Is 17 feet wide enough for two cars?

[FinleyLynn]

No, 17 feet (204 inches) is generally not wide enough for two cars to park comfortably and safely. This width falls short of the standard minimum recommendation of 20 feet (240 inches) for a two-car garage. At 17 feet, you risk constant door dings, difficult entry/exit, and potential damage to both vehicles and the garage structure.

The primary issue is door clearance. Most modern sedans and SUVs are between 70 to 80 inches wide. Parking two 75-inch wide cars side-by-side requires 150 inches of width just for the bodies, leaving only 54 inches (4.5 feet) for doors, people, and maneuvering space. This is insufficient. Industry standards, such as those referenced by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), consistently recommend a minimum interior width of 20 feet for functional two-car parking.

The practical compromise is severe. Occupants must park perfectly centered and exit sequentially, often climbing out from the passenger side or squeezing through a barely opened door. This daily hassle significantly increases the risk of scratches and dents. For context, a comfortable two-car garage that allows easy access and includes storage space is often built 22 to 24 feet wide.

The table below illustrates the comparison between a sub-standard 17-foot width and the recommended minimum:

Garage Interior Width	Total Inches	Scenario for Two 75" Wide Cars	Usability Rating
17 feet	204 inches	150" for car bodies + 54" total remaining space. Less than 27" per side for doors/passage.	Poor/Impractical. High risk of contact. Cramped, sequential exit only.
20 feet (Recommended Min)	240 inches	150" for car bodies + 90" total remaining space. Allows a safer ~45" per side.	Functional/Bare Minimum. Allows careful door opening and basic passage.
22-24 feet (Ideal)	264-288 inches	Ample surplus space for door opening, storage, and comfortable movement around the vehicles.	Good/Comfortable. Ideal for daily use and added storage.

Vehicle type is a critical factor. Attempting this with two full-size trucks or SUVs, which can exceed 80 inches in width, is virtually impossible at 17 feet. It might be marginally feasible with two compact cars (e.g., Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla), but remains a tight, inconvenient arrangement long-term.

Beyond daily inconvenience, a 17-foot wide two-car garage can negatively impact property value. Appraisers and knowledgeable buyers recognize non-standard, cramped garage dimensions as a functional drawback. Investing in a wider garage, if possible, pays off in daily utility and preserves resale appeal.

[Pearl]

I tried parking two cars in my 17-foot wide carport for six months. It was a constant headache. My sedan and my partner’s crossover just fit, but we had to develop a routine: whoever parked first had to be perfectly centered. Getting out meant shimmying sideways, and we both collected a series of small door-edge dings from brushing against each other’s cars. Forget carrying groceries or a child seat in from the passenger side—there simply wasn’t room. We ended up leaving one car outside most of the time. My clear advice? If you’re building or buying, don’t settle for 17 feet. The daily frustration isn’t worth it.

[WillowFitz]

As a contractor who’s built and remodeled hundreds of garages, I see this question often. Clients want to maximize yard or living space and wonder if they can shrink the garage. My professional stance is always to advocate for at least 20 feet of clear interior width. Here’s why: building codes often specify minimum dimensions that are about structure, not livability. Just because you can fit two car bodies in 17 feet doesn’t mean you’ve created a usable space. You’re not accounting for the human element—the need to open a door fully to get a child out of a car seat, to load heavy boxes, or to simply walk between the cars without turning sideways. That leftover space gets consumed fast. I tell homeowners to think of it as an investment in daily convenience and long-term property functionality. Skimping on a few feet of width creates a permanent nuisance.

[Aniyah]

Let’s break this down with simple math. Two average cars = about 150 inches wide combined. Seventeen feet = 204 inches. So you have 54 inches left over. That’s 27 inches on the driver’s side of each car, if parked perfectly. A typical car door needs about 36-40 inches to open to a comfortable exit position. You do the math—you’re short nearly a foot of space per side. This means you’ll be cracking the door open and squeezing out every single time. It’s not a matter of careful parking; it’s a physical constraint. For very small, narrow vehicles only, it might be workable with extreme caution. For anyone with normal-sized cars, trucks, or SUVs, the answer is a definitive no. Plan for more width.

[JasmineAnn]

My perspective comes from being a car enthusiast and a parent. A 17-foot garage for two cars fails on both fronts. For my cars, even a minor door ding from my own wife’s car would be infuriating—and inevitable in that tight space. There’s no margin for error. As a parent, it’s a safety and logistics nightmare. Try getting a wiggly toddler or a sleeping infant out of a car seat when you can only open the door a foot. It’s impractical and frustrating. Furthermore, a garage that tight becomes useless for anything else. No room for bikes, tools, or storage bins along the walls. You lose all that ancillary utility. When we were house hunting, any listing with a garage under 20 feet wide was an instant pass for me. It signaled that the design prioritized square footage elsewhere at the cost of daily functionality. It’s a compromise that wears on you over time. Go for 22 feet if you can—the extra space for a workbench or shelves is a game-changer.