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Single car garage dimensions - What is the standard one car garage size?

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A single car garage is an effective vehicle shelter (Image: Midjourney)
A single car garage is an effective vehicle shelter (Image: Midjourney)
Marcus Craft
Contributing Journalist
16 Aug 2024
4 min read

What are the standard single car garage dimensions in Australia?

The standard single garage size in Australia is about 6.0 metres long x 3.5 metres wide with a door size of 2.4m and a minimum ceiling height of 2.3 metres.

What is meant by a single car garage?

A single garage is a space designed to be big enough to house one car. A 1 car garage dimensions are not generous enough to cope with much beyond the stored vehicle itself, so any single garage storage on offer is minimal.

How big is a single garage?

Minimum garage size in Australia, in accordance with Australian Standards, is 5.4m long and 3.0m wide.

A single garage door size is generally about 2100mm high and a single garage door width is usually about 2400mm.

What is the benefit of having a garage in a home?

There are obvious benefits to a single lock up garage, including improved security of the vehicle and boosted protection for the stored vehicle from the elements (wind, rain, hail, etc).

Single car garage (Image: ranbuild.com)
Single car garage (Image: ranbuild.com)

How and why do single car garage sizes differ?

While high-density living in metropolitan areas dictates that a single garage size in metres is kept to an absolute minimum, people who reside outside of those areas may have access to slightly bigger single car garages.

Does Australian sizing differ from overseas?

Yes, because some countries, such as the US, have mainstream vehicles (for example, pick-ups) that are longer, wider and taller than any mainstream passenger vehicles available in Australia.

Is it cheaper to build a standard size single car garage compared to a custom size garage?

If your custom size garage is bigger and more complicated (extra storage space), than a standard size single car garage then, of course, you’ll soon find out that your single car garage price is going to increase because of the extra materials needed.

Single car garage (Image: Midjourney)
Single car garage (Image: Midjourney)

What things need to be considered in the sizing of a garage, e.g. car size, storage, open space, etc?

There are numerous factors to consider when working out the appropriate sizing of a garage that will suit you and your family, including, but not limited to, car size (with doors open, aerial raised etc); general storage space (if any) around the vehicle(s); as well as the potential open functional space in the garage, even with one car inside. The bigger the garage, the more it will cost to build.

What is the 'best' size for a single car garage? How do you know the dimensions that are right for you?

The best size for a single car garage is the size that fits your needs. If you need only space enough for one car, then your garage will be perfectly sized at a minimum garage size, in accordance with Australian Standards, of 5.4m long and 3.0m wide.

If you need more space (for storage, for a workshop, for exercising, etc) then perhaps a two-car garage – about 6.0m long x 6.0m wide with a door size of 5.2m and a minimum ceiling height of 2.3 metres – is better suited to your needs. That way, you can park your car and still have plenty of space in which to do other stuff.

A single garage price will increase the more complicated your plan is and the more building materials needed to make it a reality.

Single car garage (Image: Midjourney)
Single car garage (Image: Midjourney)

People who live outside of metropolitan areas may have access to a single garage with carport, or a single garage with awning, or even – man-cave extreme – a single garage with workshop or a single car shed.

A carport – a type of permanent open-air sunshade for your car – may offer a happy compromise between leaving your car in the open and putting it in a lockable enclosed garage. Single carport size is generally little more than 5.4m long and 3.0m wide, the minimum size required in Australia to cover a standard vehicle.

Freestanding garages in Australia are available in many shapes and sizes and if it’s a pre-fabricated garage you can even have a crack at erecting it yourself. But even though the old adage – the bigger, the better – still rings true, it’s important to remember the larger the structure you build or give the green light to, the more expensive it will be to create, in terms of building materials, labour, etc.

Marcus Craft
Contributing Journalist
Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years. This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of. The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.
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