[onewhippedpuppy]

It's not so much the lift, it's what you want to put on the lift. Usually the posts aren't that tall. Add up how high you want it to go, plus the height of the car. I just added on a 3rd car garage that will eventually get a lift, I was able to go 11' on my ceiling which should be more than enough. Don't forget the high lift garage door tracks as well, and you'll likely need a commercial style wall mount opener that mounts near the torsion spring.

Taller ceilings are always better in my book. More room for a lift, more room for shelves on the walls, easier to hang things like ladders and bikes from the ceiling.