Building new garage - Ceiling height for lift?

[Cairo94507]

Hi everyone,

Building a new garage, going to be about 1300 sq. ft. and I plan to install a Rotary 2-post lift. What would you recommend for a good ceiling height? I have already spec'd an 8" polished concrete floor so I will be able to mount the lot wherever we want. Thanks for your thoughts. Michael

 

[racecougar]

12' minimum ceiling height is typical for a lift.

 

[DaDuck]

my ceiling is 12 ft 6 inches and that was just enough clearance to get a paint roller between the top of the lift and the ceiling. anything less and you will not be happy.

 

[Bruce 993 SEA]

Your lift manufacturer should have detailed dimensions plus a recommended clearance spec above the lift. More is better...

 

[ssffnomad]

14’ . No less

 

[CJM8515]

Id do 14ft. Depending on the height of what you want to lift and the maximum height of the lift itself (like if it has a crossbar). This way you can lift larger roofed vehicles like suv's and trucks if need be high enough

 

[TobeyA]

14' is what I have. I wouldn't go lower.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I've got 12'4" and just barely fit a Rotary 9,000# lift in. 14' would be better.

 

[firebirdparts]

I guess, for what it's worth, that you are about 6 feet and the distance from the frame to the roof of the tallest car you have is less than 6 feet, and I guess about 5 really, going by an F-250. There is to be considered that crossbar above the lift, and you need room for that. With a 12 foot ceiling, you do actually have room for that and you can pick up *most* things to full height. A high roof van, no. With 14 feet, you'd have generously 12 feet under your crossbar. So if you choose a lift now, you'll have a specific dimension established by that crossbar.

If you're going to pick up 914's, well, they're not tall.

 

[jasondavidmann]

Rotary SPO10, my ceiling is 12’4” and once drywall it will be 12’ 3.5”

 

[HPRifleman]

If you opt for a floor-plate 2-post lift, these are usually 9' or 10' tall.

 

[Cairo94507]

Hi Guys - Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, I think 14' will probably be sufficient too.

 

[GRivera]

14' is plenty. In my case I went with 12' walls and scissor trusses on a 2/12 pitch so the ceiling peak is about 14' . 3' in from walls is 12'6".

 

[Stuart in MN]

What kind of vehicle will be on the lift? The 914 in your signature picture, or a lifted 4x4? Also, how tall are you? Both things will make a difference on how high the vehicle has to go and how much headroom is needed above it.

 

[sz0k30]

Like a bunch of other guys said - 12 foot minimum.

 

[Cairo94507]

In addition to the 914-6, a Macan GTS, a Honda Ridgeline, an a Nissan Frontier, to replace the Audi S3, once the "shortage" dies down.

 

[finn]

With an 8” slab, I see that you’re already subscribed to the land of overkill if this is for a home shop, so go to at least 16’. This will allow a 14’ door.

 

[pbon]

I had 10’6” and an Atlas BP8000 floor plate lift in my last house. I could lift my BMW E36, E60 and E90 all the way up and walk underneath and I am 6’2”. I would have preferred a top plate but that barn was built 100+ years ago so I did not get to choose the height. I understand construction costs go way up as the height goes up, and that is a consideration for some.

 

[02camaro86]

mine is 16x24, 10ft walls, 15ft peak and i can lift any car/truck/hummer h2 all the way up. its tight but works well.

16x24 garage build lots of pics

well been a long time lurker here and finally decided to join and post up. here is something me and my father have been working on for about a year and its pretty much done. im quite proud. enjoy :D specs: 16x24 384sq ft 10ft walls 15ft to the peak full electric 8in concrete slab 10klb mohawk...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[jeepnatv4life]

DONT DO 14' just for the headroom of the LIFT!!! thats waaaaaaay more expensive material wise You can get by with 12' and frame a pocket between truss's for any additional headroom needed.. That is what I did in my 30x40x12 Put your posts between the truss's

 

[ScaldedDog]

In addition to the 914-6, a Macan GTS, a Honda Ridgeline, an a Nissan Frontier, to replace the Audi S3, once the "shortage" dies down.

Since you are starting from scratch, have you considered using a Rotary in-ground lift, rather than a two-post? They are more expensive, to be sure, but get rid of the posts and any concern about a top crossbar.

Mark

 

[HoosierMark]

I have 14 feet. While the lift may only need 12 feet if you leave the hood up or the rear hatch open that can be higher then the lift.

 

[Rickochet]

I built my shop to accommodate a 12’ hoist. My ceiling is 12’ 2” and I can lift anything I plan to lift.

 

[klawockvet]

A 12' will lift a 2016 F350 4x4, which is good enough for me. If you are heating a shop those extra feet above 12 will be significantly more expensive over time.

 

[Jbullfrog]

I have a Rotary drive on and my ceiling is 13' but the lights make clearance 12'-8". I have enough clearance to lift a 3/4 ton truck with no issues. Consider anything suspended from the ceiling when figuring your height.

 

[bctexas]

I'm 6'4" tall, so most lifts are too short for me to stand upright under a car. I bought a Bend Pak XPR-10AXLS. It has a rise of 75 inches, so I can work under a car without hitting my head. It needs 13'1" of ceiling height. You really need to decide on a lift before you know how much ceiling height you need.

Happy Motoring!

 

[longez]

16' ceiling with 14' doors and Rotary SPOA10 with extra height option

 

[NUTTSGT]

Figure out what lift you want and build accordingly. Figure out where you want it and pour the concrete to the correct depth.

Pouring 8" over the entire garage just to put the lift "wherever" is foolish, wasteful and poor planning.

But to each their own, I'd really spend my money wisely and get more for it.

 

[ch612T]

My walls are 12 foot & lots of room to lift my cars (no trucks). I think 10 foot would be marginal.

 

[428PI]

How much more to heat and cool a 14 ft ceiling vs a shorter height?

 

[longez]

How much more to heat and cool a 14 ft ceiling vs a shorter height?

Probably not much operationally with proper air movement. I have one 220V 14' diameter BigAss Essence variable speed fan that moves a lot of air downwards in the 40x60x16 shop. The single propane forced air heater is in the corner behind the photographer.

 

[tester19]

I have 15.5' really helps with camper tops and other high stuff. Just nice to have the room!
.
.
.

 

[rburke65]

Pic,k your lift then plan yo7r ceiling height

 

[Cairo94507]

I appreciate all of the thoughts and suggestions. I had considered and in-ground lift, that is what I did in my last garage- but it was a scissor lift. This time I really do not want to put one in the ground. The reason being my brother and I are "senior citizens" and maybe in 10 years we will no longer need a lift. In that case, we could just pull the 2-post out and fill the mounting holes with epoxy and be done with it. Just a consideration.

Additionally, one of the reasons I am going to go with a thick slab, 6"-8" is because I do not want to deal with cracks in the floor. In talking to contractors I respect based upon the work they have done which I have seen, they suggested the thicker slab to significantly minimize cracks.

But I will take to heart the lift specifications/height and adjust the ceiling accordingly. Maybe I end up at 13' ceilings. One of the considerations is I do not want the garage roof line towering over the home roof line.

Our first step, hopefully this week, is the Septic Engineer is coming out to look at the site to determine where the septic should be located. That will begin the process of determining the home/garage placement. We are considering putting the propane in an in-ground vault to keep that essentially hidden. Our contractor says they do that a lot and it is not a problem for installation or servicing.

 

[ssffnomad]

I replied 14’.
Bought a existing shop with 12’ ceiling.
And it *****
Stretch

 

[Theruse]

12'ft min and 13' is better. One of the Bendpak two post lifts is 12' 3" which may cause trouble for those with 12' height. A few other considerations. Make sure your slab contractor who is putting in an 8" slab digs deeper than adding concrete higher. Your 13' height in the end may be net 12' 9". If this is a detached residential garage near your home, the proportionate heights of the ceiling lines in the house with the ceiling line for the garage may not be consistent. Any drawings of 2-4 car garages seem to work with a 9-10' ceiling height.