DIY Overhead Garage Storage

DIY overhead garage storage solutions

Floor space is always precious in a garage, especially with so-called two car garages that so very often transform into a single car garage + storage bay (with the second-best car relegated to living outside to bear the brunt of all the weather).

There are many ways to free up space in your garage, but if you don’t want to throw anything out or have the time to build a shed, overhead storage can be the perfect solution for your storage challenges. Things that aren’t too heavy or bulky can be chucked into cardboard boxes or storage tubs and stored up high, well out of the way.

We’ve been hunting around the internet and selected three projects that we think will be of most use to you – they demonstrate a good range of weight-bearing construction techniques and there should be something for everyone here. They are timber-based, so we’ve got your materials covered!


Stanley Tools has put together a really handy, straight-forward instructional on how to install overhead garage storage. It includes a full list of hardware and building supplies needed and the design ensures a strong structure by using coach screws to secure two 2×4 lengths to the wall studs and ceiling joists.

Metal L-angle brackets and joist hangers are used to create strong connections and plywood is used as a ‘floor’ for the unit. Overall, a very simple and effective design to provide overhead storage for your garage.


The Simpson Strong-Tie® blog has a great instructional on How to Build Suspended Garage Shelves. This plan cleverly utilises the space above the garage doors (if your ceiling height permits), space that would otherwise nearly always go unused.

This design is similar to the Stanley Tools one, but with fewer vertical supports from the ceiling due to the heavy-duty metal connectors used to anchor both supports to the ceiling.


Family Handyman has an ingenious overhead storage solution with a sliding plastic tote system – we bet you’ve never seen this one before!

The genius of this design is its supreme simplicity, using just plastic tubs, 2x4s and plywood strips.

Another advantage of this system is that it can go just about anywhere on your garage ceiling since walls don’t come into play for support purposes – the carriages simply have to be attached (perpendicular) to ceiling joists, making the entire ceiling space feasible for use.

Musgroves in Christchurch