What is the standard length of a parking block?

The standard parking block is 6 feet long. This length spans the dual-tire footprint of a standard 8 to 9-foot-wide parking stall and is the most widely available size from rubber, concrete, and plastic manufacturers.

How tall is a standard parking block?

Standard parking blocks are 4 to 6 inches tall. The 4-inch height is the IBC minimum for parking-bumper effectiveness; 6 inches is industry-preferred. Avoid blocks taller than 7 inches because they can strike low-clearance vehicle bumpers.

Are 6-foot or 4-foot parking blocks better?

6-foot blocks are better for standard passenger and SUV stalls because the longer length engages both tires off-center. 4-foot blocks are appropriate for compact-only stalls and cost-constrained projects where local code allows shorter blocks.

How wide should a parking block be for a fleet yard?

Fleet yards with Class 3 to Class 7 vehicles should use 8 to 12-inch-wide blocks. The wider footprint resists pin pull-out and tipping under repeated higher-mass impacts. Heights should also bump to 6 to 8 inches to match the higher bumper line of trucks.

Does ADA mandate a specific parking block size?

No. ADA 502.7 specifies clearance and access-aisle rules, not block dimensions. A standard 6-foot block sized appropriately for the stall meets ADA requirements as long as it does not encroach into the 60-inch access aisle of an accessible space.

Parking Block Dimensions: Standard, ADA, and Commercial Specifications

What Are Standard Parking Block Dimensions?

A standard parking block - also called a wheel stop or parking bumper - measures 6 feet long, 6 inches tall, and 6 to 9 inches wide. The 6-foot length spans the dual-tire footprint of a standard 8-foot-wide parking stall, and the 6-inch height stops a passenger vehicle's tire without striking the front bumper. ADA 502.7 sets clearance rules but does not mandate block dimensions; the 6-foot baseline comes from the ITE Parking Generation Manual and IBC Section 1106.

This guide covers every dimensional standard - standard commercial, ADA, fleet-yard, and oversized industrial - and the dimensional tradeoffs to weigh before specifying a block.

What Are the Three Dimensions That Matter?

Dimension	Standard	Why It Matters
Length	6 feet	Spans both tires of a standard 8-foot stall
Width	6 to 9 inches	Wider blocks resist pin pull-out and tipping
Height	4 to 6 inches	Tall enough to stop a tire, low enough to clear a low-clearance bumper

A 4-inch-tall block is the IBC minimum for parking-bumper effectiveness. A 6-inch-tall block is industry-preferred. Anything taller than 7 inches risks bumper strike on low-clearance vehicles like Tesla Model S and BMW i3.

What Does ADA Say About Parking Block Size?

ADA 502.7 (Wheel Stops) requires that wheel stops not encroach into the access aisle of an accessible parking stall and that they allow at least 12 inches of bumper-to-aisle clearance. ADA itself does not specify block length, width, or height. The U.S. Access Board's 2010 Standards for Accessible Design treat the block as an obstruction to be located rather than a sized component.

In practice, a standard 6-foot block sits within the 8-foot accessible-stall width and leaves 12 inches of clearance on either side, which is acceptable. Two-foot block segments installed at each tire location are also compliant if total combined length is 4 feet or more.

How Do Length and Width Vary by Application?

Application	Length	Width	Height	Notes
Passenger car stall	6 feet	6 to 7 inches	4 to 6 inches	Standard commercial spec
Compact stall	4 feet	6 inches	4 to 6 inches	Some Oregon city codes allow compact-only stalls
ADA accessible stall	6 feet	6 to 9 inches	4 to 6 inches	Must clear access aisle
SUV / light truck	6 feet	7 to 9 inches	6 inches	Wider block resists impact loads
Fleet yard / dock	6 to 8 feet	8 to 12 inches	6 to 8 inches	Sized for Class 3-7 vehicles
Trailer / semi parking	8 to 10 feet	10 to 14 inches	8 to 10 inches	Heavy-duty industrial

Cojo's striping crew installed 320 standard 6-foot rubber blocks at a Hillsboro corporate campus in February 2026. Stall mix was 280 passenger and 40 SUV. We specified 6-inch-tall blocks across all stalls because the campus parking-policy team wanted dimensional consistency for striping symmetry.

How Much Does a Parking Block Weigh?

Weight matters for handling, drilling time, and pin pull-out resistance. The Cojo crew has installed every common variant:

Material	4 ft Block	6 ft Block	8 ft Block
Recycled rubber	25 to 35 lbs	30 to 50 lbs	50 to 70 lbs
Concrete	80 to 110 lbs	200 to 280 lbs	320 to 420 lbs
Plastic / polymer	18 to 25 lbs	25 to 38 lbs	40 to 60 lbs
Asphalt-bonded composite	60 to 80 lbs	130 to 180 lbs	220 to 280 lbs

Concrete is the heaviest and most stable but cracks under impact. Rubber resists impact but is more often pulled out under shock loads. See our wheel stop concrete vs rubber breakdown for the full material comparison.

What Are the Pin Hole Dimensions?

A standard 6-foot block has 2 or 3 pre-cast holes for steel pin anchors:

2-hole blocks: holes 12 inches in from each end, 5/8-inch diameter
3-hole blocks: holes 12 inches in from each end plus one at center, 5/8-inch diameter

Pin diameter must match hole diameter within 1/16 inch. Looser fit allows the block to rock under impact and elongate the hole. Pin length runs 12 to 18 inches with 14 inches of concrete or asphalt engagement after passing through the block.

Industry Baseline Range

Item	Industry Baseline Range
6-foot rubber block (unit)	$55 to $130
6-foot concrete block (unit)	$30 to $80
6-foot plastic block (unit)	$45 to $95
4-foot block (unit, all materials)	$25 to $80
8-foot industrial block (unit)	$90 to $220
Install (drilled and pinned, per block)	$35 to $90

These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing varies significantly and actual quotes may fall well outside these ranges based on site-specific conditions, material costs, and project complexity.

Current Market Reality

Recycled rubber block prices rose 15 to 25 percent through 2025 due to tire-feedstock shortages. Concrete blocks tracked Portland-area aggregate costs (up 8 to 12 percent). Plastic blocks held flatter but freight surcharges added $5 to $12 per unit on Oregon I-5 corridor deliveries.

How Do You Measure for the Right Block Length?

The block should be 1.5 to 2 feet shorter than the stall width to leave clearance for door swing and walking past parked cars. For a standard 9-foot-wide stall:

6-foot block leaves 1.5 feet on each side
4-foot block leaves 2.5 feet on each side (compact stall preference)

The block should center on the stall, with the front face on the spec'd setback line (typically 30 inches from curb). For our how far from curb wheel stop deep-dive, we cover the setback math.

When to Use 4-Foot Instead of 6-Foot Blocks?

The 6-foot block is the default. Use 4-foot blocks when:

Stalls are 8 feet wide or narrower (compact-only).
The stall mix is mostly small passenger vehicles (urban office, residential).
Cost per stall is the dominant constraint and 4-foot blocks satisfy local code.

Avoid 4-foot blocks for SUV-heavy or pickup-heavy stalls; the shorter block can let the driver miss the block entirely if they pull in off-center.

Get the Right Block Dimensioned for Your Stall

Standard parking blocks are 6 feet long, 6 to 9 inches wide, and 4 to 6 inches tall. Pick wider and taller for SUV and fleet stalls, shorter for compact-only lots, and always confirm clearances against ADA 502.7. Cojo specifies, supplies, and installs parking blocks across the Willamette Valley and Portland metro. Contact Cojo for a parking-block layout quote, or read our wheel stop guide for the full product overview.