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In-garage shelter vs above-ground safe room

Both can protect your family if built and installed to the right standard. The best choice depends on your home and who will use it.

In-garage (in-floor) shelters

A steel box set into a hole cut in the garage slab, with a sliding lid you can park over. Fast to reach from inside the house and uses no yard space. Downsides: you step down into it, which can be hard for older adults or anyone with limited mobility, and you need to keep the lid clear.

Above-ground safe rooms

Steel or reinforced concrete rooms bolted to a slab in the garage, a closet or a new build. No stairs, so they suit wheelchairs and limited mobility. They take floor space, and anchoring to a suitable slab is critical.

Underground backyard shelters

Keep the garage free, but you have to go outside to reach them during a storm, and drainage matters.

Standards to ask about

Ask for designs that meet FEMA P-320 and ICC 500. FEMA publishes safe room resources for homeowners. The SoonerSafe rebate, when open, required these standards too.