Plan the garage before you buy

Most garage equipment problems are measuring problems. A bench that is three inches too deep for the car to pass, an opener that will not fit above the door, a cabinet that cannot turn the corner from the driveway. None of them is a fault in the product, and all of them are cheaper to find with a tape measure than after a freight delivery.

Here is what to measure, in the order we would measure it, and how to put the whole garage into one plan.

1. The wall

Measure each wall you want to use, end to end, and mark everything in the way: doors, windows, the electrical panel, outlets, the water heater, pipes. A fixed bench or a modular run needs a clear stretch, and the obstruction you forgot is the one that decides the layout.

If you are planning a Beta modular run, our run builders take the wall length and lay out the modules for you: C45PRO 2.0 and RSC50 2.0.

2. The depth

Depth is what the car notices. Measure from the wall to where the car sits with its doors open, then compare it with what you are adding. For reference, on our product pages the Beta C45PRO 2.0 worktop is 24.2 in. deep, the RSC50 2.0 27.6 in. and the C58BC bench 29.5 in.

3. The space above the door

If you are adding or replacing an opener, measure from the top of the door opening to the lowest obstruction above it — the ceiling, a beam, a light, overhead storage. On Sommer's figures, the evo+ needs 37 in. above the door on 3 in. low-headroom track, and the pro+ 27 in. Our low headroom guide gives the figure for every track type and explains how to take the measurement.

4. Power

An EV charger and a home backup system both depend on your electrical panel. Each product page states what the unit needs; have an electrician check the panel and the circuit before you order, not after. For backup power, our power station sizing guide and portable vs. whole-home backup set out how to size it.

5. The yard

A robot mower or a Yarbo needs a place to dock and charge. A Sunseeker X7 also needs a spot for its antenna station; the X9 models do not. Measure the lawn area you want covered, not the lot, and note the steepest slope.

6. The route in

Much of what we sell ships by freight, delivered curbside on a liftgate truck. Measure the route from the curb to where the item will stand: the driveway, any step, the garage door opening and the tightest turn. A large rolling cabinet such as the Beta RSC28, at 48.62 x 31.5 in., will not turn a tight corner. Our guide to curbside freight sets out what the driver will and will not do.

Then put it in one plan

The Garage Planner lets you choose equipment across storage, power, EV charging and yard robotics, review the plan and request a quote. Prices and shipping weights are live from the store. Freight is quoted separately, after you submit, and never estimated on the page. There are starter packages to begin from, and you can save plans and compare products side by side.

If your measurements leave you between two options, send them to us through the contact page — wall length, depth, the space above the door and the route in. We will tell you what fits, including when it is the smaller or cheaper one.