What are standard garage door sizes?

Let’s put it in context. You are building a new garage, and you want to buy a garage door. You don't know much about it, so you probably say to yourself: ‘’Oh! I’ll just get a standard garage door and place it on the garage!’’

Thing is, there is no standard garage door sizes.

You heard right. There isn’t one ‘’standard door’’in the world of garage doors. Some sizes are more common than others, but you can’t just walk into a retailer's store and ask for a standard garage door, because there isn’t one.

How do you picture a standard door? All white, three windows, about 8 by 7 feet? This might be your image of a standard garage door, but someone else might imagine a standard door as a sand-colored one, with no windows, 10 by 8 feet. Nowadays, garage doors are offered in so many styles, so many colors and customizable sizes, it is impossible to say what the norm is.

The world of garage doors can seem complicated. Wouldn’t it be simpler if there was only one type of door, with only one size, available in 3 colors? Surely it would be. But that’s not how it works.

To satisfy everyone’s needs, there is a multitude of styles and colors, customizable to your tastes. The same goes for sizes. It can seem overwhelming. Don’t worry, we'll walk you step by step through the process of choosing a garage door that meets your needs.

Some sizes do come back more often than others and that’s what we refer to as ‘’standard sizes’’.

The most common sizes are often 8’, 9’, 10’, 12’, 14’ and 16’ width. Most common heights are 7’ and 8’.

These dimensions are a good basis to remember when considering purchasing a garage door.

Take a look at this gorgeous double garage door. This is a Moderno Multi design, 16’ x 7’, Black, Azur windows.

What to consider before buying your new garage door

How are you choosing the size of your door? Are you calculating it based on the existing garage or are you building a new one?

If you are looking to purchase a door for an existing garage, we have tools designed to help you calculate the door you need. Among other things, you must know the space available in your garage to install the tracks to lift the door, often called just lifts, that will allow the door to open. There are different types of lifts, depending on your needs and the space you have available.

If you are building a new garage, the first step is to decide what this garage will be used for. It will help you decide what size of door you need.

Door widths will really depend on how you plan to use the garage.

How many vehicles do you plan to park in your garage? How big are they?

If you know what the garage will be used for, it will give you a good idea of the door size you need. For example, will your garage be used to park a car? Two cars? A motorcycle or an RV?

If the garage will be used to store a single car, the door can be between 7 and 10 feet wide. While 7 feet is tight, 8 is even better and 9 makes parking and opening car doors much easier.

In the event that the vehicle is a pickup or other type of massive car, a 9’ or 10’ door would be recommended. We can make doors in any size you desire, with a minimum of 4 feet and a recommended maximum of 20 feet.

The size of the garage door varies depending on the size of the garage, but not always. Two garages of different sizes can have a door of the same size, just as two garages of the same size may not have the same door size. All of this varies according to the consumer’s wishes.

Single door widths vary between 7 and 12’ while double garage doors vary from 14 to 20’.

If you want to park two cars in your garage, we recommend you choose a 16’ door, as it will permit you to park 2 cars without problem. It’s possible to use a 14’ door for two cars, but they will be very close. You might need to park your cars at an angle so that they both enters.

Nervous that your teenager who just got their driver's licence might scrape the garage frame? Our doors can be up to 20 feet wide.

If you intend to use it to park two cars, you now know for sure that a single 9’ wide door won’t be enough. But then, do you want one 16’ double garage door or two 8’ single doors?

Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Imagine that, for reason beyond your control, your garage door refuses to open blocking your exit. If you have one 16’ double door, you won't be able to get out and thus be late for work. However, if you have two single doors and one of the openers gets stuck, you can still use the other door to leave the garage.

The price for a double door or two single doors is about the same. What can make a difference is if you add door openers to your doors. That way, having two doors will cost you a little more, as you will have to buy two garage door openers.

Look at this cute shed garage door. This is a Grooved design, 6' x 7', Ice White color, with Clear windows.

If you happen to be building a garden shed, smaller doors exist. If the shed is used to park a small lawn tractor your garage door could be 4’, 5’ or 6 feet.

Consider adding a garage door opener to your garage

The larger and heavier the door, the harder it will be to lift if the garage door system isn’t properly balanced. Why not make your job easier by calling a specialist to do a little maintenance on your door and install an electric door opener?

LiftMaster offers many different models to chose from. For example, check out the LiftMaster 87504-267. This model is Wi-Fi-connected and can be controlled and monitored from anywhere in the world. Plus, LiftMaster door openers are good protection against burglars. If the opener detects a forced opening of the door, it will push it in the opposite direction to prevent it from opening.

Check out all the garage door openers available from LiftMaster!

The garage door layout

Most of our doors are cut to the nearest inch to accommodate your door space as much as possible. Weatherstripping will fill the remaining space, providing you with a properly installed door that won’t leave any gaps.

You know what’s even better? Since all our doors are custom-made, you won’t be charged extra for getting the exact dimensions you want.

You should also be aware that the design of the door might not fit with the size you want. Two doors of different sizes can have the same pattern, but the space between the pattern and the side of the door won’t be the same. The look of the door is somewhat spoiled if the pattern is too close to the edge, or if there’s too much space.

To make sure that the design you have chosen suits the size of the door, you can test your sizes according to the models thanks to our Design Centre! It’s entirely free.

The garage door style

Not only do you want a functional door, but you also want that door to look good. As a garage door generally represents ⅓ of the front of your house, you must be able to display this door proudly.

With more than 35 designs and 10 colors, choosing can be a bit overwhelming.

So, contact a GARAGA dealer in your area.

They are indeed experts in garage doors. They have extensive experience, and they love helping you find the perfect garage door system at the right plus for you.

Find the door of your dreams already? Ask us for a quotation by email.

You’d like to shop online a bit first?

You can browse our residential photo gallery. Do you like interactive design apps? If so, grab your smartphone and try our Design Centre. You’ll have fun building your dream door.