1. How much per square foot, on average? I don't know if it would be brick, wood siding, or what...haven't bought a house yet. I don't need plumbing or anything except electricity. Don't need windows. Would want a power operated door.

2. How much value added to house/property? (i.e., will I totally take in on the nose, or will I recoup a substantial portion of the expense when resale time comes)?


The reason I ask is that I want at least 2 cars worth of garage space. Sometimes I see good deals on houses with no garage, or a 1-car, and I've been eliminating them from consideration right off the bat.

3/4/2009 2:47:03 PM

Just on a slab or what?

The house I'm in now had an old one that we fixed up. We kept the foundation and the frame but replaced everything else for around $8k. When the appraisal came through they told me it added $20k to the property, even though we already had an attached 2-car garage.

3/4/2009 2:52:06 PM

you should budget $11-$13k, depending on the finishes.

$2500 for concrete
$2500 for framing (might be a little low)
$800 for roofing
$2000 for boxing/siding
$1500 for electrical
$1000 for a door
$1000 for misc...door and frame, steps
$500 for drawings

of course this is just an educated guess, however, make sure if you buy something that there not any codes preventing you from building a detached structure on the property (Cary) and that you have enough room after the setbacks, etc...to actually build it.

added value will really depend on the neighborhood and comps, but $20k is probably reasonable.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 3:07 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2009 3:06:46 PM

^ IIRC that's about what Jeepman said he had in his and they did just about all the labor themselves. Granted, it's bigger than two cars; but I bet that estimate is being pretty conservative even if you act as the contractor yourself.

3/4/2009 3:10:39 PM

maybe so. hard to tell for sure without SF and other details. framing is probably light.

although, simple construction jobs like this are going cheap right now if you find our own subs.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 3:23 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2009 3:12:54 PM

oh, and i don't need finished interior walls, either (although that's not going to make a huge impact)

3/4/2009 3:18:49 PM

yeah I didnt figure any drywall or paint in that.

3/4/2009 3:23:21 PM

I've always wanted to build something like this, but wouldnt know where to start. Granted, I don't own a house now, but I could see building a garage or something like a big workshop once I get my own place. I think I am slowly become a do it yourself-er... have started repairing my own car... gotten comfortable doing repairs around the home... this seems like a logical step.

3/4/2009 4:08:56 PM

Hell, if you're doing a 2-car detached you could think about adding an apartment over it and generate some rental income as well.

3/4/2009 4:28:14 PM

Not to disagree with DaBird, but I think you could build your own for around $7k to $8k.

If you want it to match your house, then depending on your exterior finishes, this could vary the cost greatly.

Figure $30/sf as a rough general estimate with no interior finishes.

I built a 12'x16' shop with vinyl exterior and a shingle roof for about $26/SF. My dad just built a barn on a slab with board and batten exterior and a metal roof for right at $31.

As far as added value, anywhere from 150% to 250% ROI.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 4:37 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2009 4:34:53 PM

what is a good size for a detached 2 car garage?

20 x 20? at $31/sf thats $12,400

did you pour a slab for those structures? that really adds to the cost of building a garage vs. a workshop or barn with floor joists.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 4:39 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2009 4:38:01 PM

i was thinking 16'x16', so $8k @ $31/SF or $6700 @ $26/SF

yeah, the barn was on a thickened edge slab and it needed a truckload (20k SF) of segmental block wall to get the pad level, so it is on the high end of the range to get going.

Provided you have a good place to build (i.e. no hills), the lower end of that price range is probably more accurate.

My dad subbed out pretty much everything but the electrical and plumbing. The barn is about 24x48 with a half bath.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 4:45 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2009 4:40:13 PM

haha there ya go.

if it were me, I would build it a little bigger to make sure I had enough room for lawn mowers, work benches, etc...

but thats me

3/4/2009 4:42:59 PM

and my little storage building is on a slab too. who wants to push a lawnmower up a ramp?

3/4/2009 4:46:52 PM

duke, check out the shop/tools section on pirate4x4.com

there are tons of shop builds, with pics and write ups, of all types and sizes

3/4/2009 4:48:11 PM

Quote :

"what is a good size for a detached 2 car garage? 20 x 20? at $31/sf thats $12,400"

At least. 20x25 is really about what you want though.

3/4/2009 5:55:18 PM

yeah, if i end up doing something like this, i'll go ahead and make it a generous size. i'd want enough to house 2 cars, as well as stuff like a motorcycle, PWC, tools, etc.

3/4/2009 6:00:01 PM

Quote :

"Hell, if you're doing a 2-car detached you could think about adding an apartment over it and generate some rental income as well. "

I want a 3 BR/2 bath house, so I'll have the master, a room for my daughter when I have her, and another room to rent to a roommate. adding an apt over a detached garage would start getting a good bit more involved than what i'm talking about building.

Quote :

"If you want it to match your house, then depending on your exterior finishes, this could vary the cost greatly."

I'd likely want it to match my house. if not, definitely a sharp looking exterior--i don't want it to look like a giant toolshed.

Quote :

"As far as added value, anywhere from 150% to 250% ROI. "

A lot of people in this thread keep saying that. I'm not convinced, at least not yet. If I could even get 100% ROI--just get my money back--it seems that would be great.

Quote :

"and my little storage building is on a slab too. who wants to push a lawnmower up a ramp?"

Yeah, I'm sure that's the route I'd go.

Quote :

"duke, check out the shop/tools section on pirate4x4.com there are tons of shop builds, with pics and write ups, of all types and sizes "

Sweet, I'll check that out.

[Edited on March 4, 2009 at 6:06 PM. Reason : I had a $15k guess in my head...which is exactly what 20'x25'x$30 comes out to.]

3/4/2009 6:05:58 PM

A good friend of mine added an attached garage a few years back. He spent about $12k and had his house appraised afterward and saw a 200% return on his value. In other words, he increased the value by about $25k.

3/4/2009 6:29:53 PM

Quote :

"A lot of people in this thread keep saying that. I'm not convinced, at least not yet. If I could even get 100% ROI--just get my money back--it seems that would be great."

I really dont think you have anything to worry about.


I will say it again, if you plan on doing this, check the town building codes to ensure that you can and pay close attention to the buffer/setback on the property line.

3/5/2009 7:48:04 AM

I had the downstairs enclosed back in December. No roof needed, unfinished walls, drywall needed on ceiling for fire code, added electrical drop from box. Concrete was $2100 for about 700 sq/ft of 4", including site prep and removal of some old concrete to get it to match up with the new stuff better. Figure another hundred or two for pre-construction pest treatment as well. I got a 10'x6'9" door, so a little more expensive there. Overall the space is about 32x12 on one side, w/ pilings seperating that side from the open "workshop" area which is 40x12. Cost of that was less than $9k after a few extras I wanted and some minor plumbing. Of course these are Outer Banks prices, so a little bit higher than other areas more than likely, even with construction being really cheap right now.

I can easily fit two small cars (miata, SRT-4) on the short side, then I'm going to have an 8' long workbench on the other side and an area to put the autocross trailer.

If I were doing a detached garage there's no way I'd build it smaller than 700-800 sqft if space allows. Give yourself plenty of space to store and work on everything. I was doing the same thing when looking at property, quickly ignoring any that didn't have a garage unless there was enough space to add one

[Edited on March 5, 2009 at 8:41 AM. Reason : ]

3/5/2009 8:38:48 AM

Depending on what you think you're going to need down the road, making allowances for a garage apartment can make some sense. No need to finish now, but you can go ahead and stub out for plumbing, wiring chase, etc, then finish down the road. Going up with half height knee walls, scissor trusses, and making framing allowances for future dormers can make sense for some applications. We're actually planning on doing the garage apt first, the building the main house in a couple of years.

To get back to your first question, 15-20K would be in the ballpark depending on your particular area. I think its a safe assumption that you'll get your money back down the road.

3/5/2009 2:23:38 PM

mine was more than 12,000 28x36, fiber re-enforced slab, etc.

3/5/2009 10:36:04 PM

wow a fiber reinforced slab!

3/6/2009 9:02:56 AM

28x 36 with no expansion joints for smooth creeper rolling, you have to have fiber reinforcement to prevent cracking

and that thing was a bitch to pour at one time, with 4 people and me being the only one that had ever poured a slab before

and the sum bitches put too much accelerator in the second load

3/6/2009 10:05:34 AM

i HATE the little hairs from fiber reinforcing.

i dont care how good it is, if it cracks, it cracks.


oh yeah, back to the OP, if you are out in the country and have access to 3-phase power, see if you can get a service. You can buy a lot of old tools, air compressors, etc. very very cheap with 3-phase motors in them and outfit your shop for a fraction of the cost of 220V stuff.

[Edited on March 6, 2009 at 12:59 PM. Reason : .]

3/6/2009 12:54:31 PM

Quote :

"you have to have fiber reinforcement to prevent cracking"

Considering you need fiber mesh concrete or WWF to meet code, I don't think its anything to shout about.

3/6/2009 5:51:18 PM

^^ i'll be moving in a just a few years

and i have a nearly unlimited supply of tools at my grandfather's place in fuquay. i can borrow anything i'm likely to ever need, and for that matter, he hardly uses any of them anymore--if i wanted something, i could just ask him.

[Edited on March 6, 2009 at 6:04 PM. Reason : asfd]

3/6/2009 6:03:36 PM

duke quick numbers for you...

7.00 sq ft for concrete slab, 3.50 for driveway includes labor
8.00 sq ft for framing material, 4.00 sq ft for framing labor
115 per square for asphalt roof, sq=100 sq ft, that is labor included
135 per square if you do hardy for siding, sq=100sq ft includes labor
plumbing 500 per drain, 200 for per spigot out side
65 per outlet or light for electric

that will be a rough structure. then you will add for light fixtures, plum fixtures, doors, windows, etc..

this is what it would cost down here. i am about to start foundation on my house and my garage is detached and these are my numbers.

3/6/2009 8:58:29 PM

^^^ the state building code doesn't require reinforcement for slabs on grade or concrete floors, only certain footings. (it is a pain in the arse to look that stuff up on an iPod) It is good practice to use reinforcing, but fiber sucks.

^looks to me like $22/SF without plumbing and electrical, if I added your numbers right.

[Edited on March 6, 2009 at 9:14 PM. Reason : V]

3/6/2009 9:11:05 PM

bump

6/9/2012 10:56:34 PM

so...how about building something like a 20x20' out of brick? Any guidance there?

6/10/2012 12:10:35 AM

You don't "build it out of brick." Brick just goes outside the wood framing. As far as guidance, it costs more. What else do you want to know?

6/10/2012 8:21:08 AM

if you're not planning on heating/cooling the garage, don't waste money on brick. spend that extra money on something useful like plumbing in air lines or adding enough building height to accomodate a lift.

6/10/2012 10:27:46 AM

my parents have an all brick house but elected to do brick veneer on the front and side the back. as far as curb appeal to personal value, that's probably the best route if you can't get something like a nichiboard to match your house bricks

6/10/2012 12:52:30 PM

^^^ Right, poor verbiage on my part I guess (and maybe a little bit of pettiness on yours)...and obviously it's more expensive; I was asking if anyone could quantify it. The other 2 in my neighborhood have hardy-type sides and just a brick face. I'm wondering how much extra the brick face will cost, and how much more it will cost to just brick the whole thing.

There is a covenant that states that you're supposed to build to match your house; however, it doesn't elaborate much further than that, I don't think, and there is presently no HOA, anyway.

Quote :

"if you're not planning on heating/cooling the garage, don't waste money on brick. spend that extra money on something useful like plumbing in air lines or adding enough building height to accomodate a lift."

I will probably put a small window unit in the back wall or something, but it won't be climate-controlled all the time--I'll probably just turn it on if I'm gonna be in there for a while.

I don't care anything about finishing (dryway, ceilings, etc) the inside. Air lines and stuff can be added pretty easily later...I don't have a big compressor or anything, anyway. As far as height to accommodate a lift, well...all of the surrounding houses are single story (common in FL). I don't want a bigass garage that towers over everything else. Without finished ceilings, I'm thinking that i might be able to add in a low-ish 2-post lift later on. It might not be able to raise a truck high enough for me to walk under it, but it ought to raise a sports car high enough to easily work under it.




OK, as far as paying for it...since I did 100% financing on both of my houses with VA loans, and probably don't have enough equity in either to do a HELOC, am I on the hook to just pay for this thing outright, or can I potentially get a loan to do it? I'm not interested in doing an unsecured loan at 10%+ for 4-5 years; I'd rather just pay for the garage outright. However, if I can finance it for 20-30 years at 4-5% interest, then I'd much rather do that.

6/10/2012 7:48:05 PM

I built a 40 X 80 with 5 10x12 garage doors and brick outside, unfinished inside. It was about $32 a sqft. This was using the general contractor that built my house and all of his subs. We built it to match the house as you want to do.

Garage


House


[Edited on June 10, 2012 at 8:41 PM. Reason : pics]

6/10/2012 8:41:00 PM

Quote :

"Right, poor verbiage on my part I guess (and maybe a little bit of pettiness on yours)"

Probably, but I've honestly dealt with more people I can count lately that don't understand why their brick homes have wood in them. Forgive me for lumping you in with them.

6/10/2012 9:06:06 PM

haha, seriously?

never mind, shouldn't surprise me.


^^ Nice.

6/10/2012 9:09:04 PM

^3 holy shit

6/11/2012 10:56:36 AM

you could do a brick over CMU and reduce the shit out of the wood..

6/11/2012 11:06:25 AM

in this thread we learn mikey99cobra has a lot of money

6/11/2012 11:15:59 AM

Well, I saw the dude with the garage I like in my neighborhood outside in his yard today...went and talked to him...it was done by a builder right down the road for ~$23k. It's 26'x22', 9' high garage door (and a pretty beefy one at that), concrete work to extend the driveway to it, brick face and hardy-board sides, electricity, plumbing, 4 windows, external decorative lighting, interior florescent lighting, a walk-through door, and insulated, semi-finished walls (press-board, not drywall) and ceiling, with fold-down stairs.

I don't care anything about the plumbing or any interior finishing at all (and would actually prefer no ceiling or fold-down stairs inside, just open rafters). For that matter, I don't know if I even want windows...aside from slightly greater expense, I don't really know that it makes any difference to me, and I'd kinda prefer the privacy of people not being able to see what I may have parked or stored in there.

That seems like a pretty decent price to me for that sort of setup.

6/11/2012 10:37:54 PM

that is one badass estate

6/12/2012 3:35:23 PM

go bigger than you think you need. my 22x24 barely fits my truck (I was thinking it was gonna be 24x22 but that's another issue..)

6/12/2012 8:23:59 PM