Whether you do your own car repair and restoration or run a business out of your home garage, there's nothing more helpful than being able to work under a car safely and comfortably. Since there are many factors to consider when choosing the right home garage car lift for your situation, we've put together a guide of the specifications and advantages of different types of car lifts.
Types of car lifts for a home garage
There are four main types of car lifts that make the best residential garage car lifts.
Car Lift Space Requirements
The type of vehicles you work on will determine your car lift space requirements. Different types of car lifts have different capacities, so if you're only working on smaller vehicles you may not need a lift that can handle 10,000 lb. but, if you're working on trucks or larger SUV's, consider investing in a higher capacity lift.
On average, older homes tend to have a 7' to 8' ceiling in the garage while newer homes are typically built with 9' ceilings. So if you're a new or entry-level mechanic starting out in a home garage, consider a low to mid-rise car lift. These are typically around 4' to 5' wide and 7' in length and can raise up to between 2' and 4'. Having that additional clearance of a low-rise lift is perfect for a quick tire, wheel, or brake service. There are even portable lifts if you're a traveling mechanic.
Just because these lifts are smaller, doesn't mean they're less capable. Need to lift a truck? No worries! There's a heavy duty model with a 10,000 lb. capacity that's perfect for lifting trucks. You'll need a bit more space to accommodate the width and length of this car lift, but you'll still be able gain some ground clearance in a low ceiling garage.
2 Post Car Lift Space Requirements
The 2 post car lift is a popular option for mechanics and enthusiasts working from their home garage. Depending on your ceiling height, you can choose between a baseplate lift, or an overhead lift. Our shortest 2 post baseplate lift needs 9'6" of ceiling height clearance while our larger 2 post overhead lifts require a minimum of 12' ceilings.
Our commercial grade baseplate lift makes a great home garage car lift since it has a 9,000 lb. capacity, and comes with loads of features typically found on overhead models. Their smaller size both height and width wise make them more adaptable as a home garage car lift.
Two post overhead lifts have nothing on the ground in the middle, which makes rolling oil drains, jacks, or other equipment underneath your car simple. They can also accommodate both asymmetric or symmetric arms and come with stack pad height adapter for ultimate flexibility.
4 Post Car Lift Space Requirements
If you're looking for a residential garage car lift with the utmost capabilities you might want to look at a 4 post lift. These lifts take up more room than a 2 post lift, but the Pro-Park models are designed and built with home garage enthusiasts in mind. Our smallest 4 post lift is 8'7" wide meaning it will fit most garages, just over 17' long, and has a column height of almost 7'. Lifting capacity of at least 8000 lb. means you'll be able to get a larger vehicle up in the air with ease and can clear up to 68" minimum under the runway, making space for another small vehicle to fit underneath.
Considering these specs are for our modest yet powerful 4 post lift, you'll need a bit of space in your garage for a larger model. If you're building a garage at home for commercial use, consider building large enough for your chosen 4 post lift space requirements, or a 24'x24' (average size of detached two car garage) with 16' or 17' ceilings. Also keep in mind you'll need a strong concrete slab to anchor the lift and prevent any cracks. Typically, you'll need between 4" and 6" of concrete with 3000 PSI rebar reinforcement for a 4 post lift. To find out how much ceiling height clearance you'll need to stack your cars, simply add the height of your vehicles together and add 7" to the total.
Most Popular 4 Post Car Lifts for a Home Garage
The Direct Lift Pro-Park models are best sellers for a reason! Specifically designed with the home garage enthusiast in mind, the 4 post car lift space requirements for these are a key feature. They're perfect for saving space in your home garage, and we all know how quickly projects can start to stack up! You can also rest assured that you're buying an ALI/ETL Certified, OSHA-recognized lift that provides the ultimate stamp of approval for buyers seeing a Pro-Park style lift.
How to Choose the Best Car Lift for a Home Garage
Choosing the right lift can come down to a few factors:
- Your goal - are you a hobby mechanic that likes to tinker, or are you looking to start a business?
- Your space - do you have an attached residential garage or are you building a detached garage for your business? How many other large machines or tools do you need to fit in your garage? Is the purpose of the lift to add storage for vehicles?
- Money - is the car lift being written off as a business expense or is it purely to benefit a hobby?
- Certifications - Has the lift been tested and certified by ETL to USA lift standards?
- Manufacturers - Do you know where the lift is made and who the manufacturer is? Are you buying a cheaper lift that's imported to the U.S.? Is it certified?
- Warranty - Having a warranty on parts can make a huge difference on costs, and our warranty on Direct-Lift® models goes above and beyond other lift company standards
Here are our most popular home garage car lifts.
Once you've considered these factors and chosen the best car lift for your home garage, you can be certain that you're buying a quality, authentic product provided by a family-owned business with excellent reviews and exceptional customer support.
