Whether you’re building a new home or renovating your current one, choosing the right garage door involves more than picking a color or style. The size of your door affects what you can park inside, how your home looks from the street, and what your options will be years from now when your vehicles or storage needs change. Here is what you need to know about garage door sizes before you buy.
Standard Garage Door Sizes
Most homeowners will find that a standard size works fine for their needs. Single-car doors typically come in widths of 8, 9, and 10 feet. The 9-foot width has become the most commonly installed single door on new homes – most builders recommend a 9×7 door as the default for new construction. The old standard of 8 feet is still available but is rarely installed today.
Double-car doors generally range from 12 to 18 feet wide, in 24-inch increments. Heights for both single and double doors are typically 7 feet, with 8-foot doors available for larger vehicles. Custom sizes are also available, usually in 2-inch increments, for openings that do not match standard dimensions.
What Size Garage Door Do You Need?
When choosing your door size, think through both your current needs and what you might need down the road:
- What vehicles do you own right now? Measure the width and height of your largest vehicle, including any roof racks, antennas, or other additions. Larger trucks and SUVs often require taller and wider doors than standard economy cars. Give yourself enough clearance that you are not worrying about side mirrors on every pass.
- Do you plan to upgrade or add vehicles? Most people buy a new car every few years. A new vehicle often comes with a life change – growing family, new job, different needs. Sizing up slightly now is far less expensive than modifying a finished garage later.
- Will you ever store oversized vehicles or equipment? Boats, RVs, campers, and trailers require significantly larger doors. If there is any chance you might store one in your garage down the road, account for that now. An RV or fifth-wheel typically needs a door at least 10 feet tall and 12-14 feet wide.
- Do you want single or double stalls? This affects both function and aesthetics. Single doors give each bay a separate look and independent operation. A double door eliminates the center post and costs slightly less since you’re installing one door over two stalls. This is worth thinking through before construction – it is much harder to change after the fact.
Single vs. Double Doors
Single and double garage doors each have their advantages. Single doors operate independently – if one needs service, the other still works. They also create a more traditional look with a vertical beam dividing the two bays. Many homeowners prefer this aesthetic, especially on craftsman or traditional-style homes.
Double doors span the full opening without a center support, which gives a cleaner look and slightly lower installation cost. They are slightly more efficient in terms of the materials and hardware involved. The trade-off is that if the single door has a problem, both bays are affected.
One popular approach for three-car garages is combining the two: a double door for a two-car bay and a single door for the third stall. This gives flexibility in both function and how the garage presents from the street.
Choosing the Right Measurements
For single doors, widths run from 8 feet to 10 feet in 12-inch increments. For double doors, widths start at 12 feet and go up to 18 feet in 24-inch increments. Doors wider than 20 feet are available but typically need to be special-ordered.
The standard height is 7 feet for most residential doors. If you have a taller vehicle – a full-size pickup with a topper, a box truck, or a camper van – look at 8-foot doors. There can be slight differences in available dimensions from brand to brand, so working with a specialist who knows the full range of what is offered in each style makes sense if you have specific requirements. When in doubt, measure the opening and let a professional confirm the right fit.
Replacing an Existing Garage Door
If you are replacing a current door rather than building new, your size options may be limited by the existing opening. Sizing down is straightforward. Sizing up depends on the structure of your garage – specifically how much headroom is available above the door and whether the framing can accommodate a wider opening.
Older homes with 8-foot openings are the most common challenge. In many cases, enlarging the opening means modifying the header and potentially the load-bearing structure above, which adds to the project cost. If you are on a slab foundation with limited headroom and want a significantly larger opening, a new detached garage is sometimes more cost-effective than extensively modifying an attached one.
If you are unsure what your structure can accommodate, a garage door professional can assess the opening and tell you exactly what your options are before you commit to a purchase.
Ready to Choose Your New Garage Door?
Getting the size right matters more than most homeowners realize until they have driven a new truck home and found out the hard way. Erring on the side of a slightly larger door almost always makes more sense than going with the minimum – the cost difference between a 9-foot and 10-foot door is small compared to the cost of modifying a finished opening later.
Discount Garage Door carries a wide selection of residential and commercial garage doors across Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Edmond, and surrounding areas. Our technicians can measure your opening, walk through your options, and make sure you get exactly the right door for your home and your vehicles.
Get a free quote online or call your nearest location:
- Tulsa: 918-234-3667
- Oklahoma City: 405-525-3667
- Edmond: 405-348-2000
- South OKC: 405-848-6700
Related: Residential Garage Doors in Tulsa and OKC | Garage Door Repair | Garage Door Opener Installation
