Whether you’re looking to build a new garage or hoping to upgrade one that you already have, space is going to be one of the most important factors to consider. So, what size is a standard 2 car garage?
A standard two-car garage measures either 20’x20’, 24’x24’, or 24’X30’. There is not a universal size that all two-car garages should be, as it will depend on the size of the vehicles that you want to use the space for, and the additional room that you may need for storage, access, and other purposes.
Read ahead in this article to find out all about the different dimensions that you might look at for a 2 car garage, so that you can decide what is going to work best for your needs.
How Big is a 2-Car Garage?
It is difficult to give an exact figure for the dimensions that a 2-car garage should be, even when you are talking about standard sizing. Every garage is slightly different, and the size that you need for two vehicles will depend on a number of factors.
You might need a smaller garage because of the limitations of the property, or you might need a larger garage for additional storage space, a second floor, or because the vehicles you own are relatively large in size.
With that being said, there are three sizes that are most common when it comes to 2-car garages:
- 20’X20’ – 400 square feet of interior space.
- 24’X24’ – 576 square feet of interior space.
- 24’X30’ – 720 square feet of interior space.
Realistically, you won’t be able to fit two vehicles into a garage that is much smaller than 20 feet by 20 feet. Even this size can be quite limiting if you are dealing with medium to large vehicles, and it can make getting into and out of the car doors a little awkward.
A 24-foot by 24-foot garage is the most common size that most people choose for a two-car garage. This gives a reasonable amount of storage room and allows for two mid-sized vehicles to park comfortably.
How Do You Decide How Big Your 2-Car Garage Should Be?
Although 24’X24’ may be a popular size option, it may not be the right choice for you. There are many factors to consider when it comes to how big you want your garage to be, and the number of vehicles you are storing inside it is just one of them.
To decide what is going to work for your vehicles, you will need to do a bit of thinking and a bit of measuring. The decision should factor in:
- The length of your vehicles.
- The width of your vehicles.
- Desired storage space.
- Additional desirable features (workbench, bike rack, etc.).
- Entrances and exits.
- Available space.
Do You Need a Larger Garage?
Sometimes, you are restricted by the amount of physical land that you have available. If you have more flexibility, though, then you might want to consider going for slightly more space than you need.
If you choose to build a 20’X20’ garage, then you are always going to be limited with the type of vehicles you can park inside of it, and you are unlikely to be able to use the space for many other purposes. A garage can be a great place to put all kinds of things, but they almost always fill up faster than you think.
A 24’X24’ garage is a good middle ground that will give you enough room for storage on either side. You would likely be able to fit in a workbench, a bike rack, or shelving at the back of the garage as well.
If you want to be able to store larger vehicles, like a pickup truck with a long wheelbase, then you might need the additional room that a 24’X30’ garage would provide.
How Much Space Do Two Cars Need?
To help you to figure out what kind of space is going to be best for you, we should consider how much room the cars themselves are going to take up. Once you know the dimensions of your vehicles, you can start determining the amount of space you could have on either side of them, or at the back of the garage.
It’s very easy to look up the dimensions of your car based on the make and model, or you can get out the tape measure and figure it out for yourself. As a reference, let’s look at the measurements for some of the most popular cars in America:
- Ford F-150 – Length: 17.5’ Width: 8’
- Honda Accord – Length: 16’ Width: 6.1’
- Honda Civic – Length: 15.3’ Width: 5.9’
- Nissan Altima – Length: 16’ Width: 6’
- Toyota Corolla – Length: 14.8’ Width 5.9’
- Chevrolet Silverado – Length: 16.9’ Width 6.8’
- Chevrolet Impala – Length: 16.8’ Width: 6.2’
If we take a couple of these vehicles as a reference point, we can think about the kind of room that you will get in a standard 2-car garage. A 20’X20’ garage will fit a Honda Accord and a Nissan Altima pretty comfortably. You would have around 4 feet of additional space lengthwise, and 8 feet to work with between and on either side of the vehicles.
If you wanted to squeeze a Ford F-Series into the same size garage, though, you would have very little room in front or behind. If you put two vehicles that were more than 7 feet wide into a 20’X20’ garage, you would barely be able to open the doors.
How Tall Is a Standard 2-Car Garage?
Of course, there is one more dimension that you might want to think about: height. This might be where you have more room to work with. You could, for example, opt for a much taller garage so that you could include attic storage space. This is a good way of working around a smaller downstairs floorplan.
Most 2-car garages are around 12 feet tall. If you wanted to have additional attic storage, then you might build to a height of between 13 feet and 20 feet.
It is obviously important that you check the height of your vehicle before you set any plans into stone.
Summary: What Size Is a Standard 2 Car Garage?
So, what size is a standard 2 car garage? Well, most two-car garages are either 20’X20’, 24’X24’, or 24’X30’. The size that you need will depend on the plot that you have available, the dimensions of the vehicles that you are looking to store, and the additional storage or useable space that you want on the interior.
If possible, it’s always better to give yourself more room than you need, so that you have some flexibility and versatility in the future. Otherwise, you can be quite limited by the type of vehicles that you can park in your garage, and what else you can use that space for.