Driveway Dimensions
Driveway dimensions are one of the most important aspect of your layout. What good is a beautiful design if it doesn’t work well?
Here is information of what I use when I am providing a design for a client and that function correctly.
Basic Driveways
Width 9 – 12 feet
Width for two cars – minimum 18 feet
Driveway is 12 feet wide
I like the look of more narrow driveways so opt for 9 to 10 feet if it makes sense for your vehicles and design.
I rarely design driveways to be wide enough to fit two cars
at the street entry. The only time this is acceptable is when you have a short
driveway leading to a double garage.
Driveway Courtyards
Circular
70 feet diameter (minimum)
Square or Rectangle
55 feet across
This is an actual parking court with no cutouts. It is all
paved. If you have the budget, use pavers or cobblestones (even better!) for an
old world European look.
Courtyard area at fountain is 70 feet across
This sounds large, but it is actually what you need.
Center may be cut out for plantings, water feature, lawn, etc. Cutouts are typical.
The driveway width as you drive around the circle cut out should be at least 10 feet. If you use 10 feet, double that near the front door so that another car can park or pass through.
Another
option is to make the entire width 20 feet wide for two cars to fit side by side.
Parking Areas
9 feet x 18 feet for one car
Top part of drawing is the garage. Zoom in to see driveway dimensions.
Be sure to leave room for back out. This can be within the
driveway area. However, take into
consideration if additional cars may be parked there.
Pullout/Back Out Areas
30 – 35 feet Back out distance from garage
The longer distance will enable you to more easily back out
and drive forward to the street.
I would say a minimum of 35 feet from the garage would be comfortable driveway turnaround dimensions.
You can also create areas that double as back out
and additional parking.
Driveway Entry Radius
10 – 15 feet
This is the arc along the driveway edges where the driveway meets the street. It can be larger than 10 feet, but not smaller.
Garage Turning Radius
10 – 15 feet
If you have a side entry garage and the driveway leads from
the front, it will have to turn towards the garage. 10 feet is the minimum radius.
Here is an infographic on this topic.
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