Standard Garage Door Sizes and How to Pick the Right One for Your Home

Did you know that standard garage door sizes can vary based on the year your home was built? Construction standards for both double and single garage doors have evolved to accommodate larger SUVs and pickup trucks. However, there are still some standard dimensions that you'll need to stick to whether you're building a new garage or replacing existing doors. In this guide, we'll cover common garage door sizes.

What Is the Standard Garage Door Size?

With average modern car widths ranging from 5.8 feet for compact vehicles to 8 feet for SUVs and trucks, it's important to have garage doors that allow for safe, clear entry. That's why modern-day single garage doors are generally built to be at least 8 feet wide by 7 feet high. This is the case for both attached and detached garages. With homes that have a double garage door covering a garage that allows room for two parked cars, the standard size is at least 16 feet wide. Average garage door replacement cost when adding a new door of any material with standard dimensions is between $754 and $1,696.

Garage Door Size by Type

While there are many different garage door styles to choose from when designing a garage, the dimensions are actually very basic. Here's a look at the standard sizes you'll be presented with when selecting between single and double garage doors.

Single Garage Door Dimensions

Regardless of the style of garage door chosen, single doors are generally 8 feet wide by 7 feet high. Homeowners can generally purchase oversized garage doors that measure 9 feet by 7 feet without special orders. However, doors that extend past 10 feet are often considered custom doors that must be specially ordered and made.

Double Garage Door Dimensions

The standard size for a double garage door is 16 feet wide by 7 feet high. These dimensions allow for the ideal proportions to keep a wider door stable and fortified. However, homeowners can order custom double garage doors that are as large as 20 feet by 12 feet. This supersized door could be an option if you're looking for a way to park an RV or camper inside a garage. Keep in mind that an oversized double garage door may require specialized installation due to its incredible weight.

How to Measure the Garage Door Size Correctly

Homeowners can measure their garage doors on their own when installing or replacing them. If you don't have experience measuring garage doors, consider bringing a pro in to confirm your dimensions to avoid ordering garage doors that are the wrong size. Properly measuring garage doors actually requires four different measurements.

Measure the Rough Opening

Your garage door's rough opening refers to the space where you'll be installing the doors. It is essentially the gap that exists between the tops, sides, and bottom of where your garage door goes. Here's how to get its dimensions on paper:

• Start by measuring the width of the door opening in inches from one side to the other. Do this from the midpoint in the door opening to ensure that you're measuring at its widest point.

• Next, measure the space's height in inches from the floor to the top of the opening. As you did with the width, measure the height from the midpoint of the opening to ensure you're sampling from the widest point.

• Add an extra inch to both of the measurements above to account for any insulation that will be added to each side of the door when it's installed.

Measure the Side Room

Side room refers to the space located on the left and right sides of the opening. This information will be needed as you get closer to installation because the side room creates space for torsion springs and hardware that are used for vertical track systems. Depending on the style of track used, you may need anywhere from 3.5 inches to 5.5 inches of space available per side.

Measure the Headroom

The headroom is located between the ceiling of your garage and the top of your door opening. Depending on your track system, you may need anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of clearance. Unless you plan to open a garage door manually every time, you'll need to leave 3 inches to 4 inches of clearance to ensure that the garage door opener isn't hit when the garage door goes back.

Measure the Backroom

Also known as a garage door's rear clearance, the backroom refers to the distance between an overhead door and the back wall of the garage. In residential garages, the standard is a minimum of the door height plus 18 inches. In commercial and oversized garages the standard is a minimum of the door height plus 23 inches.

Factors That Influence Garage Door Size

As you shop for a new garage door, factors will impact the dimensions you'll need to stick with. While some factors may be beyond your control, others can be decided entirely by you in certain situations.

Existing Rough Opening

If you're ordering a new garage door for an existing garage, you'll be confined to the dimensions of the existing rough opening. It's important to order a door that's a specific match to your rough opening to ensure that the new door can be properly installed.

Sloping Garage Floor

If your garage door slopes, it could impact its ability to contact the floor when closed. Sloping floors can also create gaps that allow air and daylight to seep under the door. If you have a sloping garage floor, you may need to order a custom door with non-standard dimensions to account for the slope.

The most obvious signs that your garage floor slopes are noticeable slanting, dips, holes, or sinking areas. Consider having a slab or foundation expert look at the situation. While many homeowners assume that the problem can be fixed by replacing a garage door, a new door will have the same problem unless the sloping is accounted for when measuring for a new door.

Homeowner Association (HOA) Rules

Check with any applicable HOA or zoning rules before replacing an existing garage door or selecting the door size for a new garage. In some cases, you may be required to stick with standard garage door dimensions. Some HOAs even have rules on single versus double garage doors.

What to Do If You Have the Wrong Size Garage Door

Realizing that you've mismeasured a door opening can make your heart drop! Don't try to "force it" to fit. If a garage door is too large for the opening, the edges of the door will scrape against the frame. In addition to making it difficult for the door to close smoothly, this issue can also cause the door's roller system to malfunction. When a garage door is too small for the opening, there will be gaps that leave the garage insecure. Additionally, a loose garage door could come apart from the tracks. Both situations can quickly lead to a broken garage door if you keep forcing the door to open and close.

Talk with a garage door pro if your garage door isn't the right size for the opening. In most cases, the answer will be to order a door that is the correct size. If this is a recently purchased door, the garage door manufacturer may charge a restocking fee if you improperly measured the opening. If the size discrepancy is minimal, a garage door pro may be able to slightly trim the door for you to get it to fit into the framing. If a door is too small, it's possible that reframing the garage's rough opening could allow you to keep the door. Of course, hiring a garage door pro near you to install a garage door is the best way to avoid a mismeasurement.