Garage door sizes and how to measure your opening

What are the standard garage door sizes?

Standard residential garage doors come in a single (one car) and a double (two cars). A single is 8 ft or 9 ft wide by 7 ft high. A double is 16 ft wide by 7 ft high. Width is always listed first.

In Canada these sizes are sold by the foot, so a 9x7 door is 108 in wide by 84 in high. Heights of 7 ft and 8 ft are the common options, and most Ottawa homes built since the 1990s use the 9x7 single or the 16x7 double. The table below covers the everyday sizes we install most.

What size is a single garage door?

A single garage door is 8 ft or 9 ft wide by 7 ft high. The 9x7 is the most common single in Ottawa, while 8x7 appears on older or narrow lots. Both fit one vehicle through a one-car opening.

Choose the 9 ft width if you park a wider SUV or pickup, since the extra foot makes pulling in far easier and protects your mirrors. If your garage ceiling is tall, an 8 ft height clears a roof box or a lifted truck. The width you have depends on the rough opening framed into the wall, which is why we measure before ordering. Once the size is set, you can choose your door material and choose your door style.

What size is a double garage door?

A standard double garage door is 16 ft wide by 7 ft high (16x7), built for two cars side by side. Newer Ottawa homes sometimes use an 18 ft wide door, and some builds run two single doors instead of one wide one.

A double door is the largest moving part of your house, so weight and insulation matter more here. A 16x7 insulated steel door can weigh over 200 lb, which sets the torsion-spring sizing and means a stronger opener. For an attached garage, step up the insulation and check the double-door R-value for Ottawa winters. A new door starts from $1,500 installed, and we price your exact double on site.

How do you measure for a new garage door?

Measure five things in inches: the finished opening width, the opening height, the headroom above the opening, the side room on each side, and the backroom into the garage. Width and height set the door size, the other three set the track and hardware.

1. 1Opening width. Measure inside jamb to inside jamb at the widest point. Usually 96 in or 108 in for a single, 192 in for a double.
2. 2Opening height. Measure floor to the top of the finished opening at the highest point. Standard is 84 in (7 ft), with 96 in (8 ft) as the tall option.
3. 3Headroom. Measure from the top of the opening to the ceiling. Standard track needs 12 in, low-headroom kits fit as little as 4.5 in.
4. 4Side room. Measure the flat wall on each side of the opening. You need at least 3.75 in per side to mount the vertical tracks.
5. 5Backroom. Measure straight back from the opening along the ceiling. Allow the door height plus about 18 in so the open door clears your vehicles.

Headroom, backroom and side room you need

A standard torsion-spring door needs 12 in of headroom, at least 3.75 in of side room per side, and the door height plus 18 in of backroom. If your ceiling is tight, a low-headroom track converts the door to fit in as little as 4.5 in.

These three numbers decide the track and spring system, not the door panel itself. Low ceilings, sloped roofs in older Centretown homes, and finished garages all change the hardware we order. We confirm every clearance on site so the door opens fully without scraping the ceiling, a light, or a storage rack.

Rough opening vs finished door size

The finished door size matches the opening, not the rough framed opening. A 9x7 door fits a 9 ft by 7 ft finished opening. The rough opening framed in the wall is built a few inches larger to leave room for the jambs and trim.

When you order a garage door, you order the finished size (9x7, 16x7), and the door seals against the jambs and header around that opening. Do not subtract for the frame yourself. We measure the finished opening and account for the framing, so a 9x7 door arrives ready to seal tight and run true on the tracks.

When do you need a custom-size garage door?

You need a custom size when your opening falls outside the standard 8, 9, 16 and 18 ft widths or the 7 and 8 ft heights. Older Ottawa homes, oversized rural garages, and triple-car builds in Manotick and Carp often need a custom-ordered door.

Custom sizes are common and nothing to worry about. Garaga, Steel-Craft and Clopay all build doors to your exact measurements, and we order the matching tracks and springs. A custom door takes a little longer to arrive but fits the opening exactly, with no gaps or fillers, which matters most in our climate. Whatever your opening, we measure it on site and price it for you.