Can You Fit a Car Lift in an 8-Foot Garage? (The Low-Ceiling Guide)
The biggest myth in the car world is that you need a massive, warehouse-style garage to own a lift.
Every day, homeowners with standard 8-foot or 9-foot ceilings are told “No” by forums and friends. They give up on their dream of a 4-post lift, assuming they are stuck with a single parking spot forever.
They are wrong.
The truth is, you can stack two cars in a standard residential garage—if you know the math. It requires careful vehicle selection, a specific type of lift, and usually a “High-Lift” garage door modification.
In this guide, we will walk you through the exact formula to check your clearance and show you the “Hood Swap” trick that can magically create 6 inches of extra space.
The “3-Number” Formula: Do You Have Enough Height?
You don’t need to guess, and you don’t need a degree in engineering. To find out if a 4-post lift fits in your specific garage, you just need to add three numbers together.
Grab a tape measure and your car’s specs, then plug them into this formula:
(Height of Bottom Car) + (Height of Top Car) + 8 Inches = Minimum Ceiling Height
Where does the “8 Inches” come from?
It isn’t random. It accounts for the physics of the lift:
The thickness of the lift deck (the ramp the top car sits on).
The safety locks (you need to raise the lift past the lock to set it down).
A safety buffer for ceiling clearance.
Real-World Example: The “Sports Car Stack”
Let’s say you want to store a Porsche 911 over a Corvette C8.
Step 1
Corvette C8 (Bottom): 48 inches
Step 2
Porsche 911 (Top): 51 inches
Formula
Porsche 911 (Top): 51 inches
The Result: 107 inches is 8 feet, 11 inches.
Quick Reference: Common Car Heights
(Measurements are for stock suspension)
|
Vehicle Class
|
Popular Models
|
Approx. Height
|
Safe Stack Height*
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Supercars
|
Lamborghini Huracán
McLaren 720S
Ferrari F8 / 488
|
46″
47″
48″
|
~100″ (8.3 ft)
~101″ (8.4 ft)
~102″ (8.5 ft)
|
|
Sports Cars
|
Chev. Corvette C8
Porsche 911 (992)
Toyota Supra
|
49″
51″
51″
|
~103″ (8.6 ft)
~105″ (8.75 ft)
~105″ (8.75 ft)
|
|
Sedans/Muscle
|
BMW M3 / M4
Ford Mustang
Tesla Model 3
|
56″
55″
57″
|
~110″ (9.1 ft)
~109″ (9.0 ft)
~111″ (9.2 ft)
|
|
SUVs (Bottom Only)
|
BMW X5
Ford F-150
|
69″
76″
|
Cannot Stack
Cannot Stack
|
* Safe Stack Height = (Car Height) + (50″ Bottom Car Avg) + (4″ Deck) + (2″ Safety). This assumes you are parking a low sports car underneath.
The “Hood-Swap” Strategy (How to Cheat the Height)
If you ran the numbers above and came up 2 inches short, don’t worry. You can cheat.
Most cars are wedge-shaped. The roof is the highest point, but the hood is significantly lower. If you park both cars facing forward, you are stacking “Roof under Roof,” which wastes the most space.
The Solution: Back the top car onto the lift.
Your Garage Door is the Real Enemy (And How to Fix It)
In a standard home, when you open the garage door, it rolls back on tracks that hang right in the middle of your ceiling space. This creates an “artificial ceiling” that is often only 7 feet high, even if your actual ceiling is 9 feet.
To fit a lift, you must clear this obstruction. You need two specific upgrades:
Upgrade 1
High-Lift Track Conversion (~$400 – $600)
This modifies your tracks so the door travels up the wall as high as possible (hugging the ceiling) before it turns back. This instantly reclaims 12–24 inches of vertical space above your cars.
Upgrade 2
Wall-Mount “Jackshaft” Opener (~$500)
Standard garage openers hang in the center of the ceiling on a long rail. That rail will block your lift. A “Jackshaft” opener (like the LiftMaster 8500) mounts on the wall beside the door, eliminating the center rail entirely.
The Bottom Line:
You usually cannot install a 4-post lift without modifying your garage door tracks first.
The Best Lifts for Low Ceilings
Winner
The 4-Post Lift (Storage)
If your goal is parking two cars, this is your only real option. Look for “Low Profile” models like the BendPak HD-9, which offers multiple locking positions. This allows you to set the lift height exactly where you need it, rather than being stuck with fixed intervals.
Runner Up
The MaxJax (Repair Only)
If you have a low ceiling (under 8 feet) and only want to do brake jobs (not storage), the MaxJax Portable 2-Post Lift is designed specifically for you. It stands only 7 feet tall and can be unbolted and rolled away when not in use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much space do I need between the top car and the ceiling?
A: We recommend a minimum buffer of 2 inches. You need this space because to lower the lift, you must first raise it slightly to release the safety locks. If you are tight against the ceiling, you will be trapped.
Q: Can I modify a lift to make the posts shorter?
A: Do not do this. Cutting the posts of a certified lift voids the warranty and destroys its structural integrity. If the posts are too tall for your ceiling, buy a shorter model or cut holes in the drywall (yes, people do this) to let the posts poke into the attic.
Conclusion: Don’t Let 8 Feet Stop You
Space is a luxury, but engineering is the equalizer. If you have two sports cars and a 9-foot ceiling, you are almost certainly “Green Light” for a lift. If you have an 8-foot ceiling, it will be tight, but with the “Hood Swap” method and the right hardware, it is often possible.