How To Add A Garage | Garage Addition Ideas |Garage Addition How To

Maybe youre tired of getting drenched as you dash to your car on stormy days. Or you dream about having more space for storage, a workshop, a home gym, a kids play area, or even an office. If youre thinking about a garage addition, its a decent investment. Remodeling magazines latest Cost vs. Value Report found that a home owner who invests the national average of $48,806 in a midrange, two-car garage addition can expect to recoup about 64% of the cost at resale.

Before you can decide whether to go ahead with a garage project, youll need to make a few decisions.

Zoning and code restrictions

The first step is to determine whether its physically feasible to fit a garage on your lot. At your local planning department, find out how close you can build to the edges of your property. Also ask about any special restrictions that apply to garages; some communities require deeper setbacks on sides with doors, for example.

Local rules might also govern driveway design, wall or roof height, and the total amount or percentage of your lot you can cover with impervious surface (roofs and pavement). Local architects and builders usually keep on top of these requirements, as do lumberyards that sell packages that contain garage plans and materials.

Attached or freestanding?

One big decision is whether to attach the garage to your house or build it as a separate structure. An attached garage usually costs less, and it wins on convenience. You stay dry, save footsteps, and its easier to use part of the space as a pantry, mudroom, laundry area, or other extension of your house. If youre concerned about security, an attached garage lets you tap an opener and drive right in without setting foot outside.

But a detached garage also offers advantages, especially if you add a breezeway connector to shelter against the weather. A separate structure keeps exhaust fumes and the dust and noise of a workshop out of your house.

Size requirements

The humble garage in Palo Alto, Calif., where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard helped launch the electronics industry, is just 12 feet wide and 18 feet long. It was fine for a 1917 Ford Model T. But cars today are much bigger, so garages are, too. For a single car, figure on at least 14 feet by 20 feet. You can build a two-car garage as small as 20 feet by 24 feet, but youll be happier with an extra 6 or 8 feet in length and width.

View original post here:
How To Add A Garage | Garage Addition Ideas |Garage Addition How To