How to Measure a Garage Door Opening in the UAE (2026): The Five Numbers That Decide Your Price — and What the Free Measuring Visit Checks
Measure a garage door opening like a technician: width, height, headroom, side clearance and depth, how each changes the price, and what the free visit checks.
To measure a garage door opening, write down five numbers in centimetres: the width, the height, the headroom above the opening, the side clearance on each side, and the depth of free ceiling behind it. Width and height decide the price; headroom, side clearance and depth decide which door fits.
BAB ALSARAY's technicians record the same five numbers on a free measuring visit before any quote for a new door, and the customer signs the measurement report.
How do you measure a garage door opening? Five steps
Step 1 — Width
Measure the finished opening wall to wall at the top, the middle and the bottom, and keep the smallest figure. Openings are rarely perfectly square, and the door is made to the tightest point.
Step 2 — Height
Measure from the finished floor to the underside of the lintel on the left, in the middle and on the right, and keep the smallest. If the driveway tiles are not laid yet, say so, because they change the height.
Step 3 — Headroom
Measure from the top of the opening to the ceiling, or to the lowest beam, duct or light in the way. A standard sectional door needs room above the opening for its shaft and springs, typically about 20–35 cm, and low-headroom fittings exist for tighter lintels.
Step 4 — Side clearance
Measure from each side of the opening to the nearest wall, column or switch, on both sides. The vertical tracks or guides sit here, so roughly 10 cm or more on each side keeps the choice open.
Step 5 — Depth
Measure from the opening back into the garage to the first obstruction under the ceiling. An overhead sectional door parks under the ceiling, so it needs free depth about equal to the door's height; a rolling shutter needs none.
How each number changes the price
| What you measured | What it means at BAB ALSARAY (installed, +5% VAT) |
|---|---|
| Width under 3.05 m | A narrow single door: half the list price plus AED 1,500 — from AED 5,175 (Standard), 7,500 (Smart Standard) or 10,750 (European Premium) |
| Width 3.05–6.1 m | The list price: AED 7,350, 12,000 or 18,500 up to 2.5 m high |
| Width 6.1–7.2 m | Priced by the sales engineer |
| Width over 7.2 m | A European Premium system with special engineering |
| Height up to 2.5 m | The base price |
| Height above 2.5 m | Each started panel adds AED 1,000 (0.50 m panels), or AED 2,000 on European Premium (0.61 m panels) |
Three worked examples from the price list — a Standard door 3.0 m wide and 3.0 m high costs AED 5,675; a Smart Standard door 6.0 m wide and 2.5 m high costs AED 12,000; a European Premium door 4.0 m wide and 3.0 m high in white costs AED 20,500.
A difference of a few centimetres around 3.05 m wide or 2.5 m high can move the price, which is why the exact measurement matters before you compare quotes.
A real example from our September measuring visits
One two-car villa garage our technicians measured in September 2026 read: width 550 cm, height 245 cm, depth 600 cm, side clearance 15 cm and headroom 43 cm.
The opening is wider than 3.05 m and lower than 2.5 m, so it takes one wide door at the list price — AED 7,350 on Standard, 12,000 on Smart Standard or 18,500 on European Premium, +5% VAT — and the headroom, side clearance and depth leave room for a standard sectional door.
When the numbers point to a rolling shutter instead
An overhead sectional door needs a structure above it — a roof or a pergola — and free ceiling depth behind the opening. An opening open to the sky, such as a carport with no roof planned, can only take a rolling shutter, which coils into a box above the opening and needs no ceiling depth at all.
The same applies to a garage whose ceiling is full of storage, ducts or a mezzanine. Our sectional vs roller guide compares the two door types for UAE villas in detail.
What the free measuring visit checks
For a new garage door, rolling shutter or gate motor, BAB ALSARAY's measuring visit is free.
The technician records the five numbers, checks whether the opening is square and level, notes the power point, the structure above and anything in the way under the ceiling, and you sign the measurement report. The fixed price then comes in writing.
If you would rather start on your own, the ALSARAY app measures the opening with your phone's camera and shows prices and samples; send the numbers on WhatsApp and the team confirms them.
Tips that save a second visit
Measure in centimetres, not inches, and write the width first: when two numbers arrive, the larger is read as the width. Photograph the opening from the front and from inside the garage, including the ceiling.
Tell us your community and villa type — in many villa communities every villa of a type has the same garage opening, so the team can often confirm the usual size.
Site check summary
Garage Doors UAE quote and safety notes
Before you book
Customer checklist
- Measure opening width, height, headroom, side room, garage depth, floor level, and power access.
- Confirm whether the quote includes panels, motor, tracks, springs, remotes, sensors, removal, and warranty.
- Check spring balance, cable condition, sensor reversal, bottom seal, and manual release before daily use.
- Send photos or video before booking so the team can identify unsafe spring, cable, or motor symptoms.
Common customer questions
What people ask before calling
How do I measure my garage door opening?
Measure five things in centimetres: the width wall to wall (smallest of top, middle and bottom), the height from finished floor to lintel (smallest reading), the headroom above the opening, the side clearance on each side, and the free ceiling depth behind the opening.
Which door company in Dubai offers a free site visit to measure my garage door?
BAB ALSARAY measures for free before quoting a new garage door, rolling shutter or gate motor, in Dubai and across the UAE. The technician records width, height, headroom, side clearance and depth, you sign the measurement report, and the fixed price follows in writing.
How much headroom does a sectional garage door need?
A standard sectional door needs room above the opening for its shaft and springs, typically about 20–35 cm, and free ceiling depth about equal to the door's height. Low-headroom fittings exist for tighter lintels; a rolling shutter needs a box above the opening but no ceiling depth.
Does a wider garage door cost more?
At BAB ALSARAY width changes the price at three points: a single door narrower than 3.05 m costs half the list price plus AED 1,500; from 3.05 m to 6.1 m the list price applies (AED 7,350, 12,000 or 18,500); wider openings are priced by the sales engineer. Height adds a panel price above 2.5 m.
Can I measure my garage door with my phone?
Yes. The ALSARAY app measures the opening with the phone's camera and shows prices and samples; a technician then confirms the five measurements on the free visit before the final quote.
When do I need a rolling shutter instead of an overhead garage door?
When there is no roof or pergola above the opening, or no free ceiling depth behind it. An overhead sectional door needs both; a rolling shutter coils into a box above the opening and needs neither.
Consult on this system
Turn this guide into a confirmed price.
Send this topic to the engineering desk with your opening size, photos, or drawings - the reply is a real package price.
Or book in the app — free site visit
BAB ALSARAY — the UAE door company with its own app: book a free site visit in under a minute, with live technician tracking, for garage doors, rolling shutters, gate motors, and barriers.
Prefer to talk? Call or WhatsApp BAB ALSARAY: +971 4 234 4544 (04 234 4544).
Information on this page reviewed .