How High Should My Ceiling Be for a Car Lift?

Car lifts can be used to store classic cars.

Most Lifts Are Too Tall for Garage Ceilings

To stack cars on top of one another for storage, most car lift manufacturers require a ceiling height composed of the heights of both cars plus 6 inches. Most standard ceilings are too low for this, especially if a roll-up garage door or the overhead garage-door opener apparatus takes up some of the space.

Some Lifts are Designed for Lower Ceilings

A two-post car lift will raise your car up to about 6 feet off the ground, which is low enough for most standard garage ceilings. While two-post lifts must be anchored to the ground for safety, this height allows you to work under your car, even though it does not allow you to store two cars on top of one another.

Bottom Line

If you need to store cars using a car lift, you must have a high-ceilinged garage. If you plan to use a car lift to help you work under your car, a standard ceiling height may be able to accommodate the lift. Before you install a lift, make sure your concrete pad is able to handle the substantial additional weight.