Distance between two garages facing each other.

[TGJR]

Hello all, looking for some advice here. My house has an attached side entry 24'x40' 3-car garage. I will be building a detached 30'x48' 3-car garage/shop on the same side of the house. The best spot for it puts the two garages facing each other with about 50' between the two structures. Is that enough room for everyday use? I keep going back and forth and can't decide.

Thanks!

 

[Steve W.]

Park in your existing garage facing IN. Back out, making whatever turns necessary to leave. Note where your tire tracks are. Add 5-10 feet. Even if you back into your garage spot, you will still need some turning room, but maybe not quite as much. Note that you will also have to make SURE that the space is ALWAYS clear. Don't forget to extend the driveway a bit beyond the two garages to have room to back into when you leave.

.

 

[jblnut]

I’d have to put a tape measure to it but I have 50’ or so between two machine sheds on the farm and I get combines and 4wd tractors hooked to tillage implements in them. It’s a squeeze but it works. The sheds are 40yrs old and stuff wasn’t as big then lol

I’d say you’re fine. If you’re worried set up some cones at the 50’ mark with tape between them to see if you can live with it.

 

[larry4406]

The civil engineers that do our site plans ensure there is a minimum of 30' for a side load garage. As you will have 50' between the facing garages, I would think you are fine.

 

[mike93lx]

50' is more than enough. No house with a side entry garage around me has that much space in front of it, including mine

 

[TGJR]

The 50' falls outside of the current driveway turn-in area. I figured I would be fine but I have never had a second shop this size so I wasn't sure if there was something I wasn't thinking about. Especially having them face each other.

 

[jblnut]

The 50' falls outside of the current driveway turn-in area. I figured I would be fine but I have never had a second shop this size so I wasn't sure if there was something I wasn't thinking about. Especially having them face each other.

Why does it matter if they face each other ? I guess I could see congestion issues if you plan to leave stuff parked outside in front of the doors all the time. Only issue could possibly be backing a big camper or trailer around a blind corner. If you’re not great at backing and need to do it into the new shed I’d call this a great time to learn or perfect a new skill !!

Keep us posted with the details and pics when the build happened!!

 

[jmarkwolf]

I have 45ft between two garage doors that face directly across from each other, one on the attached garage, and the other on the detached garage, and have no difficulty getting cars in and out of my attached garage.

Backing a vaca trailer into the detached garage might be an issue but I expect a procedure like Steve W. describes would work fine.

 

[larry_g]

If you have the room consider off setting the buildings. That is so that you can pull up alongside one building and then have a straight shot into the end stall of the building opposite.

 

[rburke65]

Measure the proposed location…drive in some stakes…pull your vehicles in and out the ‘make believe’ area….you decide!

 

[danho]

As others have said, you can mock this up. I would also recommend that you think about what the longest item(s) you would be maneuvering in this space both now and in the future. Just more of a proactive question and not looking to paralyze the thought process with an attempt at clairvoyance.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Will UPS, Fed Ex, etc. likely drive into this area for deliveries? If so, think about the length of their vehicles and how much space they need to turn around. At my place, I am totally unimpressed with the driving skills of said drivers because of how frequently they drive through grass areas and their apparent inability to use reverse.

 

[545_days]

The facility where I store my 5th wheel trailer has two rows of covered storage bays facing each other 50' apart. If RV owners can back 40' 5th wheel trailers into their storage spots with 50' spacing, your garages should be fine.

You can measure distance on google maps. Measure some storage places, shopping centers, mini warehouses, or apartment parking lots and see for yourself. You can drive to places with buildings 50' apart that you find locally on Google Earth to get a feel for the distance and maneuvering your vehicle in that space.

 

[kwb]

I have about 50' between front of my shop and the neighbors "stuff" on our shared access easement.

It can get a bit tight backing trailer around the corner into the shop with the truck but doable. With the forklift it is easy.

 

[mrbill55]

Hello all, looking for some advice here. My house has an attached side entry 24'x40' 3-car garage. I will be building a detached 30'x48' 3-car garage/shop on the same side of the house. The best spot for it puts the two garages facing each other with about 50' between the two structures. Is that enough room for everyday use? I keep going back and forth and can't decide.

Thanks!

As already stated, 30' minimum, so 50' should work out just fine.


Bill S.

 

[Monza Harry]

If you are at all interested in boating that is the trailer to try, as they have the longest wheelbase [typically /ft of trailer compared to a camper/utility. They are typically easier to back up (but may need more space due to their length/wheelbase) but a cabin cruiser will present visibility issues on top of size constraints. Fifth wheel trailers will be similar to the boats with set back axle layouts. Overall probably enough for reasonable truck/trailer combo's! Harry
Edit I don't remember anybody mentioning the doors' width, a single 18' wide [as opposed to a pair of 8-9' doors] will make all listed above easier! H.R.

 

[Dagny]

Can you make it more?

 

[ybnormal]

50' is more than enough. No house with a side entry garage around me has that much space in front of it, including mine

I know the turning radius of my 08 Silverado crewcab is about 43-44ft and that's just a bit more than the width of a major neighborhood street with parking shoulders, which is why I use the inlet on the left as pictured below for clearance to do a 180
I'd agree that 50ft is more than enough

 

[ZRX61]

50ft is plenty, we only have 60ft between facing hangars & I have no problems swinging a P51 (32ft wide, 37ft long) or T6 (42ft wide, 29ft long) into a 45ft wide hangar.

 

[Steve W.]

I know the turning radius of my 08 Silverado crewcab is about 43-44ft ...

Are you SURE??? If so, you need to have your truck looked at.

Most Silverados (my son's included) have a turning DIAMETER of 43-44 feet, not a RADIUS.

.

 

[Benny Franklin]

50’ should be fine, depending on how the driveway and turnaround area is set up.

Turning radius on my truck is just under 30’, add a 20 foot bumper pull or 30 foot gooseneck and it’s a PITA to turn and park sometimes

 

[Hubmonkey]

use/borrow a F-350 dually longbed to see if you can make those turns as I am pretty sure there is not a worse turning radius that those have..

 

[Benny Franklin]

use/borrow a F-350 dually longbed to see if you can make those turns as I am pretty sure there is not a worse turning radius that those have..

And 4 wheel drive makes it even worse, I should know lol

 

[Chaznsc]

40 would allow facing vehicles to be outside the door, so 50 is really ideal imo.

 

[Hubmonkey]

And 4 wheel drive makes it even worse, I should know lol

Ah yes left that one out.. So F-350 Crew Cab LongBed 4x4 Dually.. turning radius of a school bus...

 

[mike93lx]

Ah yes left that one out.. So F-350 Crew Cab LongBed 4x4 Dually.. turning radius of a school bus...

Good reason to trade it for a 450!

 

[ybnormal]

Are you SURE??? If so, you need to have your truck looked at.

Most Silverados (my son's included) have a turning DIAMETER of 43-44 feet, not a RADIUS.

.

not only did I flunk math, I flunked flank!

 

[ybnormal]

use/borrow a F-350 dually longbed to see if you can make those turns as I am pretty sure there is not a worse turning radius that those have..

dodge crewcab dually longbed megacab?

 

[Innovate1]

Don't think it has been covered but it depends on where the drive comes between them. Is that going to be centered? 50' sounds like plenty but if the current drive has a 50' radius to pull in the other one will have just the width of the approach. A hefty flair as the drive approaches the garages will help.

 

[runner1]

50ft is plenty, we only have 60ft between facing hangars & I have no problems swinging a P51 (32ft wide, 37ft long) or T6 (42ft wide, 29ft long) into a 45ft wide hangar.

That's cheating...you've got independent wheel brakes and a swiveling tail wheel...

 

[kaffine]

Well if you plan on backing a 53 foot semi trailer up to the door I would say you will need a few more feet.

 

[runner1]

To original poster - I have 40 feet between my doors and another building. This works for me because I have 20 foot wide doors and the buildings are slightly offset so two of my four bays are ahead of the other building.