Guides / Car lifts · Updated
Low ceiling car lift
Lift figures are off each maker's product page. Measure to the lowest thing overhead, usually the door track.
Short answer
Under 12 ft, skip the full-height two-post. A floorplate two-post has no overhead beam, and the Rotary BP9 needs just 113 in (9 ft 5 in). Lower than that, a mid-rise scissor or a portable lift works at any ceiling, but you won't stand under the car.
What you can raise at 9, 10 and 11 ft
The lift has to fit, and then it has to get the car high enough to stand under: 48 in of rise, plus 6 in between the roof and the ceiling. This is what the car lift calculator picks for a typical vehicle of each type.
| Ceiling | Sedan or coupe 57 in tall | Crossover or SUV 68 in tall | Half-ton pickup 77 in tall | Van or lifted truck 84 in tall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 ft ceiling 108 in | Not to standing height | Not to standing height | Not to standing height | Not to standing height |
| 10 ft ceiling 120 in | Baseplate two-post, 57 in | Not to standing height | Not to standing height | Not to standing height |
| 11 ft ceiling 132 in | Baseplate two-post, 69 in | Baseplate two-post, 58 in | Baseplate two-post, 49 in | Not to standing height |
The inches are how high the car goes. Pickups and vans are the hard part: at 9 and 10 ft there's no room left over them. For one exact model, open its page in vehicle dimensions.
Low ceiling two-post lifts
A floorplate two-post (also sold as baseplate) runs its cables in a plate on the floor instead of a beam overhead, so the columns are shorter. You drive over the plate. These are the ones with maker figures:
| Lift | Min ceiling | Column height | Max rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotary BP9 9,000 lb | 113 in (9 ft 5 in) | 111.25 in | 72 in |
| Challenger CLFP9 9,000 lb | 122 in (10 ft 2 in) | 120.875 in | 78.125 in |
| BendPak 9APF 9,000 lb | Not stated | 123 in | 70 in |
Where the maker doesn't state a minimum ceiling, the column height is the floor for it, and you still need room above the raised car.
Lifts for any ceiling
Mid-rise scissors and portable lifts don't care about the ceiling, because they don't go high. A MaxJax M7K raises a car 47.25 in. A QuickJack lifts about 22 in. That's plenty for wheels, brakes, suspension and oil, from a creeper.
| Lift | Capacity | Max rise |
|---|---|---|
| MaxJax M7K Portable two-post | 7,000 lb | 47.25 in |
| BendPak MD-6XP Mid-rise scissor | 6,000 lb | 47 in |
| QuickJack 6000TL Up to 26.75 in with adapters | 6,000 lb | 22 in |
| QuickJack 8000TL Up to 27 in with the truck kit | 8,000 lb | 22 in |
What about a four-post?
A four-post is short, but a low ceiling still rules it out for parking a second car on top. That needs the lift's rise plus the top car's height plus 6 in, usually well over 12 ft. For service only, it works like the table above. Two-post or four-post compares them.
Getting more headroom
If the door track is your low point, a high-lift or jackshaft opener conversion can buy back 12 to 18 in. That gets you to 132 to 138 in. That's enough for a four-post, and an overhead two-post at the top end.
Every lift with its ceiling height is in ceiling height for car lift. Check the slab too: slab thickness for a car lift.