Thoughts on service door placement for new garage?

[311Hemi]

We are building a new house and I am trying to decide where to place the service door, any thoughts?

I can tell you I will be placing it at least roughly 2.5' (maybe more) from any corner....it's too close to a corner where it's at. Also, I have a 4' workbench and a 2' wide garbage can (think fastfood style with flapping door) that I will be placing in the rear corner closer to the house, along with a standing air compressor. I would be planning for a 18'-21' boat in the garage at some point.....until an additional garage is built. Also, I don't have much for options for a larger main door or to make the garage any bigger. Plans are for an additional garage at some point. Current doors are 8' tall.

[IcePro]

I would put the door on the back side by your work bench area.

With the door on the side you will have to make sure that it would not hit the boat when opening the door.

You also stated that the boat would be 18'-21'. Remember to add the length of the trailer when deciding on space.

[MuleShack]

I just went thru this setting up plans also.

our garage is going to be 32' deep on the outside and I put the service door 8' up from the back wall. reason being I'm using the back 6' of the 3rd stall for a fenced in dog kennel with a dog door going out the back.

I've seen them go out the back and out the side right at the back corner. Our current house has the service door at the front of the garage. I guess it also depends on how you are going to landscape the new place. Our current house has an outdoor dog kennel fenced in on the back corner of the garage, so the service door towards the front of the garage is the best fit.

[Macgyver55]

I agree with icepro, on the back wall if it works out for you. I have mine on the side and I cant get a crew cab in and open the service door by about 3 inches. Its sad because the stall is 38 deep and I had the room but never considered how much longer of a vehicle I might want over the one I had at the time we built. Another foot (20) from the overhead would have been perfect in my case. Putting it on the back wall wouldn't work well for me though as I heat and cool my garage and I use the service door as much as possible and dont want to walk all the way around every time I want to go street side. Parking a 20 ft boat there with the extra length of the trailer tongue and the motor would probably put you in the same spot as me in making it difficult to use the service door if its on the side wall.

[311Hemi]

Good point on not wanting to walk around street side from the back, I will have to consider that. I am having LP run to the garage with the plans of heating it in the winter.....but at a fairly cool temp.

Good points guys, keep em' coming.

[cavalierowner]

I think it has to do as much with how the yard is used. Pretty tough to know without seeing a site plan, but many times it works best out the back, especially if you may ever fence the back yard or use the back yard a lot and want quick access to the garage. You may also want to think if that door can be seen from the house for security reasons; again, hard to know where house windows are without the rest of the house plan. More food for thought.

BTW, kind of a different closet arrangement in the mud room. Any reason you wouldn't put in a bifold door and have access to the full width of the closet?

[BoxMN]

From what we see here, I would put it on back wall for sure, especially if you will be keeping a boat on end stall, you will want it tight up against that wall usually, making a door tough to use as mentioned.

Heck, I might consider a second door on the side, right up around the corner from the overhead door, for access to the street side. You can barricade it good enough if concerned about breakin from that side, sort of like only used when you want to, from the inside.

FYI - I have 28' deep garage, and with a 18' boat and swing tongue, I can easily walk around both front and rear of boat (when tongue is swung) no problem. If tongue is out then it gets a bit trickier but can still be done. So 27' will be pretty close to mine, easy with tongue swung, tight if not. Good luck!

[311Hemi]

We will definitely be out back, but I suppose there is a change I could use the area right behind the garage for some sort of storage. I'm not overly concerned about the security aspect, mainly just the best location for use. the lot is 300' wide, and will be a walkout so there is a bit of an elevation change that will occur back beyond the garage. We are on a culdesac with only 2 other houses.

BTW, kind of a different closet arrangement in the mud room. Any reason you wouldn't put in a bifold door and have access to the full width of the closet?

We were originally thinking it would be nice to have a walking style with hangers on a two of the walls, and then storage for bins and/or shelving as well. I think with a bifold we would only have space for bins on the back wall.

I'm not sure a larger closet like this would make sense with bifold doors as the front space would not be useful?

[Tom7227]

Seems to me that in terms of access to the yard it's a horse apiece. But if you put it in the middle of the back wall you limit what you can do with that wall. That wall seems like a perfect place to shelves or cupboards. You lose at least 3 feet of it with the door. If you put it on the side wall with the 3 foot setback from the corner you'll be able to put stuff on shelves/cupboards right to the corner.

I don't have a service door in my garage at all. The only time it really is an issue is on days like today when I don't want to open the big door to get out. But then I don't want to go outside at all today anyway.

You seem to be cutting yourself way too short on the far right hand stall. If I am reading things correctly you are down below 20 feet there once the steps are in place. Be sure you're going to have enough room there.

[cavalierowner]

I see what you're trying to do. With the dimensions on the plan, the closet will be roughly 5"9" x 3'-9" clear inside dimensions. It takes 22" to 24" depth for hanging space, so you almost have to make the two end walls your hanging walls and move the door to the center. that gives about 25" between coats...tight, but it would work. And the back wall between coats could be stacking space for bins. Sorry to stray off topic about the garage, it's a hazard of the profession

[Tom7227]

Not door placement related but a suggestion. I put a motion activated light near the door leading into the house. The light from the opener wasn't giving enough light to that area. With the motion detector there is light by that door as soon as you start pulling into the garage. My wife particularly likes that feature.

[311Hemi]

The wifes car will be parked in front of the steps...so that will be fine. I don't have any more budget to allow the garage to go any deeper wider.

I still have time to move the wall to the closet to gain more space which I think we will need to consider. We have not broke ground yet!

[MuleShack]

The wifes car will be parked in front of the steps...so that will be fine. I don't have any more budget to allow the garage to go any deeper wider.

But can you kick out the side wall on the 3rd stall another foot or two?

It would allow more storage and then you can have room to put the door anywhere you want.

Thats the way I set up my plan on our new house (still waiting for ours to sell). I have 4' between the garage door and the wall for more storage.

I think our builder was only charging like $15-20/ft in the garage for add on's

[311Hemi]

Not really. We have a large gabble peak over the garage and part of the house that the height is dictated by the width of the garage and is also part of an overhang over the front entry way. If I go any wider on the garage that peak goes higher as well, and will throw a lot of the overall look of the house out of proportion.

If I could, I would have considered an 18' main door. I think my builder was around $25/ft when I extended the garage 1' in front.

At this point it seems like two doors would be best, but I think I am leaning towards a single street side door for the time being. I can always add a door to the rear at another time, or possibly add a roller door for rear access depending on how I use the garage. I only have a 16' boat at the moment, and don't know that I will be able to upgrade for a year or two to a bigger boat anyhow. That budget went with this house...doh!

Those add-on's add up quick!

[Surface Tension]

What is on the side of the garage where you have the service door now? Is coming in from off the street your plan for this door? Seems like the long way around to getting into the garage. What is the back yard like and do you plan on using that area?

If so then I would think that the door should be in the mud room. This would be a good way to incorporate a rear entry way to the home as well.

Is 23' minus the stairs enough room for a vehicle and still have easy access to the stairway? You'll need room between the garage door and rear door(trunk) to load and unload. Realistically after considering clearances you have 15'. An X-cab truck wouldn't fit. If you moved the stairs and door to the left side wall that stall would accommodate a longer vehicle.

If you moved the service door to the mud room you've gained that space on the garage.

The 2' recess is visually appealing but there are other ways to break up that wall without cutting into space.

[311Hemi]

What is on the side of the garage where you have the service door now? I'm not sure what your asking, there is nothing there at the moment. At some point another garage may be located next to the current one.

Is coming in from off the street your plan for this door? That's what I am trying to figure out. The front entry way will be the main entrance from the street to the house. The service door would mainly be used when I am working around the yard or in the driveway.....or have to run to a vehicle quick to get something when I am in the garage.

Seems like the long way around to getting into the garage. What is the back yard like and do you plan on using that area?

Yes, the backyard will be the primary area used, but the walkout in the basement will be the main access for normal family use.

I don't think the wife is going to budge about loosing the closet in the mud room. Maybe we could rearrange it, but she like the thought of a bigger closet there for winter gear, dog stuff, extra coats...etc. This is a walkout that we are building, so that will be the main access to the back yard for everyday family use.

23' minus the stairs will be enough for my wife car, but I will need to check about being able to open the rear doors (didn't think of needing to do that). My burban will be on the left side of the main garage.

[311Hemi]

Here is the last layout they showed me. A new survey is being done to move the house towards the middle of the lot, and rotating it slightly. There was not enough room on the one side of the house to allow a garage to be built....if I ever wanted it there. Second garage has to be even, or behind the front of the house.

[BoxMN]

The 2' recess is visually appealing but there are other ways to break up that wall without cutting into space.

Agreed 100%, and the extra room is something you will love, not curse

Good luck hemi, it will be nice whatever you decide.

[311Hemi]

The 2' recess is visually appealing but there are other ways to break up that wall without cutting into space.

Any examples?

My wife really likes having the peaks over the garage, so that's why the offset is still there. We have a total of 3 peaks as it is right now (main door, whole garage, and whole garage plus 14' wide porch. She is planning on rock facing the front of the larger stall, but not the smaller one (which will only have rock on the lower portion). I would certainly like an extra 2', but I don't know if it will flow with the current design.

[11-87]

use 2 doors,

[WallEYES]

+1 install both doors....enough said

[dougger222]

As far as brand don't buy a mastercraft from menards they are JUNK. For that matter also stay away from crestline windows from menards again JUNK.

[buckeyes08]

Heck, I might consider a second door on the side, right up around the corner from the overhead door, for access to the street side. You can barricade it good enough if concerned about breakin from that side, sort of like only used when you want to, from the inside.

I second that!!