Table of Contents
If you are in the market for a new garage door or upgrading an old one, this guide may help you figure out the proper door size for your garage to meet all the requirements.
Although standard residential garage door sizes are common knowledge in hardware stores, the exact sizing of your actual requirement will need some analysis. The recent trend points to people using garage space for activities other than just parking vehicles, so more and more homeowners are choosing to have a larger garage.
55% of Americans spend 1 to 2 hours each on hobbies and home improvement activities inside their garage.
To give you a snippet of what will be discussed, here is the table of contents for your guidance.
Introduction
Garage Door Service
If you wonder how to update your home exterior, replacing your garage door is one of the best ways to quickly freshen up your house’s appearance and increase its market value.
Meanwhile, dimensions are a key aspect. A properly selected size of the door will guarantee seamless and hassle-free installation and ensure convenient use in the long run.
How do you select an optimal garage door size? While there are several standard sizes, your final choice will be impacted by a whole number of factors. To ease the task for you, we’ve cut down the list to 4 major factors you need to encounter when planning and designing your garage. Let’s consider them in more detail before reviewing common sizes.
Type And Size Of The Vehicle
The size of your garage door should not only be wide enough to accommodate your vehicle type, but tall enough to fit any rooftop accessories like roof racks and cargo holders. Below are the average sizes of each type of vehicle.
- Sedans and cars — The typical vehicle for the average homeowner. In width, sedans are 6 feet to 6.5 feet and 16 feet to 18 feet long. The average height of sedans is 4.5 feet to 5 feet, but take note of luxury cars that have larger wheels and higher ground clearance.
- Sports Utility Vehicles, All Utility Vehicles, and vans — The largest vehicle a typical family can own. Most will be 6 feet to 7 feet in width and 16 feet to 19 feet long. Height will vary between 5 feet to 6 feet, but many owners opt to place a roof storage utility accessory, which can add at least up to 2 feet in height.
- Sports and compact cars — Smaller than sedans, measuring about 5 feet to 6 feet wide and 14 feet to 16 feet long. Height is usually about 5 feet, with some luxury sports cars measuring just 4 feet or lower. These cars are suitable for small garage door sizes.
- Boats — This covers only the water sport or inshore fishing type boats that can be transported on land via trailer. The typical width is between 8 feet to 10 feet and a length between 25 feet to 30 feet. Anything bigger might be hard to transport and usually remain water bound in a yard. These boats have a height of 10 feet to 12 feet, but if a trailer is used, an additional 2 feet should be considered.
- RVs and mobile homes — Sizes vary per manufacturer, but standard models are around 30 feet to 35 feet long, about 9 feet wide, and 12 feet to 13 feet tall. These types of vehicles would need large door sizes comparable to commercial ones.
Number Of Vehicles
Aside from the space occupied by each vehicle, there should be at least 2 feet of space between each vehicle when parked side by side. This is to accommodate car door openings when getting in or out of the automobile.
Additional Space
Most owners will take advantage of the additional garage space to store garden tools, lawnmowers, and even golf cars. Some owners even have work tables for personal activities. The gates should be wide enough to allow activities or moving in and out of items without moving your vehicle.
Garage Size
If you have bought a house with a garage, then you can be limited to the size of the garage entrance. Take note of the space required for garage motors and overhead door compartments. For new garages, it’s better to involve an expert or your architect during planning to consider all your requirements.
Use these factors to estimate your current requirement and if you have plans for additional vehicle purchases, better to factor them in before purchasing your garage door.
Standard Garage Door Sizes
Evaluate your current and future requirements to properly gauge the size. Below are typical sizes grouped by different factors such as function, number, and the type of vehicles in the house. These are standard for overhead and roll-up door sizes and should be readily available for purchase from any supplier.
Single Car Garage Door Size
For homeowners with just one automobile, a single garage door should meet their requirements. Single common gate sizes range between 8 feet to 10 feet wide and between 7 feet to 8 feet in height. Standard “off the shelf” doors are available in 8 feet x 7 feet, 9 feet x 7 feet, and 10 feet x 7 feet with a taller 8-foot variety available. Sizes of those doors should be wide enough to accommodate any car type and still have enough space for storage.
Homeowners with 2 vehicles can opt to build a garage with 2 compartments or garage openings and have 2 standard single doors sizes installed.
Double Car Garage Door Size
A double car garage door is one door unit that is big enough to accommodate 2 cars. Some homeowners with just one vehicle opt to install double doors, so they can have space for cabinets, garden tools, and a work shed. Sizes for such doors are usually 12 feet to 18 feet in width and 7 feet to 8 feet in height.
Triple Car Garage Door Size
This monster-size garage door can comfortably fit 3 vehicles and can be an economical as well as an aesthetically better option instead of installing 3 separate single doors. Although the downside is whenever you open the garage, you expose all the parked vehicles. The standard size of a triple car gate is 36 feet to 40 feet in width and 8 feet in height.
RV Size Garage Door Size
RVs and mobile homes have a considerable height difference compared to cars and vans, with most models measuring up to 13 feet high. Standard RV garage door sizes range from 12 feet to 14 feet wide and 14 feet to 16 feet high.
The width of RVs and mobile homes also makes it necessary to have a wider area for better maneuverability.
Commercial Size Garage Door Size
Commercial-size garage doors are made to accommodate large containers and trucks. The standard size is 32 feet wide and 24 feet high. Check if this is enough for your vehicles or for the items to be stored. Due to the commercial-grade construction, these doors are thicker and more robust than those for residential purposes.
Boat Size Garage Door Size
Garage for small boats is usually customized as they differ in size depending on the type and model. As such, these will have higher openings compared to car garages and may be comparable in dimensions to a commercial-size garage door.
Overhead Door Size Limitations
Although your gates can be any size, below are limitations that can affect or restrict the design. This can be either monetary, design limitations, or regulatory.
Higher Cost of Customization
Garage doors are available in many sizes, but in case your requirement does not meet these ready-made models, then customization is your only option. Unfortunately, custom sizes require a higher cost due to measurements, custom cutting, bigger rollers sizes, and installation. This is normally encountered by homeowners adding a new garage or upgrading an open garage.
Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) Regulations
DASMA is a trade association for North American garage door manufacturers. DASMA members represent 95% of the garage door industry, making them the premier regulatory group for this niche. Their publication regarding door specifications has entries that identify standards for sizes, wind loads, durability, hoist operation, torsion springs, and counterbalance.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The commission has various regulations that cover residential garage owners and garage door operators (GDO). The aim is to protect the general public from harm if they own or are near gates. One such regulation focuses on safety measures to deter accidental entrapment. Another one focuses on regulating overhead door opening and closing speed. These and other regulations will have a direct effect on residential door sizes.
Current Size of Garage
Quite simply, the size of your new garage door should not exceed your current layout. An expert can help identify the maximum door size that can fit your existing garage. Otherwise, major reconstruction is needed to extend the garage wall and create more space.
What Size Should My Garage Door Be?
Garage Door Service
It’s almost inconceivable for homeowners not to have a garage or at least a carport. There’s a certain sense of security to have a car stowed away in a garage, protected from harm. A garage can also increase the value of your property, as well as create a new space for your hobbies or side projects.
If you are considering a new garage door, the pointers discussed here should be a valuable tool for you to identify the size of it. Do note that it is often better to overestimate than underestimate the door size, as it is easier to get used to an oversized door than remodel it. It is also far easier to reduce a garage than to enlarge it to create more room.
But you should also be reasonable when it comes to extra space. A recent study showed that 25% of Americans who installed standard two-car garage door sizes don’t actually park 2 cars at a time, and the garage just becomes a storage space and is always cluttered.
Sizing is a science, and we are proud to say that STI Garage Door is one of the best in the business. We have years of experience in residential and commercial garage door design, installation, and repair. With all our years of working in this industry, we are honored to say that our clients from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC have only positive things to say about our service.
If you are looking for a reliable, honest, and reputable specialist then we would love to be of service. Give us a call and our professional experts are there for you 24/7 in case you need any help!
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