Quick answerGarage heater installation in Spokane usually means a ceiling-hung vented gas unit heater where gas is available, or a hardwired electric heater where it is not. Sizing depends on the garage's area, insulation and door, and the install includes the gas line or circuit, venting, clearances from vehicles and a thermostat, with the mechanical permit filed.
Updated September 2026
Picking the right heat for a garage
Garages lose heat quickly through big doors, thin walls and uninsulated ceilings, so sizing matters more than it does in the house. A heater that is too small never catches up; one that is badly placed blows hot air at the ceiling while the floor stays cold.
We look at how the space is used. Keeping a garage above freezing takes far less heat than a shop you work in all day, and a detached shop may need its own gas line or a new electrical feed. We tell you what each option involves before you choose.
What affects garage heater cost
Garage and shop heat we install
Gas unit heaters
A vented gas unit heater hangs from the ceiling in a corner, heats quickly and costs little to run where natural gas or propane is available. We size it to the garage, mount it high enough to clear vehicle doors and lifts, run the gas line with a shutoff and sediment trap, and vent it through the wall or roof. Separated-combustion models draw outside air for burning, which is the safer choice in a space where gasoline, solvents or sawdust are present. A thermostat on the wall controls it.
Electric garage heaters
Hardwired electric heaters make sense in attached garages without a gas line, or where the heater only needs to hold the space above freezing. They need a dedicated 240-volt circuit, and the size is limited by what the panel can supply. We check panel capacity before recommending one. Electric heat costs more to run per hour than gas, so it suits occasional use and smaller garages better than an all-day workshop. Ductless heat pumps are another electric option for insulated garages.
Shop and outbuilding heat
Detached shops, barns and outbuildings need a plan for getting fuel or power to them. A gas line can be trenched from the house or a separate meter set, or a new electrical feed run for electric or heat pump heat. We size the heater to how you use the building: a woodshop or vehicle bay used every day needs full heat, while a storage building may only need freeze protection. High-bay buildings may suit a radiant tube heater, which warms people and equipment on the floor instead of the air near the roof.
Gas or electric for your garage
| Vented gas unit heater | Electric heater | Ductless heat pump | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs | Gas line and venting | 240-volt circuit | Circuit and outdoor unit |
| Running cost | Low | Higher | Low |
| Heats up | Fast | Moderate | Moderate |
| Best for | Shops and large garages | Holding above freezing | Insulated garages used year round |
Heating garages through a Spokane winter
Spokane winters bring long stretches below freezing, and an unheated attached garage pulls cold straight into the rooms above and beside it. Water heaters, laundry lines and hose bibs that run through garages are common freeze points. A small, thermostatically controlled heater that holds the garage just above freezing protects those lines for a fraction of what a burst pipe repair costs.
How a garage heater install goes
- 1
Measure the space
Area, ceiling height, insulation and doors.
- 2
Choose fuel and size
Gas or electric, sized to the use.
- 3
Quote and permit
Written price, permits filed.
- 4
Mount the heater
Clear of vehicles, doors and storage.
- 5
Gas or electrical
Line run and tested, or circuit installed.
- 6
Vent
Through the wall or roof, sealed.
- 7
Start-up
Thermostat set, heater tested through cycles.
Garage heater questions
What size heater does my garage need?
It depends on the area, insulation and door. We measure and size it rather than guessing.
Is a gas heater safe in a garage?
A properly vented, correctly mounted unit is. For shops with solvents or sawdust, a separated-combustion model is the safer choice.
Can I use a plug-in space heater instead?
For short periods, yes, but they are not built to heat a garage continuously and are a fire risk left unattended.
Do I need to insulate first?
Insulation makes any heater work better and cheaper, but it is not required to hold a garage above freezing.
Do you heat detached shops?
Yes, including running gas or power to the building when needed.
Other gas & water heating services we handle
Electric to Gas Furnace Conversion
Sized, quoted and permitted.
Electric to Gas Furnace Conversion detailsHeat Pump Water Heater Installation
Sized, quoted and permitted.
Heat Pump Water Heater Installation in SpokaneTankless Water Heater Installation
Sized, quoted and permitted.
How we handle tankless water heater installationMake the garage usable all winter.
Call about garage heater installation in Spokane, WA.
