What is the clearance of a standard garage door?

Author: Josefa Senger  |  Last update: Thursday, June 5, 2025

Standard systems require 10 to 12 inches of headroom. On average, door openers require an additional 3 inches of clearance. Measure the backroom or distance from the garage door opening to the back wall of the garage. A garage will need backroom that equals the door height plus 18 inches.

What is standard garage door height clearance?

The standard height of a garage door is 7 feet (2.13 meters) for most residential homes. This size is common across many neighborhoods because it provides enough clearance for standard vehicles, including sedans, small SUVs, and pickups.

What is the average garage clearance?

Overhead clearance heights must follow local building and accessibility codes. They're generally 7 feet (84 inches) for ordinary parking spaces and 8 feet 2 inches (98.4 inches) for van-accessible spaces.

How much clearance do I need for a 7 foot garage door?

So, if you are using a door that is seven feet high the typical minimum ceiling height would be eight feet, leaving twelve inches of headroom. There is a catch – this headroom must be consistent for the entire area the door will travel under.

How much space do you need on either side of a garage door?

Determine Side Room Space

For the door to be properly secured and for the track to have enough space to be installed, there needs to be at least 3 ¾ inches of room on either side. For double door garages, the middle post between openings needs to be at least 10 inches wide.

Low Headroom Options

What is the side clearance for overhead doors?

Sideroom Clearance

The minimum clearance for doors with standard extension springs is 3 3/4 inches of sideroom. If you're looking to install garage doors with low headroom, note that you may need more sideroom. You will need a larger space for torsion spring doors as well.

How close should garage door be to frame?

Garage door rough opening measurements:

Minimum clearance height above the door opening is 1 foot. Head frame requires garage door width, plus 9 inches. Minimum frame depth is 4 inches. Opening is garage door width, plus 3 inches.

Is 10 feet wide enough for a garage door?

You'll need to factor in what you want to keep in the garage to help you choose the right size door. For single cars, 7-10 feet in width is usually good. You'll want more room for larger cars, but you can get away with 7 feet for a smaller vehicle.

What is the minimum distance between garage door and wall?

The exact minimum side clearance depends on your specific garage door type: Single car doors – Need a minimum of 3 inches clearance on each side. Double car doors – Require at least 3 inches on each side, more is better. Oversized and custom doors – May need 4 inches or more side clearance depending on size.

What is the minimum ceiling height for a garage door?

Thus, a typical garage ceiling height of a standard residential garage is about 8', and the recommended required space is 12' for a manually operated and 15' for an automatic garage door.

What does 7 foot clearance from the ground mean?

Ground clearance, in the simplest terms, is the distance between your vehicle's undercarriage and the surface of the road or trail beneath it. It reaches from the lowest point of your vehicle to the ground.

How close to the ceiling can a garage door be?

A common misconception is that garage door height can match the ceiling height. Let's take a minute to look at why this is not possible. A standard garage door track requires between 12 and 15 inches of clearance above the height of the door.

How many feet is the average 2 car garage?

WHAT ARE THE AVERAGE 2-CAR GARAGE DIMENSIONS? Overall, the average two-car garage dimensions are 24×24 feet (576 sq ft) or 24×30 feet (720 sq ft).

Are most garage doors 7 or 8 feet?

Single garage doors: Most "single car" garage doors measure 8 feet wide by 7 feet high. Double garage doors: Most "double car" garage doors measure 16 feet wide by 7 feet high.

Is it worth getting an insulated garage door?

Insulating your garage door theoretically keeps your home warmer, which could cut down on energy costs, especially in the winter. If you spend a lot of time in your garage, perhaps using it as a bonus room or spare bedroom, maintaining heat in the garage may be important to you.

What is the code for garage door height?

Most residential building codes specify a minimum garage door height of 7 feet (2.13 meters) to accommodate standard passenger vehicles. This height ensures enough clearance for everyday use and safe vehicle entry and exit.

How much clearance for a garage door?

Without proper spacing, a garage door just won't work. Most standard automatic openers require at least 12 inches of overhead clearance, some taking 18 inches. This includes about 12 inches for the door and torsion springs and three inches for the garage door opener. Some wood garage doors might require 18″ headroom.

What is the building code for a door between garage and house?

The IRC requires the door between the house and the attached garage to be a minimum of 1 3/8 inches thick – either a solid wood door, a solid or honeycomb-core steel door, or a 20-minute fire door.

What is the code for a door to a garage?

They are as follows: Fire Resistant Door – According to the ICC, the garage entry door must be “equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors.”

How much space should be between garage door and wall?

Inside your garage, measure the clearance between the side of each opening and the cross wall or, if you have multiple doors side by side, between door openings. Each side of the opening should have a clearance of at least 4″ for a 2″ track, and 6″ for a 3″ track.

Is 10 feet too narrow for a garage?

Width is the other dimension to consider. Our one car garage sheds come in 10', 12', and 14' widths. Ten feet may be too small for anything other than compact cars or motorcycles. Twelve and 14' widths are more common.

Is a 9 ft garage door wide enough?

For a single-car garage, the door can be between 7 and 10 feet wide. A 7-foot door will be a tight squeeze, an 8-foot door will be a little more comfortable, and 9+ feet makes parking and opening car doors very easy.

How much clearance should be between door and frame?

There should be a 2mm or 3mm gap between the door and the frame on both sides and the top. If you do need to cut the door down to size, keep in mind that you need to cut all four sides of the door equally whenever possible to retain an accurate shape or pattern if the door is panelled.

Should there be a gap between garage door and wall?

Your garage door should not have any gaps — not at the bottom, top, sides, or even between the panels.

How much room do you need to install a garage door?

A good rule of thumb for an ordinary residential garage door is to have at least one foot on each side of the door track and fourteen feet back into the garage clear.

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