Building a garage? Here are tips to follow

Posted by Lesley Haverford on September 29th, 2019

Building a garage isn’t an easy process. However, if you need someplace to store your car in the harsh winter, a workshop space, a place to get away from the family, or just additional space, keep on reading to find out what can you do to make your own garage.

Uses of a garage

One good thing of making your own garage is that you decide what goes into it. From features such as lighting, outlets, and windows, to features such as floor heating and plumbing. But, you shouldn’t put unnecessary features into the garage and spend money where you don’t need to. That is why it is important to decide what the garage will be used for most before you start building it. If you need it only to store your vehicles, you don’t need floor heating. But, if you are going to be working in your garage, consider putting at least some heating in it.

Getting the permits

When building a garage, fancy features aren’t the only thing you need to consider. Make sure to get all the information about a building permit. If you choose to hire a contractor, they can get the permit for you, and should be able to share all the information you may need. However, if you choose to build your own garage, make sure that you aren’t in any violation of the code. Your garage has to be sturdy, safe, and not too close to the property lines. If you are unsure where you can build your garage, you can always get a contractor to consult, saving you a lot of late nights and headaches in the future.

Increase in value

The first two steps are immensely important if you are building the garage to increase the value of your home. If this is the case, then you should opt for more high-end features, and make it as sturdy as possible. The garage can increase the value of your house, but in order to do so, you should make it be safe and up to code. For it to be safe, you should get steel fabrication supplies only from the best. This is the construction that will hold your garage, so don’t go economic and try to save money where you should be splurging. After all, it is the future safety at steak.

Looks matter

If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association, you should check with them if they have any code or guidelines concerning the look of your future garage. Most often, those guidelines end with the garage being the same color and style of your house. This may be a good guideline if you are buying a garage kit since they are less expensive than actually building a garage from scratch. However, if your HOA has stricter codes that you should oblige, consider every aspect and how profitable it would really be to build a garage.

Dual function

If you are going to have vehicle storage, and plan on having your own workshop, check if your property can support a two-car garage, to make sure you have enough space to do all that you need. If not, see how you can best arrange the space to allow you to work in your shop undisturbed while not having to move your car.

You could also check for the best placement of your garage if you want to make a small mudroom, or another entrance if you live in an area with long and harsh winters. Also, if you wish to make an above-the-garage living space, you need to make sure you are allowed to, and where you can make it.

Conclusion

As we already said, building a garage is not an easy undertaking. However, if you do need it, and will build it, we hope these tips helped sway you in the right direction, to make your building process much easier!

Like it? Share it!


Lesley Haverford

About the Author

Lesley Haverford
Joined: September 26th, 2017
Articles Posted: 36

More by this author