Overhead Clearance Bars: Height, Placement and the 98-Inch Rule

Overhead clearance bars hang across a garage or drive-thru entrance at the posted clearance height, so a vehicle that's too tall hits a light, swinging bar instead of the concrete beam behind it. Hang the bar ahead of the lowest point, where the driver can still stop and back out, and post a clearance no greater than the real one.

Step	What to do
1. Find the lowest point	Measure every beam, pipe, sprinkler head, sign and door track along the drive path, not just at the entrance
2. Set the posted clearance	The lowest point, rounded down to the inch; take a few inches off where frost heave or repaving can change it
3. Set the bar	Bottom of the bar at the posted clearance
4. Place it	Far enough ahead of the first low point for a driver to stop, and before the last place a tall vehicle can turn around
5. Mark it	Clearance in feet and inches on the bar and on a sign at the entrance, readable at night

The ADA number that sets many garage heights

If a garage has van-accessible parking, the 2010 ADA Standards (502.5) require 98 inches (8 feet 2 inches) of vertical clearance at the van spaces, their access aisles and the vehicle route to and from them. Many garages have one route at 8 feet 2 inches to the van spaces and lower clearance elsewhere, with a second bar marking where the lower section starts.

Swing or fixed

Type	How it works	Good for
Swing bar on chains	PVC, foam-filled or light metal pipe that swings when hit	Most garage and drive-thru entrances
Bar on a spring-loaded or hinged frame	Bar pivots up and returns	Entrances with frequent light hits
Fixed steel bar	Doesn't move	Protecting equipment where a hit must stop the vehicle, not warn it

A swinging bar is a warning: the driver hears and feels it and stops. A fixed bar is a barrier, and it can damage a vehicle that hits it. For most entrances, the swinging kind is the one you want.

Signs

On public roads, the MUTCD requires a Low Clearance (W12-2) sign for clearances under 14 feet 6 inches, shown to the inch and not more than the actual clearance, with up to 3 inches taken off where frost changes the height. Parking areas aren't covered by the MUTCD (Section 1B.01), but the same idea works at a garage: a yellow sign or panel with the clearance, plus the number on the bar itself.

Where else they're used

Drive-thru lanes (to protect canopies and menu boards), loading docks, car washes, fuel stations under canopies and campus service drives. The steps are the same: lowest point first, then the bar ahead of it.

Mistakes we see

• Measuring only at the entrance. The lowest point is often a pipe or sign deep inside.
• Posting the exact clearance. Leave a margin; repaving and snow raise the floor.
• Bar right at the beam. A driver who hits it has nowhere to stop.
• No clearance on the bar. Drivers don't connect the sign at the street with the bar.

What it costs

Ballpark U.S. prices in late 2026: $150 to $450 for a swing bar kit with chains and lettering, $800 to $3,000 for a framed bar on its own posts, plus installation.

Where to buy

Parking equipment suppliers, sign shops and traffic safety distributors. Ask for the bar length and weight, the lettering (reflective or not), the hanging hardware and whether the maker supplies custom clearance numbers.