Garage shelving is bought on three measurements and one number: the depth and width of the bay, the height of the wall, and the weight each shelf has to carry. Get those four right and the rest is colour. This guide works through each of them using the shelving we actually sell, so you can size a single bay or a whole wall with confidence. Everything covered here is on the garage shelving page.
Start with depth: 400mm, 450mm or 600mm
Depth is the measurement most people get wrong, because it is easy to buy shelving that is deeper than the space in front of it. Our garage ranges come in three depths:
- 400mm – the RISI175 five-tier units. Enough for storage totes, paint, tools, sports kit and boxes. The shallowest option, so it takes the least floor from a single garage.
- 450mm – the compact end of the 400kg heavy duty range. Takes larger totes and tool cases with a little to spare.
- 600mm – the deep option, on both the 400kg heavy duty units and our 600mm-deep storage racking. This is the depth for tyres, big tool chests, large storage boxes and anything that hangs over the edge of a shallower shelf.
A useful check: measure the deepest thing you own that will live on the shelves. If it is over 400mm, go straight to 450 or 600mm.
Then width: 900mm, 1200mm, 1800mm or 2000mm
Measure the wall from corner to the first obstruction (a door frame, the consumer unit, a window) and pick widths that fill it with no awkward gap:
- 900mm – RISI175 bays. Three bays fill 2700mm, four fill 3600mm.
- 1200mm and 1800mm – 400kg heavy duty bays. One 1800mm and one 1200mm bay together fill 3000mm.
- 2000mm – 600mm-deep storage racking, sold as one to four bays that join into a single run and share an upright where they meet, so two bays measure 3925mm and four measure 7775mm end to end.
Height: what fits under the garage roof
RISI175 bays are 1800mm high, the 400kg units 1830mm and the storage racking 2000mm. Check the height at the wall, not in the middle of the garage, and allow for an up-and-over door mechanism or a garage door rail that runs along the ceiling near the front wall.
Load: 175kg or 400kg per shelf
Both ratings are per shelf with the weight spread evenly. In a garage that means:
- 175kg per shelf (RISI175) – totes, boxes, tools, paint, camping and sports kit, kids' toys, garden equipment. The five-tier shelving unit gives you five levels in a 900 × 400mm footprint, and the 5-bay RISI175 deal lines a whole wall.
- 400kg per shelf (heavy duty) – car and motorcycle parts, batteries, alloys, a compressor or generator, bags of material, and tyres. The 1200 × 600mm 400kg unit is the most popular garage size in this range.
- 300kg per shelf (600mm-deep storage racking) – the 2000mm-wide, 2000mm-high bays of heavy duty storage racking, for long runs of deep storage.
If you are torn between the two main ranges, the 175kg vs 400kg shelving guide goes through the load maths in detail.
What goes where: a garage layout that works
- Bottom shelf: the heaviest and bulkiest items (tyres, compressor, bags of sand or salt). Lifting is easier and the bay is more stable.
- Waist to eye level: the things you use every week – tool cases, the cordless kit, car cleaning products, the recycling.
- Top shelves: light, seasonal and rarely used – Christmas boxes, camping gear, spare parts you are keeping "just in case".
- Totes on every level: a 400mm shelf takes storage totes front to back; a 600mm shelf takes the large ones. Label the front face and you can find things without pulling boxes down.
Single bay or a multi-bay deal?
One bay solves one corner. A wall wants a run, and the multi-bay deals are priced per bay below the single-bay price:
- RISI175: 3, 5 and 10-bay deals in blue and orange or black and yellow – see the RISI175 range.
- 400kg heavy duty: a 3-bay deal in every size – see the 400kg heavy duty shelving range.
- 600mm storage racking: choose one to four bays on the listing and they arrive as one run.
A typical single garage (roughly 2.4m wide by 5m long) fits a run of three RISI175 bays or two 400kg bays along one wall without blocking the car door. A double garage usually takes a run on the back wall as well.
Measuring up: a two-minute checklist
- Wall length available, corner to obstruction (mm).
- Clear height at the wall (mm), allowing for the door mechanism.
- Depth you can give up from the floor without blocking the car or a walkway (mm).
- The deepest item you will store (mm).
- The heaviest shelf-load you can imagine (kg).
Those five numbers tell you the range, the depth, the width and how many bays. If you would rather have us do it, send them to the team and we will price a run for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best shelving for a garage?
For general household storage, 175kg five-tier shelving: five levels, a shallow 400mm footprint and a low price per bay. For a working garage with car parts, tyres and machinery, 400kg heavy duty shelving with 600mm-deep boards.
Can garage shelving go against a damp wall?
The frames are powder-coated steel on all our ranges. Leave a small gap behind the uprights so air can move, and keep cardboard boxes off the bottom shelf if the floor gets wet – use plastic totes there instead.
Do I need tools to assemble it?
No. All three ranges are boltless: the beams clip into the uprights and the boards drop in. A rubber mallet helps seat the beams.
Can I add more bays later?
Yes. RISI175 and 400kg bays are free-standing units you simply put next to each other. The 600mm storage racking is designed to be extended, and an add-on bay shares an upright with the bay it joins.
Are the shelves adjustable?
Yes, on every range. Shelf positions are set on the upright slots, so you can raise a level for a tall item without affecting the load rating.
Ready to shop? Browse all garage shelving, or go by load: 175kg five-tier shelving and 400kg heavy duty shelving. The complete range is on the heavy duty shelving page, and if you are kitting out a workshop rather than a garage, see workshop shelving.