Standard Single-Car Garage Dimensions (with Photos)

If you’ve just purchased a home, it’s highly likely that you have a single-car garage. More than 79% of American homes come with an attached or detached single-car garage. While many park their cars in single-car garages, these spaces can also double as extra storage for your home.

A sedan is a four-door car with a separate trunk. Sedans can range in shape and size, some being on the small size with others being rather large.

The average sedan is about 14.8 feet in length. Larger varieties are closer to 16 feet long. Small, more compact sedans can even be as little as 12 feet long!

Even with the variations in length, a sedan should easily fit in a single-car driveway comfortably. Parking the largest sedan in a single-car garage would still leave about four feet of space lengthwise.

A sports car is low to the ground and built to go higher speeds than the average vehicle. Sports cars are sleeker- and sportier, as the name suggests, than other vehicles with two passenger capacity.

A sports car can be anywhere from 13 to 16 ½ feet in length. Sports cars vary slightly in width, usually from 5 ½ to 6 ½ feet. A sports car can more than fit in a single-car garage.

You’ll have plenty of room to walk around and even store things alongside it in the garage. You’ll be left with 3 ½ to 7 feet worth of extra space.

While station wagons and hatchbacks are very similar, they have some slight differences that set them apart. Both have hatch-doors instead of trunks, which is where much of the confusion between them lies.

Hatchbacks typically only have two sets of windows, whereas station wagons have three. Hatchbacks also have roof lines that tend to dip toward the rear. Hatchbacks usually do not have a rear bumper.

Hatchbacks are a bit smaller than station wagons, ranging in length from 13 to 15 feet. However, hatchback rear doors have found their way onto many larger car models recently. Some cars with hatchback rear doors are almost 17 feet in length.

Still, most hatchbacks will fit in an average single-car garage. Because the hatchback acts as a fifth door, you should consider how much it swings on opening. If you park too close to the wall or garage door, you will have difficulty getting into the cargo space.

Because of a hatchback’s smaller size, you could gain 5 to 7 extra feet of space in your garage.

A convertible is known for its roof that retracts into the body. It can be driven with or without the top down, allowing passengers to enjoy the elements. Convertibles ride low to the ground and resemble sports cars more than other types.

Convertibles come in a wide range of sizes, some as small as 12 ½ feet in length. Others can be as long as 17 feet. Regardless, a standard convertible should fit a single-car garage. This bodes well for those who forget to put the top back up before a storm!

With a convertible, there will be anywhere from 3 to 7 ½ feet of leftover space in your garage.

SUVs combine the needs of driving on the road with some off-road features like four-wheel drive and higher ground clearance. While somewhat similar in appearance to station wagons, SUVs are usually boxier and taller than their counterparts.

The average SUV is about 16 feet long and 6 feet wide. Some smaller SUVs are only about 14 ½ feet long. A larger SUV can get up to almost 17 feet in length and nearly 7 feet wide.

Smaller and mid-size SUVs will have no problem fitting in a single-car garage. There will even likely be 5 to 6 feet of extra space left. However, you might be pushing it if you have a larger model SUV. It would be incredibly challenging to house a large SUV in a smaller than average single-car garage.

A pick-up truck is easy to spot. It has a bed and passenger cab of some kind, though some only have one row of seats. Most trucks are used for hauling cargo and are known for being relatively large. A standard pick-up is around 17 feet in length but can be as big as 20 feet. The average width of a truck is between 6 and 7 feet.

It definitely won’t fit in a single-car garage if you have a larger truck. However, trucks around 17 feet in length should fit, though it may be a bit tight. There could potentially be about 3 feet of space leftover.

Smart cars are technically a brand based out of Germany. However, “Smart Car” has become an umbrella term used to describe new, smaller cars with advanced electronics.

The average smart car is about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide. You could realistically fit two Smart Cars in a single-car garage. However, it would be difficult to maneuver in and out since garage doors are usually 9 feet wide.

With a Smart Car, you will have over 10 feet of extra space in your garage. This gives you ample space for storage.

There are a few other things to consider besides whether your car will fit in a single-car garage. It’s important to know that a garage door on a single-car garage is usually 9 feet wide by 7 feet tall. This is the same height clearance as a two-car garage but a significantly narrower entryway.

It is also important to consider the space to keep between your car and the garage walls. Installing a bumper a few feet from the back garage wall can prevent your car from getting too close.

Technically, only 2.5 inches is needed for you to open your door and squeeze in and out of a car. But, to give yourself more breathing room, aim for at least five inches on each side. Not to mention, you’ll need even more space when it comes to loading and unloading items.

If a functional single car garage is high up on your wishlist, bring a measuring tape to any home tours. Know your car dimensions and compare them to the measurements of single-car garages on possible homes. This could make or break a house if you always want to park your car in the garage.

If your vehicle is too large to fit in a standard single-car garage, bigger, oversized single-car garages are designed explicitly for this purpose. Intended to store and protect large vehicles and even small boats, oversized single-car garages can measure up to 16 feet wide and 24 feet long, or 384 square feet. By comparison, a two-car, or double, garage is generally 16 feet wide and 22 feet long.

With the four extra feet in terms of both width and length, a single-car garage this big can accommodate virtually any vehicle. Plus, it leaves some additional space to create a small project area, workspace, laundry room, or for installing some cabinetry for storage purposes. You can easily convert an oversized one-car garage into a two-car garage by adding a second door.

Both large and small vehicles should have little issue fitting into an oversized single-car garage space. In fact, a larger one car garage is suitable for the following vehicles:

When using a two-car garage, it is essential to keep a minimum of 2 feet 5 inches between cars. This allows passengers to open their doors fully without scraping the other cars. However, experts suggest leaving a 36-inch minimum distance between cars in a two-car garage.

Of course, a two-car garage also offers more space. If you opt to use it for storage rather than your cars, you can store many things inside. You can also use a single-car garage as storage space; it is about half as much.

While 12 feet wide by 20 feet long is the standard size for a single-car garage, some have even smaller dimensions. The absolute minimum size for a single-car garage is 10 feet wide by 18 feet long.

Though, this scaled-down version is only suitable for compact cars. With a small garage, the minimum single garage door size must be used, which is eight feet wide instead of the conventional 9-foot wide garage door.

Since there is an increased risk of damage to the car, fenders, and side mirrors, you won’t find too many garages that are this size. Not only is the doorway very narrow, but the interior space also allows minimal room for opening car doors. With this in mind, and for best results, you should stick to the recommended size of 12 feet wide by 20 feet long.

A small single-car garage is only appropriate for storing the following vehicles:

At some point, homeowners who want to expand their garage should conduct a cost-benefit analysis. On the one hand, an extended garage adds value and convenience to any property. Renovations, on the other hand, can be prohibitively expensive. So, the question is: Is it worthwhile?

Like any other home improvement, a garage renovation is about more than improved convenience – though that is an essential factor! A garage extension has the potential to boost the value of your home greatly.

For homeowners who plan to resell their homes in the future, added value has the potential to recoup a significant portion of the initial investment.

Single car garages are available in a range of sizes, from 10 x 18 feet to 14 x 28 feet. They aren’t a “one-size-fits-all” structure. Before deciding on the size you need, think about the type of car you want to park inside of it.

Consider whether you want it to be attached or removable, as well as how much additional desk or storage space you’ll need.

Even a small one-car garage can protect your vehicle from the elements, provide additional storage space, and serve as a workspace for projects and tools, all while increasing the total value of your home.