8 or 9ft garage door? 30x32x10h.

[MitchNS]

I'm in the process of building my dream shop ( within my budget lol ).
I have 10ft walls with cambered trusses to achieve 12ft ceilings for a lift.
I'm trying to decide between a 8 or 9ft high garage door. It's 14' wide.
Money isn't the issue but I'm trying to decide if it's going look like a hobby garage or end up looking like a industrial shop.
Anyone have the same set up?

 

[340RedCoupe]

Can’t help you decide on the height that’s up to you but I would suggest put you header at the top of your wall and fill in below with the framing. In the future you decide to change the door height to any decided need all options are available. Much easier not to have to move a header.

 

[JuncleJohn]

Depends on what you drive. An 8 foot door will be more than tall enough in most situations. That is unless you have a ladder rack and want to park inside with a load of ladders or material on top.

Only you will know what your needs are.

John

 

[TurnipTruck]

More is better.

 

[Dig Doug]

I’d meet with a couple door guys to see if the door can roll up with the ceiling joists
trying to get it all up and next to the ceiling structure

Doesnt make much sense to have the clearance in the roof trusses and then have a door and track in the way.

Having said that go with 9 foot.

I have 10 ceilings and a 9 ft door

 

[AC-WC]

1) What's your tallest vehicle you anticipate to drive in?
2) Any tractors/industrial equipment that are tall? I have 1 tractor I can't drive into the garage because the exhaust cap will catch the top header/door but mine's only 7ft. The Durango fits in fine but 8ft I would be golden. Personally I would do 9 as a CYA. 340 has the right idea about the header as high as you can so you can change in the future.

 

[MitchNS]

Can’t help you decide on the height that’s up to you but I would suggest put you header at the top of your wall and fill in below with the framing. In the future you decide to change the door height to any decided need all options are available. Much easier not to have to move a header.

Good forethought. I did plan on having the header at the top.

 

[firebirdparts]

I don't really know what good a 9 is. A camper requires 11 or 12 and your jacked up pickup requires 8. I just don't know what 9 is for. Maybe if you wanted to ride through the door on an M Farmall with your hat on. Even that might be 8.

 

[twinfin]

For my shop, 8 feet was enough for me to get my tractor inside without Having to first take down the rollover protection bar. I’m glad I thought that through since I had the shop designed before picking up the tractor. Would have been a bummer to put in a more typical 7’ door then find out the tractor wouldn’t fit by just a few inches!

Ask yourself what’s the tallest thing you might ever possibly want to move through that door.

 

[georgiadave]

Are boats a possibility? They can be tall when on a trailer.

 

[kngelv]

14’ door is pretty narrow. I’d go 16’.

James

 

[BruceMc]

I don't really know what good a 9 is. A camper requires 11 or 12 and your jacked up pickup requires 8.

My stock height Dodge 2500 with a Leer topper won't clear 8'. I went 10'

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I don't really know what good a 9 is. A camper requires 11 or 12 and your jacked up pickup requires 8. I just don't know what 9 is for. Maybe if you wanted to ride through the door on an M Farmall with your hat on. Even that might be 8.

Both my mini ex and wood chipper are over 8 feet tall but under 9. They don’t live in my shop, but it’s nice to be able to put them inside it for service.

 

[InsanePyro]

I doubt anyone has ever wished their garage door was shorter

 

[jack stand]

Go 9'. A 4-5' wainscott across the front really softens the look of a tall wall's height.
I'd estimate that many guys like you might have a full size pickup. No big challenge for an 8' door, but then with a little bit of acreage he now wants a tractor.
Better check out how tall the rops is!

 

[CraigStu]

Maybe also get prices for the different sizes. I have no experience w/ this but in many instances a 'standard' size is $X while taller is $2X.

 

[PCustoms]

Maybe also get prices for the different sizes. I have no experience w/ this but in many instances a 'standard' size is $X while taller is $2X.

Why, did you not read the OP?

Money isn't the issue but I'm trying to decide if it's going look like a hobby garage or end up looking like a industrial shop.

 

[Mikes61]

Always go the biggest. Always. It will be there for your lifetime and you don’t know what the future will bring for toys, boats, etc.

 

[JuncleJohn]

The taller the door, the more both the door and opener will cost. That said, I wouldn’t go less than 8’.

I have built 3 garages (one every time I moved). All 3 had minimum 8 foot tall doors. The last garage I built has a 10x8 and an 18x12. The only reason for my 12 footer is to store my camper.

Everything else I own will fit with an 8’. That includes a full size pickup with a canoe rack on top.

John

 

[cvairwerks]

Just remember that an 8' door won't give you an 8' tall entry.

 

[finn]

My Sprinter fits through my 10x14’ door at the house garage with only a couple of inches to spare. Too close for comfort, so I keep it at the shop where the doors are 14’ tall. Not ideal because. Of the grinding dust, paint overspray, etc.

The other two doors door on the house garage are only 9’ (edit) tall, so I was more or less forced into one frame size smaller compact tractor than I really wanted, and a Deere 26G mini excavator instead of the next size up 32G with a cab.

 

[jubilee]

Always err higher shop/ garage doors.
Two of my Grandsons have put up 40x60+ pole buildings in the last 10 years.
They had planned on 12’ doors.
No, no says I. Go with 14 footers. (At least one)
They did and still thank me from time to time.

 

[moab11]

A garage door that is too big, is the same as a garage that is too big. They don't really exist.

 

[Codyboy]

Go 9'. A 4-5' wainscott across the front really softens the look of a tall wall's height.
I'd estimate that many guys like you might have a full size pickup. No big challenge for an 8' door, but then with a little bit of acreage he now wants a tractor.
Better check out how tall the rops is!

Or taller.
My cab tractor is 115" tall. 9.583'
I went with 14ft tall doors

 

[ipgenie]

My little 2000 series John Deere compact tractor won't fit under an 8' door without folding the ROPs. I didn't have room for a 9' door on the side of my pole barn so I went 8.5. It would be a real pain to have to fold the ROPs all the time.

My mini-x needs more than 8' but less than 9. My harbor freight gantry also needs a little more than 8' to roll through the door at its lowest setting. Enclosed trailers are often between 8 and 9'. Lots of reasons to go with a tall door, especially if it's the only vehicle door for the building.

Edit, specs online say my tractor is 7.5' with the ROPs up so I must have been thinking of my house garage door.

 

[CraigStu]

Why, did you not read the OP?

Oooops!

 

[jblnut]

If you’re gonna ask a question like that on GJ I hope you know you’re only really going to get one acceptable answer.

Go as big as your lot, budget, city planner, wife, and local ordinances will allow.

Go 9’. You won’t regret it. I put a 12h x 16w and a 26w x 16h doors in my shop and wish I’d have them both at 16h. I thought the 16w door would look goofy being a square and thought I didn’t need the height there if I had the other tall door. When it’s -25f and windy I’d like to open the smallest door I can to get in and out and my new grinder mixer won’t fit in a 12h door. Bummer.

 

[Sumboodie]

If you’re gonna ask a question like that on GJ I hope you know you’re only really going to get one acceptable answer.

Go as big as your lot, budget, city planner, wife, and local ordinances will allow.

Go 9’. You won’t regret it. I put a 12h x 16w and a 26w x 16h doors in my shop and wish I’d have them both at 16h. I thought the 16w door would look goofy being a square and thought I didn’t need the height there if I had the other tall door. When it’s -25f and windy I’d like to open the smallest door I can to get in and out and my new grinder mixer won’t fit in a 12h door. Bummer.

Getting into "commercial" doors, it's big money.

I priced a 18x14 for my shack and it was near $20k.

I was expecting 5-6k.

 

[malada]

Get bigger than you think you need. I never thought I would need bigger, now I own a camper that I cant get into my building

 

[My Old Tools]

Gable end and go 12 foot tall and wide.

 

[Dig Doug]

My boat w/ Bimini up was 12ft 1 1/2inch tall

any guesses how tall the door is ?

12 ft door and new flat top Bimini clears by at least 6 inches !

 

[MitchNS]

If you’re gonna ask a question like that on GJ I hope you know you’re only really going to get one acceptable answer.

Go as big as your lot, budget, city planner, wife, and local ordinances will allow.

Go 9’. You won’t regret it. I put a 12h x 16w and a 26w x 16h doors in my shop and wish I’d have them both at 16h. I thought the 16w door would look goofy being a square and thought I didn’t need the height there if I had the other tall door. When it’s -25f and windy I’d like to open the smallest door I can to get in and out and my new grinder mixer won’t fit in a 12h door. Bummer.

Hahah fair enough.
I'd say I'm going with 9ft. Door.
I feel like I won't need it but unless it's 40% more for 12 inches I'll go with the 9.

 

[MitchNS]

Thanks everyone for the input and chuckles.
I'm going to go with the 9 just becuase I can and I might as well.
Thanks again y'all's.

 

[kwb]

At least use the full height of the wall and go 10'.