
Savannah - Interior Designer
