Garage Door Measurements: How to Get the Perfect Garage Door

If you're shopping for a garage door, one of the most important questions you'll need to have the answer to is: “what size garage door do I buy?”



Whether you're planning to install it yourself or hire a professional to help, get ready to take some garage door measurements to guarantee an ideal fit. Here are some tips on how to get the perfect garage door for your home.

What is a Standard Garage Door Size?

On most residential garages, the door will usually be one of a few universal sizes that are standard in the industry. As long as you measure your garage correctly, you should be able to purchase a door from the manufacturer that will fit properly. There are different ranges of standard sizes for single car garages, double car garages, and extra large garages for boats, RVs and commercial applications.

Single Garage Door Sizing

If you just have a one car garage, then your garage door will probably be 8x7', 9x7', or 10x7'. The smaller size is great for a car or item storage, while the larger ones are well suited to a van, small to medium size truck or an SUV. You wouldn't be able to fit a big truck, RV or any other large vehicles into a single car garage. Depending on how roomy the space is inside, you may not even have much storage space available once your car is parked inside.

Two Car Garage Door Sizing

If you have a double-car garage, the door will probably be 12x7', 14x7', or 16x7'. A double garage door is designed for homes with more than one regular sized vehicle or may be able to accommodate larger vehicles. Check the dimensions of the garage as you're planning your vehicle purchase or storage needs, to be sure that the space can store your items while having enough room to walk around comfortably.

Commercial Garage Door Sizing

If you're in the market for a garage door for commercial applications rather than residential, you'll probably be looking for 32'x2” wide and 24' tall. However, you may have to look into something different depending on the storage needs of the building. What size are the trucks, tractors or other vehicles – and how many of them must be stored in the building? Take down the length of the biggest vehicle, and add plenty of space to be able to walk around them comfortably and store any necessary equipment as well.

What if I Have an RV?

If you have a recreational vehicle (RV), you won't be able to fit it in a regular garage. It's possible to have a garage or covering built for your RV to shield it from the outdoors – and there's a general size for those doors too. The size of a garage door to cover an RV needs to be 16' tall and 8' wide, with at least 9' of ceiling height. If you'll be building an RV garage, make sure it has adequate space for whatever you need to store – whether that's another vehicle or just your Christmas ornaments.

How to Measure for a Garage Door

So how do you take down the measurements of your garage, to find the perfect door? Grab a heavy duty measuring tape, a pad and a pencil to start with.

• Measure the width of the door opening. The size of the door should correlate with the size of the opening
• Measure the height of the door opening
• Measure the width of the side room: this is the amount of space between the walls on either side and the edge of the door opening
• Measure the headroom: the amount of space between the top edge of the opening and the ceiling. You'll need over 12” of space here in order to install an automatic door opener
• Measure the backroom: the distance from the back wall to the opening. You need at least 18” extra plus the height of the door in order to accommodate the automatic door opener

How to Purchase a New Garage Door

If you're building a new garage, you'll want to discuss with the contractor your plans for the door. They may be able to help point you in the direction you need to go. If you're replacing an existing door or installing a door on an existing garage, you'll need to take those measurements and provide them to the garage door installation company. You can also punch in those numbers on a manufacturer's website if you'll be purchasing the garage door on your own. The size of the door should correlate with the size of the opening, so if your measurements were precise it's hard to go wrong. It's a bit hard to envision what your new garage door will look like, so if you don't want any unpleasant surprises with the color or style, try to look at them in person before buying. You can also use photos to simulate what the design would look like on your building or facility before you go through with the purchase.

Can You Install a Garage Door Yourself?

Whether you're up to the task of installing your new garage door or not is up to you. If you're able to do heavy lifting and skilled with tools and projects, you may be able to install a single or double car garage door with a helper or two. Garage doors are heavy, and the spring systems can be very dangerous if care is not taken. If you aren't sure you can handle it or you have an oversized garage door such as an RV door or a commercial facility, you will definitely need to look into hiring a professional garage door installation company to help you do this safely and quickly. We highly recommend you hire a professional to install your garage door. You're much less likely to have problems when it's installed by a factory trained professional.

Hiring a Garage Door Professional to Handle Everything

If you don't have the time, energy or the skills to handle measuring, purchasing and installing a new garage door, you can hire your local garage door installation company to handle the entire process. Ask your friends for a trustworthy recommendation and choose a service that'll walk you through the process, give you a good estimate up front, and complete the installation in a timely and professional manner.

Consider a Custom Designed Garage Door

If you have an uncommon-sized garage, an unusually-shaped vehicle or item to store, or if pre-made doors simply aren't working for your style, you can also have a garage door custom made to fit. Whether you need a custom height, width or just a more unique design that really stands out in the neighborhood, you can request something made to order for your specific needs, for additional fees.

You Must Get the Right Measurements

Measuring for a new garage door is the easy part: now that you know how tall and how wide your new garage door needs to be, the real work begins of selecting the perfect color and design and deciding who will install the unit. Your home and your vehicles will thank you for a job well done. If it's a completely new garage you're looking for, Danley's has you covered. We're Chicago's best garage builders and we'll work with you to build your perfect garage including the right garage door. Get a free quote now and see why over 100,000 homeowners trusted us with their garage building project.