Buyers who ask "what sizes do you make?" before measuring the stop usually buy the wrong length. The dimensions decision runs in the opposite order: measure the footway, the clearances and the footfall first, then choose between the standard catalogue and a custom build. YEROO manufactures both from the same 31,000 m² factory — this guide sets out when each choice is the correct one, with the numbers procurement officers need before tender.

What are standard bus shelter dimensions?

Most manufacturers, including YEROO, build shelters in three standard length modules — 4, 6 and 8 metres — at 1.5 m depth and 2.4–2.7 m height. The 6 m × 1.5 m unit is the industry workhorse: it fits efficiently into a 40 ft container, seats four to six passengers, and serves a single-route stop.

Standardisation is not a factory preference; it is what makes catalogue pricing possible. Steel profile lengths, glazing modules (typically 1.0–1.1 m wide per panel, indicative industry norm), roof sheet formats and container packing plans are all engineered around the standard modules. Break any one of those dimensions and every downstream component is recalculated.

Depth is the other lever. A 1.2 m narrow-depth variant exists for tight footways, 1.5 m is standard, 2.0 m suits premium city-centre units with more standing room, and BRT stations typically run 2.5–3.0 m canopy depth to carry off-board fare equipment and level-boarding platforms (see our BRT shelter engineering guide). 【YEROO DATA NEEDED: YEROO standard model dimension table — exact L×W×H, depth variants and glazing module widths per model, to replace the indicative industry norms above】

How do I size a shelter for my footfall?

Work from the peak-hour boarding burst — commonly 10–15% of daily boardings (indicative planning heuristic) — not the daily total. A stop with 600 daily boardings and a smooth spread needs a 4 m unit; the same 600 boardings concentrated into a school-gate peak needs an 8 m double-bay layout.

The distinction matters because overcrowding, not average demand, generates complaints, and a shelter that overflows pushes waiting passengers onto the footway behind it. Request a 7-day boarding count from the transit operator rather than a single-day figure — seasonality routinely moves a stop between two bands. Route convergence is the main trap: where two routes share a stop, the bursts stack, so size for the combined peak, not the larger route.

Where a stop sits above 450 daily boardings with stacked route bursts, the correct answer is usually depth as well as length — a 2.0–2.5 m canopy keeps the standing queue clear of the boarding line. These bands align with the footfall thresholds used in our shelter type selection guide, so size and type can be decided in one pass.

When is a custom bus shelter size justified?

Custom dimensions are justified by three conditions only: the site cannot physically accept a standard module, a heritage or branding requirement sets the form, or an order above roughly 100 units amortises bespoke tooling. Aesthetics alone on a low-footfall stop never clears the custom premium of 30–60% (indicative).

Treat each rule as a filter, in this order:

1. If the clear footway between kerb and building line is under about 3.0 m → specify the 1.2 m narrow-depth variant, not a bespoke design. A depth change within an existing tooling family is a semi-custom order, priced and scheduled closer to standard.

1. If the available site length is between 3.5 and 5.0 m → order a cut-down 4 m variant. Length is the easiest dimension to trim because glazing modules simply reduce in count.

1. If the stop sits in a conservation or heritage district → full custom fascia, roof profile and colourway are justified. Planning approval, not engineering, drives the cost here (see our heritage districts scenario guide).

1. If the order exceeds roughly 100 units AND the network specification differs from factory standard → bespoke tooling becomes viable. The tooling cost divides across the fleet, and standardised spare parts across 100+ stops outweigh the catalogue discount you give up.

1. If the site faces typhoon winds or alpine snow beyond EN 1991 local annex values → order a structural custom, not a dimensional one. The size stays standard; the section sizes, anchorage and roof pitch change. See our coastal and corrosion spec guide for environment-driven variants.

Everything else should stay catalogue. YEROO's projects across Hungary, Romania, Australia and China are built overwhelmingly on standard modules — custom work concentrates at interchanges, heritage districts and flagship corridors, where the premium buys something visible. 【YEROO DATA NEEDED: one or two named YEROO projects where a custom dimension was required, with the site constraint that forced it】

What clearances and regulations constrain shelter size?

Three constraints decide what fits: a clear pedestrian route past the shelter, a tactile boarding zone at the kerb, and a wheelchair boarding area. The maximum shelter footprint is whatever remains after those are satisfied — not the other way round.

The governing numbers, by jurisdiction:

A worked example shows how these bind. A 3.5 m footway cannot accept a 1.5 m deep shelter against the kerb and keep a compliant pedestrian route: 3.5 m minus 1.5 m of shelter minus even a minimal 1.0 m clear route leaves nothing for kerb offset. The compliant choices are the 1.2 m narrow-depth variant with a relocated shelter line, or a shelter moved back with the boarding area defined by kerb build-out. Either way, the clearance arithmetic decides the dimensions before aesthetics get a vote.

What does custom sizing cost in time and money?

Budget a semi-custom length change at roughly 1.1–1.3× the standard unit price and a full custom build at 1.4–2.0×, with four to ten additional weeks for drawing approval and tooling (indicative global ranges). Above roughly 100 units, bespoke tooling amortises and the custom premium narrows toward parity.

【YEROO DATA NEEDED: YEROO actual lead times for semi-custom and fully custom sizes, and the tooling amortisation threshold in units, to replace the indicative ranges above】 Two cost lines sit outside the multiplier. First, spares: every non-standard size in a network needs its own glazing and panel inventory, so procurement officers running mixed fleets should read our 10 vs 100 vs 500 unit specification guide — spares budgeting is where custom sizes quietly cost the most. Second, logistics: standard 4 m and 6 m modules pack into conventional containers knocked-down, while one-piece builds over about 6.5 m shift to flat-rack or break-bulk shipping (indicative), which freight forwarders price separately.

What to avoid: five sizing mistakes with corrective cost

Nearly every dimensional rework traces to one of five errors, and each carries a measurable corrective cost. Audit any specification against this list before manufacture release.

The second mistake dominates European tenders: clearances are checked by the highway authority at approval stage, not by the buyer at specification stage, so the failure surfaces after the steel is cut. Freeze the site survey and clearance arithmetic before the purchase order, and the entire table above costs nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard size of a bus shelter?

The industry standard set is 4, 6 and 8 m long × 1.5 m deep × 2.4–2.7 m high, with the 6 m module as the most-specified size. Depth variants of 1.2 m (narrow footway), 2.0 m (premium) and 2.5–3.0 m (BRT) cover the remainder. Exact dimensions vary by manufacturer and model range.

How long should a bus shelter be for 20 waiting passengers?

Specify a 6 m module for a 10–25 passenger peak burst: it seats four to six and shelters 10–15 standing under canopy. If those 20 passengers are a daily average rather than a peak, a 4 m unit is sufficient — size the steel against the worst 15 minutes, not the average.

How much more does a custom bus shelter size cost?

As indicative global ranges: semi-custom changes (length trim, depth variant) run about 1.1–1.3× the standard price with 2–4 extra weeks; fully custom builds run 1.4–2.0× with 6–10 extra weeks for tooling. Above roughly 100 units the tooling amortises and the premium narrows. Confirm against project quotations.

What is the minimum footway width for a bus shelter?

As a working rule, allow the shelter depth plus a 1,000 mm absolute-minimum clear pedestrian route (2,000 mm preferred under UK guidance) plus 150–500 mm rear kerb offset. A 1.5 m deep shelter therefore needs roughly 2.8–3.0 m of footway at minimum compliance; below that, move to the 1.2 m depth variant.

Can the shelter length be changed after ordering?

Only before design freeze. Standard modules freeze at purchase order, semi-custom at drawing approval, and full custom at tooling sign-off — after which a length change is a new build, not a modification. Submit site dimensions and footfall data before the PO so the module is right first time.

Are standard shelters suitable for BRT corridors?

Rarely as-is. BRT stops typically need 2.5–3.0 m canopy depth for off-board fare equipment and level-boarding platforms, multi-bay lengths for stacked route bursts, and wider clear zones. Use the standard structural family with BRT-class depth and length — a middle path that keeps most catalogue economics while meeting corridor requirements.

Conclusion: measure first, then choose the smallest deviation from standard

The dimensions decision resolves into three measurements — peak-hour boarding burst, clear footway, and boarding-area compliance — and one budget test. Where a standard 4, 6 or 8 m module satisfies all three, order from the catalogue. Where the site blocks the standard footprint, take the semi-custom depth or length variant before considering a bespoke frame. Reserve full custom for heritage districts, flagship interchanges and fleet-scale programmes where the numbers amortise.

YEROO manufactures standard and custom shelter sizes from one factory, with structural calculation packs to EN 1991 and glazing to EN 12150-1 supplied with every order. Send your site plan, footway dimensions and 7-day boarding counts to the YEROO engineering team — we will return a recommended module (standard or custom) with clearances checked and indicative pricing, before you commit to tender.