Garage Size Guide?

[Gweedo]

I have an oversized 3 car garage attached to my house right now. It does well, but tends to get cluttered when I have a few projects going at the same time because I also store my cars and bikes in there.

I left some room on my lot to build a detached garage. This garage would be my "working" garage with a lift and I will probably store my trailer inside when I don't need the space. I need enough room for a two post lift and the ability to work on two cars side by side.

So what is the minimum width I need to be able to comfortably work on two cars side by side while having a two post lift in there as well? Can I get away with 25' wide? Depth will be 30' to 35'.

Does anybody have something similar is that size? Any pictures?

 

[astroracer]

Do some measuring in your current garage. Two side by side lifts will need some room just to move equipment between them. I would think a minimum of 4' between the lifts. I don't think 25' will wide enough. I made a 1/4"=1' drawing of my addition and then made scale paper cutouts for the cars and shelfs I was planning to put in it. I realized right away the initial size wasn't big enough so I drew it bigger until I could get everything I wanted to into it...
Mark

 

[trovato]

I think he wants room for two cars, but one lift. Astroracer has the right idea though. Move out the cars and bikes. Now in the current garage, pretend it's the new garage and lay out where stuff will be and see what it's like. That said, of course, if you make the garage bigger you'll never be sorry, sitting around looking at unused space. Not gonna happen.

 

[6t7gto]

my new garage addition is 27' wide x 24' deep. 3 bays.
wish i would have made it 30' wide.
but i have a real nice tree and i didn't want to cut it down.
30' will give you enough room to open all the doors on two cars at the same time.
assuming you are going to use it as two bays.

david

p.s don't forget that 25' you mention is outside dimension.

 

[logical]

I'd do all that is suggested but I suspect if you want to be able to have benches on side walls and still work around two cars at once, one of them on a lift...you are looking at more like 35 ft. (2.5' bench + 5' isle + 7.5' car + 5' isle + 7.5' + 5' isle + 2.5 bench)...the lift doesn't really add to this unless you want to really have room to roam. 30 ft if all benches are in front, maybe 25 if you can live with one care pushed aside and mainly work on one at a time.

 

[6t7gto]

gweedo,
here's a pic of my original 3? car garage.
22' wide x 24' deep.

david

 

[bmwpower]

Since it sounds like the garage would be deeper than wider, you could park the cars on an angle?, ie. like most dealer shops.

 

[rasputin]

Yikes, how did you get in them? Trunk?

Nice shot BTW... GTO, GTO, Rolls.... Interesting combo. What model Rolls btw?

 

[subtle71]

gweedo,
here's a pic of my original 3? car garage.
22' wide x 24' deep.

david

6t7gto,
Those goats need more room to graise! Seriously, I built a 21' deep x 24' wide at my last house. It was a good single car/truck garage with area for projects. How do you even get in the cars to pull them out?

Here is a shot of my old garage.

 

[6t7gto]

the rolls is a silver spur.
i backed the rolls and the blue gto in.
then i backed the red one in just far enough so that i was still able to get out.
then pushed it back in place.
my wife said it couldn't be done.
david

BTW, since then i have built a 24' x 27' 3 bay addition to the left of the rolls.
i have a 10'wide opening between the old and new so i can pull straight thru if need be. you see one of my lifts in the new area in my avatar.

 

[av8rsvt]

Hello Subtle71 !
Its nice seeing you over here. On the truck sight I am 70short. Dude your truck is looking so cool by the way! 6t7gto Those are awesome looking cars love the goats! Gweedo sorry to hijack the thread. I have A 4-car garage in progress no PIC's. Here is A PIC of my hot rods sorry for the bad pic's the truck has come along way since that shot. When it warms up I will get some new pictures.

Gary

 

[gerry]

No matter how big you build it will sooner or later be too small. I have a 24X32 for two MGBs and a 24X18 for my machine tools. It will be a bit croweded when I get all my stuff in. In front there is also a 24X32 covered carport for washing cars and doing work outside

 

[knucklehead]

they are never big enough. i have a 21' x 21' for my 2 hot rods & 2 of my H-D's, my shop is 20' x 40' 2 story, my storage room is 7' x 24', my large storage room / rec hall is 37' x 24', the barn/shed out back is 750 sq. ft & i still have to park my tractor & excavator out in the weather! i am adding on to the house soon & will be adding a 24' x 37' 3 car garage so i can keep all my H-D's in 2 stalls & the wife can store her golf cart & gardening tools in the 3rd stall.

 

[krooser]

Mine's 50' wide...just big enough for one vehicle...

 

[Donzi4me]

Mine's 50' wide...just big enough for one vehicle...

 

[BarrelRoll]

Mine is a 24x24 and it get tight working on 2 trucks at the same time width wise. There's a little bit of stuff along the walls but not much. If there was a hoist in there it wouldn't work very well at all. The 30-35' depth sounds good, maybe make it 28x34? Or what about 30x30? I think a 30x30 might actually work out the best with room for stuff to the sides and infront of the cars.