Garage Height

[tiger 6]

Building a new garage and want to install some 4 post lifts. I believe I need 12 ft. of ceiling height to do this, and wanted to confirm that this is correct. Thanks.

 

[SteveA]

I have 13ft and for servicing and storing the GT it's fine. The problem is when I put the full size truck or Rubi on for service, I can't go up more than about 2/3rds for ease of walking or rolling the oil drain tank under it. Not a huge deal but I do have to pay attention as well as some contorting. 12ft for the GT only will be OK.

 

[viva gt]

higher is better. all depends on what vehicles you plan on storing. i currently have just over 11' and is not an issue with newer cars without long antennas. the issue is with the cars with antennas (older cars).
i am going with 14' in my new garage so i don't have to worry about hitting the ceiling.

 

[Planecrazy232]

Take a look at the garage door in the back of this picture. That is a 10' door. Although I have one the lifts all the way up to the top stops, you could get away with a 10' ceiling, but 12' gives a lot of breathing room.

Anthony

 

[Sinovac]

You can go with 10' sidewalls and scissor trusses to create the height you need without having warehouse-height sidewalls if aesthetics are an issue. I did this and I have plenty of height even with an F250 on the lift. If you don't intend to use a vaulted ceiling, go 12' sidewalls minimum.

 

[PL510*Jeff]

My garage 14' to the rafters. Full size Bronco can go to top w/o hitting. Close tho +-3".

12' Door 24' wide. No interior posts.

Next one will have lights in the floor under lift area.

 

[viva gt]

You can go with 10' sidewalls and scissor trusses to create the height you need without having warehouse-height sidewalls if aesthetics are an issue. I did this and I have plenty of height even with an F250 on the lift. If you don't intend to use a vaulted ceiling, go 12' sidewalls minimum.

sort of the way my new one is designed. small jog out from wall then vaults to 14'.

 

[The Grey Ghost]

We did 10' walls with scissor trusses in 2 of the stalls where the lift is installed.
Here the foundation has to go 3' down to get below the frost line. We filled the 4' forms to give a foot above ground and put the 10' walls on top actually giving us 11'.
You still have to be remember to be careful raising the lift with the garage door in the up position (or raising the door while a car is up on the lift). Learned those the hard way.
Taller doors or a different track set up would help minimize those particular issues.

 

[MAD IN NC]

minimal of 12' Steve.... make sure big doors hug the ceiling when opened over the lift, openers are mounted on the side (no arm in center hitting car or limiting lift height), no center beam or if center beam minimal of 12' from bottom of beam and I like the idea of floor lighting Jeff posted...

I have 10'6" from bottom of beam and would like another 1.5 ft

 

[Tomcat]

I have 9' ceiling and a 4-post lift and can stack a number of combinations except my 1990 300ZX TT on top of a BMW 850i.
The object of my post is to encourage pre-existing garage owners to not rule out a lift due to ceiling height.

 

[Sinovac]

I have 9' ceiling and a 4-post lift and can stack a number of combinations except my 1990 300ZX TT on top of a BMW 850i.
The object of my post is to encourage pre-existing garage owners to not rule out a lift due to ceiling height.

I had a lift in a garage with an 8' ceiling. I couldn't store two cars on/under it but it beat not having a lift at all. We are all crazy stupid about cars. Where there is a will, there is a way.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I just went out and measured the walls/ceiling height of my detached garage.

Bottom line: If the 'ceiling' of your garage forms the floor of a room/rooms above it - you're going to need 12' floor-to-ceiling height in order to run a normal 4 post hoist all the way up and clear the roof of any full size car aboard...and by "full size", I mean something like a '73 Caddy DeVille.

If you have a gable ("A" frame) roof on the garage, you can 'cheat' on the wall height in direct proportion to the height of the gable itself and the distance away from the walls the hoist is going to be located. IOW, the closer the hoist is to being centered under the peak of the gable, the lower the walls can be and still provide full lifting height clearance for the car's roof 'virtically' AND the car's fenders 'horizontally'.

'Clear as mud? :shrug

 

[GTdrummer]

Build as high as you can. Wide doors and there is never too much lighting. I have 2 lifts. I am Richmond if you are nearby.

 

[PeteK]

I have 12 ft in the center bay of my detached 3-car garage (and 10 ft above the two outer bays), and I think that's enough for any car and most SUVs. If you have a tall truck or jacked-up 4WD beast, then it's not enough. Higher is usually better though...

 

[RALPHIE]

And think about a roll-up door at the entry, to not lose any of your ceiling to the garage door.

 

[MTV8]

I believe that an 8.5 foot ceiling is the minimum needed to put a car on the lift and still have enough room to put one underneath.

 

[viva gt]

I believe that an 8.5 foot ceiling is the minimum needed to put a car on the lift and still have enough room to put one underneath.

now, that is tight...

 

[Vincent998]

I have a 10'2" flat ceiling and an HD9 lift, and I can put the GT on it at the highest stops without hitting the ceiling, door, or fluorescents. It's high enough so that I can park my Subaru Outback underneath with a few inches of clearance. If the ceiling was any lower, it would be a problem, but it's fine as is.

 

[mmlcobra]

If you are doing it from scratch, I think that you should go for 16' minimum.
That's what I have with my Bend Pac and I can put my 55 or pickup on top and still lift to the highest stop.
It's worth it!
Best,
Mark

 

[Specracer]

If a "clean sheet" design, go 14'