If you are shopping for a new garage door, it helps to know some basic terminology. The most common question we are asked at the beginning of a replacement garage door project is: Which styles or designs are available? As garage door experts, we know the panel design determines the style, so we start there.
The garage door panel design refers to the exterior pattern of your garage door and falls into one of three categories: traditional, carriage, or modern.
Keep in mind that wood and composite garage doors offer nearly unlimited design options. We cover only steel garage doors, as they account for the vast majority of replacement projects.
Key takeaways
- Short and raised panel garage door designs are the most common and are considered traditional
- Beadboard and recessed panel designs are considered carriage style
- Flush and grooved panel designs are considered modern
- Flush or flat panel garage doors wider than 16’ should be insulated with steel backing to add rigidity
Types Of Garage Door Panels
We decided to group these panel designs by style because that is how the garage door manufacturers group their series. This helps companies like ours organize and recommend products to help you easily navigate the various options.
Short Raised Panel
Short-raised-panel garage doors are preferred by production home builders and conservative homeowners. It is one of the most popular garage door designs and is an excellent choice if you want to blend in with the neighborhood.
Style: Traditional
Pros:
- Traditional, conservative design
- Affordable
Cons:
- n/a
View Our Most Popular Short Panel Garage Door Model
Long Raised Panel
Long-raised-panel garage door designs are a staple of traditional architecture and enhance curb appeal. The rectangular design is often preferred over the short, choppy square design used on short-raised-panel garage doors.
Style: Traditional
Pros:
- Traditional, conservative design
- Affordable
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- n/a
View Our Most Popular Long Raised Panel Garage Door Model
Short Panel Beadboard
Short panel beadboard garage door panels are a carriage-style design that is slightly more expensive than traditional garage door styles. Homeowners opt for this style when they want something affordable but more stylish than the traditional garage door designs.
Style: Carriage House
Pros:
- Decorative
- Beadboard is popular right now
Cons:
- A busier pattern than the traditional raised panel designs
- Collects and shows more dirt because of the indentations
View Our Most Popular Short Panel Beadboard Garage Door Model
Long Panel Beadboard
Long panel beadboard garage door designs are very popular among homeowners seeking a more stylish alternative to traditional garage doors. The elongated rectangular background that houses the beadboard reduces visual clutter compared to the short-panel version. When paired with a glass top section, this carriage-style design is the most popular decorative panel for steel garage doors.
Style: Carriage House
Pros:
- Decorative
- Beadboard is popular right now
- Elongated beadboard is often preferred over the shorter version
Cons:
- A busier pattern vs the traditional raised panel designs
- Collects and shows more dirt because of the indentations
View Our Most Popular Long Panel Beadboard Garage Door Model
Recessed Panel
Recessed-panel garage doors are the least popular among carriage-style designs. Most client feedback indicates that the small squares are busy and resemble a board game. The recessed panels cast strong shadows, so if you are looking to enhance your curb appeal, this could be a solid option.
Style: Carriage House
Pros:
- Decorative
- Distinct profile
Cons:
- One of the busier patterns
- Collects and shows more dirt because of the indentations
View Our Most Popular Recessed Panel Garage Door Model
Long Recessed Panel
Amarr launched long recessed panel garage doors in 2025. This garage door style adds a carriage-style touch to a traditional elongated rectangular design. We have not seen much demand for this style, but expect it to pick up now that we are entering its second year.
Style: Carriage House
Pros:
- Updated, traditional style
Cons:
- n/a
View Our Most Popular Long Recessed Panel Garage Door Model
Modern Flush Panel
Flush-panel garage doors are considered a modern design because they lack texture and pattern. However, we see this across all home styles, from Mid-Century Modern to Traditional. Flush-panel garage doors are also often used in townhomes or apartment complexes to avoid competing with mixed cladding materials.
Style: Modern
Pros:
- Plain
Cons:
- Plain
View Our Most Popular Modern Flush Panel Garage Door Model
Modern Grooved Panel
Also called a pencil groove, this decorative flush-panel door design is popular in industrial construction but rarely used in residential construction.
Style: Modern
Pros:
- Simple, but decorative
Cons:
- Hard to fit into a particular home design
View Our Most Popular Modern Grooved Panel Garage Door Model
How to Choose the Right Garage Door Panel Design
Home Style
If you want to significantly change your garage door style, we recommend using either Amarr’s or Clopay’s visualization tool. These tools let you upload a photo of your home and insert different garage door designs in various color combinations to ensure the door delivers the wow you are looking for.
Budget
The more complex the design, the more it will cost. Options such as decorative hardware, glass, and finishes will also affect the price.
HOA Restrictions
Check with your HOA before altering the style or material of your garage door. If your home was built by a production builder, most homes probably have similar garage door styles on purpose. Drastically changing them may require HOA sign-off.
Garage Door Design FAQs
How much does the panel design impact the price of a garage door?
Here is an example price breakdown of Amarr’s panel designs. For comparison, we will use a 16×8 non-insulated garage door in true white, complete with all-new hardware and perimeter seals. The price excludes taxes and local labor.
16 x 8 – Amarr Lincoln LI1000 Flush Panel, Short Raised Panel, & Long Raised Panel – $2,000
16 x 8 – Amarr Hillcrest HI1000 Short Panel Beadboard, Long Panel Beadboard, & Recess Panel – $2,500
Alternative Carriage Decorative Panels
16 x 8 – Amarr Classica CL1000 Decorative panels like the Bordeaux, Santiago, or Lucern – $3,500
Can you replace damaged garage door panels or sections?
It depends on whether you can identify the existing garage door make and model. If that can be determined, a local garage door repair company can check with the manufacturer to obtain pricing for replacement sections.
If the make and model cannot be determined, we recommend replacing the entire garage door.
Are decorative garage door panels or sections worth more money?
Historically, garage door replacements are considered a strong investment. So much so that you can expect to recoup nearly 200% of your costs in the rise of your home’s value, according to industry research. (Source of Garage Door ROI)
Because garage doors are commonly visible from the curb and are often the largest uninterrupted surface area of your home, we believe that you cannot overspend on the right garage door.
Meet the Author: A Local Garage Door Expert Who Has Seen It All
Hey there, I’m Bobby Vickers, Founder @Doorvana Garage Doors. I wrote this article because it helps to know terminology and options before you start searching for a replacement garage door.
I’ve been working in the garage door industry for five years, quoting, overseeing, and speaking with homeowners and contractors about their garage door options.
What keeps me passionate about this work? Helping families and business owners select garage doors that they love coming home to.
Message from the Doorvana Garage Doors Manufacturing Team:
Ready to take the next step? Click here to request a quote.
