Independent garage guidance for first-time homeownersHow this site is funded

02 Interactive planner

Garage shelf depth planner

Compare a candidate shelf's complete projection with the measured wall-to-obstruction space and your own route target. Include feet, handles, and wall offsets. Check usable deck depth separately: a rack's outside dimensions are not its storage opening.

Read the shelf-depth guide
What needs to fit
Wall-to-obstruction space

Arithmetic clearance

30"wall space minus complete shelf projection
17"item depth
30"your route target
MEETSyour entered target

The arithmetic meets your route target; check actual door swing and movement.

Also verify usable deck depth: posts and braces can reduce it below the full projection.

Default values are examples, not recommended clearances. A negative result means the shelf overlaps the measured obstruction. This is not a load, code, accessibility, or safe-passage assessment.

Example: why nominal depth is not enough

A shelf projecting 20 inches into 48 inches of available space leaves 28 inches. If your measured activity needs 32 inches, the plan is 4 inches short. Those are illustrative inputs, not a clearance standard. Test retrieval and vehicle doors at the actual location and check any applicable requirements before buying.