So you want to enlarge your garage door – should be simple, right? Not so fast. Many homeowners would love to increase their living space or widen a garage door frame to fit large vehicles, but the truth is, it’s not always a feasible project. Making a garage door taller isn’t just about adding another panel – there are a lot of things to consider when making structural changes.

The opening of your garage has been constructed to ensure the integrity of your home. In this article, we’ll explore whether it’s possible to make your garage door opening wider, whether you can extend your garage door opening, and how much it will cost to expand your garage.

What It Takes: Making Your Garage Door Taller

Before you begin to consider the possibility of making your garage door taller,  you should first consider the support needed from professionals such as structural engineers and general contractors. 

Whether you have a single or double garage door, your home was constructed with a load-bearing beam that sits above your garage doors and distributes the weight to posts on opposite ends of your garage. For any project involving changes to the structural design of your home, engineered drawings will need to be prepared, stamped, and approved by your local municipality. Once the plans are in place, finding a reliable contractor to scope the overall cost of the project — including additional materials, equipment and labor costs, to complete the work is your next course of action. We will be happy to outfit a new door for your space, but most homeowners find the costs involved in these projects outweigh the benefits. 

What are standard heights?

The standard heights for a residential garage depend on the type of door. Standard door heights are typically 7 feet tall x 8-9 feet wide for a single garage door, or 16 feet x 7 feet for a double door. Adding a couple more feet onto the width or height of your door opening will likely mean you’ll need a new custom garage door. 

Can You Widen a Garage Door Opening? (How Hard is it?)

A general contractor can likely help you create a small amount of space (6 inches or so) on either side of the door, but more than that could impact your home’s structural integrity. Similar to making your garage door taller, a range of expensive structural work needs to be completed before even considering the garage door replacement costs.

What is The Widest Garage Door Available?

The widest standard garage door is currently 18’. Contact us to find a custom size for your project. 

How Much Does it Cost To Enlarge a Garage Door?

It is difficult to estimate the average cost of making an existing garage door taller or wider, as there are factors outside of the cost to install the doors themselves. For example, the size of the existing door frame, and the amount of additional width and height you want to add.

Some experts estimate the cost of enlarging garage doors to be between $16,000 and $40,000.

Conclusion

Making a garage door taller or wider is a big project, and it’s not for the average DIY homeowner. For most homeowners, it’s just not worth the investment into engineering and contracting support. The best time to plan for the size of your garage opening is during the construction of your home. Contact Canadoor for any questions you may have about having your garage doors replaced.

About Canadoor Garage Doors

Canadoor Garage Doors specializes in residential garage door installations in Barrie. Since 2009, our reputation has been built on superior quality garage door system installation and reliable service repairs. No project is too big or too small for our technicians. We provide complete residential overhead door solutions, including installations of doors, openers, springs, cables, and additional hardware.