Although garage doors weren’t standard fare at the start of the 20th century, the proliferation of car ownership in the 40s and 50s demanded most homes be built with one. In fact, you might even be able to ballpark the age of a home based on whether or not there’s a garage.

Today, even the smallest homes have at least a single-car garage. For the most part, garage door sizes are pretty standard and can handle just about any make or model of vehicle. But it still doesn’t hurt to break out the measuring tape to make sure your car or truck will fit.

Traditional Residential Garage Door Sizes

Even taking into account larger vehicles found on the roads today, there hasn’t been much change in garage door sizes:

• 8-9 feet wide: Most popular size for a standard single garage door
• 16 feet wide: A standard size for most double garage doors
• 7-8 feet high: No matter how wide the garage door, this height is the most common. 

The width of the garage door is usually increased by 12 feet depending on need. If the home has been designed to house a recreational vehicle, like a motor home or camper, the height of the door can range all the way up to 20 feet tall.

Of course, garage door technology has come along way since the doors were the single, tilt-up variety. Custom garage doors can come in a variety of sizes, styles, and designs. Perhaps the most versatile doors, when it comes to sizes, are the roll-up kind seen in commercial applications.

Commercial garage doors are primarily used for security purposes. Commonly seen at warehouses, auto repair shops, or production facilities, roll-up doors are able to be built with much larger dimensions while remaining lighter than standard garage doors. 

That’s important to remember. Imagine the weight of a common panel garage door for a 20-foot wide door that runs 24 feet tall. That would put a lot of strain on the opener and the mechanism itself. There are still ways to make these doors energy efficient, such as with insulation. But they won’t reach the r-value of residential garage doors.

Garage Door Size Considerations

Most homeowners didn’t build their own homes. Even when it comes to new builds, homeowners can be given options for a garage door – such as design or color – but sizes remain pretty standard. This is especially true if the homes are being built as part of a new residential community.

Building every home with a double bay in addition to a place for larger vehicles can get expensive over twenty-plus homes. Building this much room for a garage will also eat into the overall square footage of the home or plot of land. So most non-custom built homes come equipped with standard sizes that will accommodate most buyers.

Still, homebuyers should be aware of the garage door. Like to spend time in the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest? Throwing a cargo box on top of a large vehicle may be an issue if you have to take it off just to get in or out of the garage. Kayak cradles or bike racks on top of the car also add a lot of height.

Without measuring first, that cargo box may end up in the driveway when pulling into the garage. It could even damage the door if hit with enough force. Consider the depth of your garage too. A Ford F-150 with a supercab comes in at just over 21 feet long. If your garage is just 20 feet deep, that’s a problem.

However, if you are custom-building your home, the size of your door is only limited by your imagination. However, there are aspects that need to be taken into account. For starters, are you even going to be able to lift a steel garage door that’s 24-feet long and 10-feet high? 

Garage door openers are built to handle the most common sizes, of course. A ½ horsepower power opener can lift up to 300 pounds. An opener with more than one horsepower will be able to lift a lot more. And while the torsion spring does most of the heavy lifting, garage door weight still plays a part when considering an opener.

More often than not, we don’t have a choice when it comes to garage door sizes when buying a home. However, you do have a choice when it comes to garage door installation and repair. Ponderosa Garage Doors has been serving the Clark County area for more than 16 years.

We provide service and repair on standard doors, roll-up metal doors, and even those big commercial or custom doors you may be having issues with. With the Ponderosa Promise, you know you’ll be getting expert service and professional care when working with us. Contact us today and see how we can help!