How Tall Is An RV Garage Door?

How tall should your RV garage door be? You may not realize it, but the answer depends on numerous factors. RV owners must consider the type of storage unit they need, where to build the unit, and how to accommodate their unique RV vehicle before starting the building process.

Factors That Determine The Size Of Your RV Garage Door

Numerous factors and stipulations can influence the size you should choose for your RV Garage door.

How big is your RV? What type of RV do you have? What other vehicles do you need to store? Figuring out how to calculate the size of your RV door can help RV owners make intelligent decisions during the buying or building process.

RV Type

One of the primary considerations regarding your RV garage door size is the RV type. There are considerable differences in terms of the kinds of RVs, depending on their model, size, shape, and category. Most RVs are categorized into three classes — Class A, Class C, and Class B.

Class A RVs are the biggest options, ranging between 21’ and 45’ feet in length and suitable to sleep 1-8 people. The price of a new Class A RV is between $50,000 and $100,000 on the high-end, with a weight of upwards of 30,000 pounds.

Contrary to common sense, the next biggest type of RV is the Class C RV, which is between 20 and 31 feet on average. This type of RV can also hold 1-8 people but is slightly cheaper in price, coming in between $50 and $80K. The maximum weight of the Class C RV is just 13,000 pounds — less than half the weight of the Class A RV.

The other class of RV that a buyer can purchase is Class B. Now, these types of RVs are broken down into Class B and Class B+ RVs.

The Class B RV is between 17 and 19 feet and can comfortably fit 1-4 people. This RV is a budget option, coming in at a low end of $40K and weighing less than 10,000 pounds. The B+ RV is between 20 and 30 feet, similar to the Class C RV and has a similar price point of hovering between $50 and $65K.

RV Garage Door

The following stipulation to consider when buying RV garage doors is the type of RV garage door and the material. The most common material used to build the garage doors is metal, which costs around $10 per square foot.

Number of Vehicles to Store

In addition, homeowners must know the number of vehicles that will be stored along with the RVs. Most homes can fit a pop-up trailer or teardrop trailer, whereas bigger RVs might require heftier and bigger doors, such as doors used for extra-large RVs, motorhomes, or RVs with upgrades.

If you consider storing other vehicles, such as cars, bicycles, motorbikes, and motorhomes in the inside storage area with the RV, you will need a bigger RV garage door.

Garage Location

Furthermore, homeowners must ask themselves if they will keep their RV in a detached-style garage or if it will be built within their living quarters.

Although standard RV doors are approximately 12-14’ wide and 12-16’ tall, this can differentiate based on the size of someone’s home or garage. A standard garage door is only 8’ tall — which is way too low for almost all RV types. Therefore, homeowners might need to build a detached-style garage that is custom-built for their RV.

Extra Room

The last consideration that RV owners must consider when it comes to their garage doors is the maneuverability factor. How much space do you need inside your storage area to move around?

If you are only using a garage to store the RV, and you can do all necessary work outside the RV in your driveway or yard, then you can have a smaller space. However, if you are storing other items in the garage or prefer a covered area to work on your RV, this requires a bigger garage.

Standard RV Garage Door Sizes

Understanding the standard RV garage door sizes can help owners determine what style they should choose. The standard RV garage door sizes are as follows:

Standard RV doors are 12-14’ wide and 12-16’ tall. The minimum height for an RV garage door would be 12 feet, whereas the minimum width is also 12 feet. If a person has a garage door that is 14’ tall, the maximum height the RV garage door can be is 12’ to give 2’ of clearance. This coincides with the normal height of between 12 and 14’ wide.

The main difference between a typical garage door and an RV garage door is the height factor — not the width or the depth. However, homeowners must consider the height of the RV. RV garage doors are usually 12 to 16’ high, making it possible to fit within a 16 or 18’ garage.

Keeping this in mind, RV owners will see that most garage doors are too short. In this case, a detached garage door or storage space might have to be specially constructed to house an RV due to its height. If individuals add other modifications to their RV, like an air conditioner or roof-mounted object, this can increase the need for space.

RV Garage Door Size Chart

Height	Width	Length
9’	20’	14’
16’	20’	20’
16’	22’	22’
16’	24’	24’
18’	22’	22’
16’	22’	26’

 

Need some inspiration for your RV storage space? Here are some common styles of RV garages that can work with your vehicle.

One way to increase space for a big motorhome or RV is to construct a steel RV garage. This affordable option may require space and land, but it is available in a huge range of styles and sizes to help accommodate the needs of RV owners.

Another popular RV garage door type is sliding doors that range in sizes. The sizes of the doors and width varies based on the size of the motorhome.

Lastly, many RVs fit in normal-style garage doors. If you have a family home with garages for your cars and yard equipment, you can fit some RVs into these doors with no issue. Most of the RV options that fit in typical garage doors are smaller than 14’ long, 7’ wide, and 6’ high.

Customized RV Garage Doors

Homeowners and RV owners can modify their RV garage doors to ensure their big vehicles can fit in their garage. One of the most common ways to customize RV garage doors is to move the door tracks upward to allow the van to fit under the door.

A second way to modify the doors is to cut the siding and sheathing from the door to remove them and allow the RV to enter without any scrapes.

By modifying the RV doors, homeowners do not need to purchase new doors or tracks.

How To Measure Dimensions of An RV Garage Door

Check out this demo video of how to measure the dimension of an RV garage door, so you hit all the key points.

Some of the most important things to keep in mind include keeping 2’ of room between the top of the garage door and the edge of the garage, measuring the size of the RV, considering add-ons for the top of your RV, and adding any pop-up campers or trailers.

How Much Does It Cost To Build An RV Garage?

The average cost of building an RV garage comes to $88,000, with the majority of RV and homeowners paying between $35,000 and $140,000. There are a few factors that influence the cost of an RV garage:

• Location — The location of the garage requires an aesthetic design that matches your home, adequate size to fit the RV, plumbing and electrical extensions, and drainage.
• Size — The RV’s width, height, and length can influence the price of building the RV garage. For example, a two-car garage will cost a lot more than a one-car garage due to the bigger dimensions.
• Material — Using metal will help cut costs and avoid overpaying. Most RV owners pay between $5 and $10 per square foot for a metal housing unit.
• Labor — Homeowners will pay approximately $20 to $50 per square foot for labor, amounting to nearly half of the project’s total price.
• Permits — RV owners must check their local building codes to ensure they purchase the correct garage building permit, costing upwards of $1,500 depending on the city or county.

Furthermore, a homeowner can choose between an attached RV garage or a detached RV garage, which will affect the price. Attached garages are taller to help fit the size of an RV and typically cost less than a detached option. The detached option is more popular since you can place the storage location anywhere you desire.

How Many Square Feet Is An RV Garage?

Most RV garages are around 700 square feet, allowing for a clearance height of 14’ and a length of between 40-50 feet, depending on the motorhome class.

The price estimate per square foot of an RV garage comes to between $20 and $50 per square foot, depending on the labor costs and the location of the structure. For the typical structure of 700 suede feet, this comes to a labor cost of between $14,000 and $35,000. 

For example, the price of building a 30×40 RV garage costs $15,000 without installation fees or labor. This project typically ranges between $13,200 and $18,200 on average.

RV Garage Door Prices

Size	Price
10×12	$1,659
12×12	$1,829
14×12	$2,124
16×12	$2,778
16×7	$3,500

 

The estimate will differ for customized RV garage door prices depending on the customizations and the extra space required. For example, a wider door, such as a 12 or 14’ foot door for a wider RV, can increase the price by a few hundred dollars.

Hiring A Professional To Build Your RV Garage

Homeowners and RV owners can look online to find professionals who are suitable to work and build RV storage units. Instead of trying to do everything by themselves, which can take more time and lead to unsafe work, using professionals may cost more upfront — but can lead to more satisfaction in the long run.

Some average prices of expert installation include between $320 for a single door and $670 for a double garage door. When you add on the price of a bigger door to accommodate an RV, this can increase the price by a few hundred dollars. Getting a new garage door opener to work with the RV doors costs between $120 and $288 on average.

Furthermore, the location and type of garage door influence the price. Metal and steel garage doors can run as high as $1,500, whereas fiberglass and vinyl are more expensive, coming in between $800 and $2,000 on average.

FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions regarding RV garage doors.

Are RV doors universal?

RV doors are not universal. Homeowners can choose the type of RV garage doors that work with the unique shape and size of their motorhome.

Can you run an RV in a garage?

Homeowners should not run an RV in their garage to avoid smoke inhalation and damage to interior paint or structures in their homes.

How wide is a double RV garage?

Most RV garages are 20’ wide, 14’ high, and 50’ long. Therefore, a double RV garage must be double this size, coming in at least 40’ wide, 14 high, and 50 long.

Does the height of the RV include the AC unit?

The height of an RV includes the AC unit since this also needs to be considered when building RV doors. The height listed may not include the AC unit, but owners must consider any add-ons to their Rv, such as conditioners, antennas, or roof racks, when determining the size of the door for their storage space.

Does an RV garage add value to a home?

Adding an RV garage is a great way to increase the resale value of your home if you are thinking of selling your property in the future.

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