Car Lift Ceiling Height Calculator: Will the Lift Fit, and How High Can It Go?
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Two checks, one calculator. First, does the lift fit: its overall height (the column or post height on the spec sheet) must be less than the ceiling, with room for whatever hangs lower than the joists. Second, how high can the car go: at full rise the roof must clear the ceiling, so the usable rise is the smaller of the lift's rated rise and the room left after the vehicle's height, the pad height and a margin are taken from the ceiling. The defaults below are the MaxJax M7K's figures from its product page and manual, because it is the two-post sold for low ceilings; replace them with your lift's spec sheet and your tape measure. The ceiling and concrete guide has the figures for every lift in our guides.
Car lift and ceiling height
Lowest point over the bay: joists, door track, lights.
Column or post height from the spec sheet (MaxJax M7K 89.5, BendPak 10AP 145); 0 for a portable or scissor lift.
Max rise from the spec sheet (M7K 47.25 with pad; 10AP 69).
Roof or rack height of the tallest vehicle you will lift.
Minimum pad height for a two-post (M7K 5.5, 10AP 4); runway height for a four-post (HD-9 5).
The MaxJax manual requires at least 1 in above the tallest vehicle at full rise.
Lift fits under the ceiling
Yes
89.5 in lift, 120 in ceiling
Usable rise
47 in
the lift's full rise
Clearance under the vehicle
53 in
4.4 ft
Stand-up height
under 6 ft
72 in clears most adults
Column fit: the lift's overall height (column or post height from the spec sheet) must be less than the ceiling, with room for any overhead beam, light or door track. Usable rise = the smaller of the lift's maximum rise and (ceiling - vehicle height - margin - arm pad height); the vehicle's roof must clear the ceiling at full rise. Clearance under the vehicle = usable rise + pad height. Every figure here comes from the maker's spec sheet; the installation manual governs.
Where the defaults come from
| Field | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling height | 120 in | A 10-foot garage ceiling; measure yours at the lowest point over the bay |
| Lift overall height | 89.5 in | MaxJax M7K overall height (bendpak.com product page) |
| Lift maximum rise | 47.25 in | MaxJax M7K max rise with pad (product page spec table) |
| Vehicle height | 60 in | A mid-size sedan's roof is around 57 to 58 in and a compact SUV's 65 to 66 in (makers' spec sheets); 60 is a placeholder, enter yours |
| Arm pad or runway height | 5.5 in | MaxJax M7K minimum lifting height with pad (spec table; the description says 4.75) |
| Margin above the roof | 1 in | MaxJax manual: a minimum clearance of 1 in above the tallest vehicle at maximum rise |
The arithmetic
Lift fits: overall height is less than the ceiling. Room above the vehicle: ceiling minus vehicle height minus margin. Usable rise: the smaller of the lift's rated rise and (room above the vehicle minus pad height), because the pad lifts the car before the rise is counted. Clearance under the vehicle: usable rise plus pad height. With the defaults: 120 minus 60 minus 1 is 59 inches of room; 59 minus 5.5 is 53.5, more than the M7K's 47.25, so the lift uses its full rise and the floor-to-frame clearance is 52.75 inches, which is a creeper or a low stool, not standing. The same car under a 96-inch ceiling: 96 minus 60 minus 1 minus 5.5 is 29.5 inches of usable rise, which is the number that tells an 8-foot garage what a two-post does for it.
Other lifts' figures to enter
| Lift | Overall height (in) | Rise (in) | Pad or runway (in) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BendPak 10AP | 145 | 69 (82.5 max lifting height with pad) | 4 | bendpak.com |
| BendPak 9APF | 123 | 70 | 4.5 | bendpak.com |
| Atlas 9KOHX | 138 or 142 | 74 (81 with adapters) | 4 | Dealer listing |
| BendPak HD-9 (four-post) | 88 | 70 | 5 (runway) | bendpak.com |
| Atlas Garage Pro 8000 (four-post) | 83 | 72 to runway top | 4.5 (runway) | Dealer listing |
| BendPak MD-6XP (scissor) | 0 (floor unit) | 47 | 4.75 lowered | Sales sheet |
| QuickJack 8000TL (portable) | 0 (floor frames) | 24.5 | 3.5 lowered | quickjack.com |
For a four-post, enter the runway height as the pad height: the car's wheels sit on the runway, so the roof rises by the rise plus the runway thickness. For the 10AP, the overhead shutoff bar at 139.5 inches is a second ceiling: the lift stops when the roof touches it, whatever the joists are.
What the calculator does not know
The door track, the opener, the light and the beam, which are the real ceiling and which only a tape measure finds; the width the lift needs (135 to 145 inches for the 10AP) and the length a four-post needs (200.5 inches for the HD-9); and whether the slab will hold an anchor, which is the concrete half of the guide. It also does not know your vehicle: a roof rack, a lifted truck and a van each change the number, and the tallest vehicle you will ever lift is the one to enter. The lifts the defaults come from are ranked in the car lift guide, and the installation guide covers what happens after the tape measure.
Frequently asked questions
How much ceiling height do I need for a two-post lift?
More than the lift's overall height (BendPak 10AP 145 inches, 9APF 123, Atlas 9KOHX 138 or 142, MaxJax M7K 89.5) plus room for the door track and opener, and enough that the roof clears at full rise with at least 1 inch of margin (MaxJax manual).
Can I use a two-post lift with an 8-foot ceiling?
The MaxJax M7K's 89.5-inch columns fit under 96 inches, and with a 60-inch car, a 5.5-inch pad and 1 inch of margin the usable rise is 29.5 inches. The full-size two-posts at 123 inches and up do not fit.
How high can I lift my car with a 10-foot ceiling?
With a 60-inch vehicle, a 4-inch pad and 1 inch of margin, 120 minus 60 minus 1 minus 4 is 55 inches of room, so a lift rated for 47 inches (MaxJax, MD-6XP) uses its full rise and a 70-inch lift is limited to 55. The columns still have to fit: the 9APF's 123 inches do not.
What vehicle height should I enter?
The tallest vehicle you will ever lift, measured to the top of any roof rack. A mid-size sedan is around 57 to 58 inches by the makers' spec sheets, a compact SUV 65 to 66, a full-size pickup 75 and up.
Why does the pad height matter?
The arm pad or runway lifts the car before the rise starts, so the roof ends up at pad height plus rise. The 10AP's minimum pad is 4 inches, the MaxJax's 5.5 (or 4.75 by its description), a four-post runway 4.5 to 5.
Does the calculator check width and length?
No. The 10AP needs 135 to 145 inches of width and a four-post about 200 inches of length (HD-9 200.5 overall). Measure the bay for those separately; the ceiling and concrete guide has every footprint.
Sources
- MaxJax M7K Standard Package (product page), BendPak / MaxJax
- MaxJax M7K Installation and Operation Manual, MaxJax
- BendPak 10AP Two-Post Lift (product page), BendPak
- BendPak 9APF Low-Ceiling Floorplate Two-Post Lift (product page), BendPak
- BendPak HD-9 Four-Post Lift (product page), BendPak
- BendPak MD-6XP sales sheet, BendPak
- QuickJack 8000TL (product page), QuickJack
- Atlas 9KOHX (dealer listing), Mechanic Superstore
- Atlas Garage Pro 8000 (dealer listing), Mechanic Superstore
Cover photo: 60 Jahre Unimog - Wörth 2011 317 Entwicklungswerkstatt (5797766890) by Klaus Nahr from Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
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