With this Winter being so cold, and some of the cars sitting outside, it has gotten me thinking. I am at the very beginning stage of thinking of having a garage built large enough to store my cars and have enough room to work on the cars freely, and maybe have enough room for a small workshop etc. Maybe even have room in one of the bays for a car lift down the road etc. I have some ideas of want I want, but I thought I would ask those of you here for any input or advice on this undertaking. Have any of you had a custom garage built before? I thought of maybe going with a pole building or something else entiring different. I have surfed the web for some plans etc. Anyone have any suggestions to get me started in the right direction. Anything to beware of? One of biggest concerns other than costs etc. is making sure it is big enough for what I want to do. I realize this may not happen this year, but possible next if I start to get things going. Thanks in advance for your input.
You might also want to see about building permits and maybe even subdivsion bylaws and stuff. Make it bigger than you think you will need it. It would be nice also to have storage in the attic and tall ceilings for a car lift.
Although not the cheapest route, you will kick yourself in the ass if you dont run radiant tubing heat through the concrete floor. Back when I built my garage it was too expensive. Now the tubing has come way down in price (figures). MY buddy built his garage last year with this system. 16 degrees out and its like going to the Bahamas when you go in his door. Also Bigger is better. Mines just shy of 30X30 and it aint near big enough. Other things to consider is a separate building or at least a soundproof room to put the compressor. After listening to that noisy thing for a few years, I relocated mine out in a storage shed. One of the best moves I ever made.
i have a 24x28 garage attached to the house. i then had a 20x28 carport added on and a 24x28 garage added also. the back 10' of the carport is enclosed. that's where the compressor is located. everything looks like it was built together. one thing i did was put the phone jack and the electrical outlets high enough so that they clear the top of the workbenches. i put a computer and desk in the corner with a ceiling fan and light above.
the old saying goes someting like this; soon as you finish building a shed it'll be too small. i found this out when i built mine. wood frame metal cover, 40x60. we went for size and few options. if i had it to do over again i would have built a metel frame building. hind sight always 20/20. and yes the air compressor needs to be outside.
A good place to start looking is a place like Home Depot...they have a lot of plans for garages. I would also check out a competitor and get them in a price war. I had a 26X34 with a 9ft ceiling built and the materials only cost about $3200 and it was all delivered to my door step. The starting price at Home Depot was over $5700. Included 2 garage doors, 2 walkin doors, window and everything else to complete the building. (no insulation, no electrical) By getting them in a price war I saved over $2000. Home Depot will beat any competitors bid by 10-15% ( I went back twice). I built it and poured concrete myself and saved even more. If I had to do mine over, I would have went larger but it is never big enough. Include some type of heat!!! Those over-head infrared heaters are wonderful but you need a high ceiling. Oh yeah...9ft ceiling minimum on any garage! Good luck
There's a place in Johnstown. PA that sells pre-fab Amish built wood gagages. They have a web site, believe it or not, but I can't remember the site address. The one car sells for about $5000 and 2 car $7000. That includes labor. I've seen them and they're very well made and complete. They have a wood floor and are ready to use after they're done, same day as delivery. You may want to stain them though. I'd seriously love to find the cash to put one of them up. There's a place here in Pittsburgh that is selling them also, though I can't remember the name of the company. I wish I could remember anything!!!
OK Wes, for two dollars in nonsequential, unmarked bills............ What, is your name? bbbbbbbuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!! Times up. I guess your memory is going.
About 10 years ago I had a 28 x 28 garage built. Got a contractor to build the shell then I finished the wiring, interior walls (insulated), ceiling, upstairs storage space. Saved a lot of money that way.
I have a 45x36 Morton pole barn. Finshed off a 21x36 section in which I did all the work, walls, insulation, wiring etc. Have forced air heat. Things I would have done different would be, radiant floor heat, and I need to get that damn air compressor out of the shop area. My garage is now 6 years old and it is waaaaaaaaay to small. Really need a 100x60. I really like the metal pole barn cause it has 50 year warranty on paint, longer than I will be here. Entire building is maintenance free = more time to play with cars. Dan
I have a 30x56 pole building got the water tubes in the floor for heat but have not got it hooked up yet sorry to say the guy who put the hose down before we poured the floor didn't get my gas line from the house hooked up before winter set in using hot water in tubes. Studed all the walls with 2x6 isulated with 6" fiberglass and covered 7/16 osb board. Found insulated door panels 1 1/4" of foam inside 21 1/2" wide 8' long used them for ceiling worked great. Got a 115 thousand btu space heater can warm it up from about 40 into the 60's in a half an hour also have 9' ceiling and never big enough.
What size is ideal? Okay guys, some new developements are around the corner. I won't be building this year, but I have an opportunity to buy my parents home with a little bit of additional property and I want to make sure that when I do this, I have enough land to build the garage that I want later. Question, what size would be ideal for say a 4 car garage and workshop? Is 40' deep idea for workbenches etc. in front of cars etc.? The size that I have been kicking around is 40'x60'. I want want to have enough room at some point for a lift, and have enough room to have all the cars in the garage and still have plenty of room to open car doors, move around the cars, and have enough work space etc. I was thinking a work area in front of the cars and and work room per say off to the side off the garage. Thanks, Dave P.S. Thanks for the input so far, some great ideas.
I would build a seperate room to work on the cars that is away from where you store the cars. Two reasons: No damage to other cars from flying "debris" (been there...done that) and also......a smaller room is easier to heat in the winter than the whole darn garage.
