There are many different types of garages. The technical “type” is affected by the size, shape, and original use of the garage. Most garages are primarily for parking a car, just like a carport. But these days, the uses have broadened

After all, a lot of people are changing their garage and transforming it into a man cave or she-shed. This can give you a nice getaway from your usual activities and responsibilities for a little time each day.

What Is A Two-Car Garage?

Image from McPhee Associates of Cape Cod

A two-car garage is just a garage that was made for two cars. As you’ll read more about later, a standard two-car garage is actually a little less than twice as big as a one-car garage. This is because the door sizes matter.

Related: 15 Best Garage Storage Systems For All Your Needs

You need to add the two separate door sizes together while clearing just a couple of feet around the perimeter. This ends up being around 18ftx20ft, though it is rarely smaller, it can be quite a bit bigger.

When you add in the room for recreation, it’s a lot bigger. Oftentimes,two-car garages are used as one-car garages with a workshop or exercise room attached. So that way, you have approximately 180sqft of room for recreation.

What Is The Standard Height For A Two-Car Garage?

The standard height for a garage is eight feet. But theminimum height is around seven feet. Any shorter than this and you will not only struggle to have enough height in the garage but you’ll struggle to fit a door.

What Is A Good Height For A Garage Door?

Now it is down to the size of the garage door itself. The height for most garage doors is seven feet as well. But there are a few that are shorter than this. It all depends on the size of your garage and how much headroom you need.

What Is The Standard Garage Size?

Image from Affordable Garage Doors & Openers LLC

Because over 60% of all housing units have a garage or carport, it’s easy to see why knowing the average garage door size is so important. After all, resident-owned homes have a garage 80% of the time.

The reason why the garage door is more important than the garage size itself is that your car needs to fit through the door comfortably. A tight fit is just asking for issues and scratches on your vehicles.

How Much Space Do You Need For A Single-Car Garage?

The average size for a one-car garage is 12ft x 20ft. This gives two to three feet of clearance all the way around. While a smaller garage can work, it’s best to give yourself some room to walk around rather than feel cramped.

You can go smaller than this, but it is best not to as that won’t give you any room for mistakes. You want to be able to drive into the garage comfortably without the fear of scratching your vehicle on the walls.

How Much Space Do You Need For A Two-Car Garage?

The standard two-car garage is 18×20. This doesn’t give you as much room to walk around as a one-car garage does. But it is plenty big enough for two standard cars, though large trucks will struggle with enough room.

However, it only takes a couple of feet to make a larger truck fit well. So you can always add on for a reasonable price. Adding four feet is usually a good option as this is the average size of many building materials.

How Much Space Do You Need For A Multi-Car Garage?

The most common three-car garage size is 28×20. Then for a four-car garage, the standard size is 36x22ft. Around 20ft is a common width for a house and this is what most garages will be as well to match the house.

Since the most popular vehicle in the United States is the Ford F-150, some garages are longer to accommodate the vehicles which can reach 20ft in length. But for smaller vehicles, 20ft is a perfect fit.

Types Of Garages

Image from Wright-Ryan Homes

Regardless of material or interior layout, there are a few different types of garages that you will see quite regularly. These garages all come in different sizes and materials, and they can all be found in a two-car garage size.

Detached

A detached garage is like a large shed or outbuilding. It is used for parking cars away from the house. In order to go between the two, you will need to go outside. This is great for families with different sleeping hours than each other.

You can quietly leave the house and use your garage. It also works well for condominiums or other types of living quarters when you have multiple families living at the same property. Duplexes work the same.

Attached

An attached garage is the most common type of garage. It shares one wall with the house and usually includes a door that goes directly from the house to the garage. This makes it easy and more comfortable in harsh weather.

If you don’t know what type of garage to get, you probably want an attached garage. It is the most convenient and gives you extra space you can use for a workshop or hobby area that is connected to the house.

Downstairs

A downstairs garage or basement garage isn’t all that common. It consists of a garage that is on the lower level of the home with the living quarters above the garage. It is more common in areas prone to flooding.

This is also common in detached garages that are used as guest quarters. An upper level is added to accommodate guests who don’t live on the property or in simple Air BnB buildings that don’t have permanent residents.

Related: 16 Garage Conversion Ideas To Improve Your Home

Portable

A portable garage is rare in residential areas. But it can be common at festivals and circuses. They are put up in an hour or less and usually look like a tent. These can be purchased as kits and set up by two people.

Some are quite pricey because of the heavier materials that are used while others can be purchased for the same price that you would purchase a simple camping tent. Though prices vary greatly with both tents and portable garages.

Carport

A carport is simply a garage without all four walls. Even a carport with three walls is a carport rather than a garage. If you only want top cover, a carport is a great option, especially if you live in a mild climate.

Carports, in general, are airy and can be used as a cover for outdoor cookouts. Though cooking should still be done outside of the carport so that the smoke has an easy escape. Never BBQ under a carport or garage.

Best Garage Amenities To Make Life Better

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No garage is complete simply after walls and garage doors are put up. You need amenities and added accessories to really make your garage useful. Here are a few things you can buy to make life easier and more comfortable.

Garage Door Opener

There’s not much that makes your garage life easier than a garage door opener. Garage door openers can open automatically, with a button, a remote, or even an app on your phone. Get one as a gift to your family and your guests.

Surprisingly enough, you can get a garage door opener for a reasonable price. Nice ones start at around $100 and prices keep rising as does quality until you are well over $1000. Sticking somewhere in the middle gives you the best deal.

Garage Heater

Let’s face it, garages rarely have good insulation and the floors are usually frigid concrete. You can make this much better and make the garage a pleasant place by adding a garage heater. There are so many different kinds to choose from too.

Heaters can be very cheap, however, it’s important to make sure a garage heater can withstand any differences in moisture that the garage holds. If your garage is well-insulated, then you can use a standard heater.

Garage Home Gym

One of the best things you can do with your extra space is to build a garage home gym. There are a lot of garage home essentials you can buy to spruce up your home gym, but starting with the basics can take you a long way.

Sometimes a bench and yoga mat are all you need to get started. Then you can add on with dip bars, treadmills, and maybe eventually a Peloton. Customize your garage home gym to fit your health and wellness needs.

Garage Threshold

This is one thing that people never consider yet they never regret buying. A garage threshold serves many purposes but its main purpose is to act as a moisture barrier that prevents flooding in your garage.

You wouldn’t have a front door without one of these, so why have a garage door without one? They work amazingly well, are affordable, and compatible with cars driving in. A garage threshold is definitely a worthy investment.

What Is The Best Floor For A Garage?

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Finding good floors for the inside of your home isn’t the same as finding floors for your garage. There are far fewer options for the garage because not only does it need to handle foot traffic, but it needs to handle car traffic too.

Concrete

Concrete floors are by far the most popular floor for garages. It is durable, easy to repair, and looks amazing. All you need to do is pour the concrete that is made for garages and patios. Then comes the fun part.

Concrete can simply be sealed to look like it would if it wasn’t sealed. But it can also be painted, stained, and sealed to look shiny. There are so many options for concrete that you can make it look any way you like.

Rubber

Rubber is an interesting flooring option but it needs a good subfloor, which can be concrete. This type of flooring comes in both tiles and roll-out flooring. It is durable and has some give to it as well.

Rubber flooring is also quite affordable and it is wonderful for garages that double as workshops or gyms because it is comfortable to walk on if you keep it clean. So break out the yoga mats for your garage home gym.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring can be put both inside and outside, but it works amazingly well in the garage too. You just need to make sure you get the right kind of vinyl. This is very similar to rubber but feels different.

The price has a larger range than rubber though so you can get it for a lower price and a higher price. It also comes in both tiles and roll-out mats. Vinyl is easy to replace and highly versatile in the garage.

Carpet

You wouldn’t think that carpet should go in a garage but there are instances where it is the best option. Garage carpet can be purchased with different patterns and colors but it is most often black or gray.

Just make sure that you do not use the standard carpet for your garage. It needs to be a garage carpet that is moisture-resistant and stain-resistant. This type of carpet is usually fairly thin and is not frilly.

Epoxy

Epoxy is one of the most interesting garage floors because you really can do anything you want with it. You can even embed objects inside of the epoxy or pour the epoxy over the top of concrete that has been painted.

Most of the time, the epoxy ends up looking like granite or even marble, which makes it look like your floors cost ten times more than they did. If you want to get creative then epoxy is the way to go for garage floors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

Is A 24x24 Garage Big Enough For 2 Cars?

This space, 24×24 feet is definitely big enough for a two-car garage. It will actually give you extra room. It can sometimes be big enough for a three-car garage if the cars are small cars and not pickup trucks.

How Much Does It Cost To Build A 24x24 Garage?

In general, it cost about $50 per square foot to build a garage. So for a 24×24 garage, which is 576-sqft, it will cost an average of $28,800. Round this up to $30,000 for a cushion and you can have yourself a nice garage.

Can 2 Cars Fit In A 16-Foot Garage?

In short, yes, two cars can fit in a 16-foot garage. It is better if each car has more than 8 feet of space for a comfortable fit width-wise. But you can get by with this width if it is your only option. Though more is preferable.

Do Roller Garage Doors Save Space?

Yes, a roller garage door can save a lot of space. It folds into itself, giving you a lot more headroom. Most garage doors will slide up and take up ceiling space, giving you less headroom and making it harder to fit the door in the garage.

Is 10 Feet Wide Enough For A Garage?

Yes, ten feet is more than wide enough for a one-car garage. You can comfortably fit most cars into a garage that is this wide but only one car. If you want a two-car garage then ten feet is not wide enough.

Should I Get A Two-Car Garage Size Garage?

While a one-car garage size garage is great for some people, most people need a two-car garage size garage. This is for a couple of reasons. Primarily because most families have two vehicles as there are usually two employers.

However, even if you only have one car, it can be beneficial to have a two-car garage because you can use that extra space for so much. It’s also cheaper by the sqft to buy a two-car garage than it is to buy a one-car.

Now, if there’s one thing that drives people it is money. Money and family. If those are the main focuses of those deciding on the size of the garage that they need then a two-car garage is almost always the best choice.