Garage Sizes - New Construction

[EZM]

Seems to me all the builders are sizing garages for golf carts, not normal sized vehicles. Just seems stupid to me. A friend just bought a house, newer construction and his truck doesn't fit. He was absolutely mad - but it was something they just didn't think too much about.

Another friend of mine, also new construction, has two smaller/mid sized vehicles and has to precision park inches from the wall and then squeeze out of the door like a contortionist. Funny thing is he doesn't have all sorts of shelves or stuff in there in storage - the garage is largely empty and well organized with no shelves - just a stupid set of stairs right in the middle and one corner is cut off - it's tight.

The average size is like around 20'x20 with a set of stairs leaves exactly no room for two normal sized cars never mind a full sized SUV or even a half ton.

When I built my former house, some 15-20 years ago in Beaumont I had them build it out to 24x24 and still wished it was bigger.

I guess, for those of you who might be buying a newer build or looking to build - just be aware.

If I were to build again, that would be thing I'd insist on - a 28x28 or 30x30 seems like a decent/reasonable size double to me. Doors height would also need to be ample.

I currently have a 23 deep x 25 wide (older home) and my boat barely clears the door and fits in with tongue folded with little to spare. No room for a second vehicle and shelves, tools, tool boxes, winter tires, lawnmower, etc...

[roper1]

Good post, every time we test drive a vehicle, the first trip is home to check garage fit....height, length, width.

[esher]

I find urbanite issues quite comical, keep them coming.

[yoteblaster]

Built a 24x26 six years ago. Too small. Tight with a 3/4 ton quad cab.

[ram crazy]

The one attached to our house is a 16x24. We put heat in it and the boys have a nice place to keep their hockey equipment. I built a 36x38 with 14’ walls in the back yard that I put our 34’ holiday trailer, utility trailer, sxs, and the truck in.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by esher

I find urbanite issues quite comical, keep them coming.

Some of us poor suckers work in the city ..... but yeah ..... we are just getting dumber and dumber here in the city !!!

Good news is there are lots you can buy with a larger building pocket to increase the size of your garage (if you pay attention to that). It's also not that pricey to do. I think when I built it out (larger than spec) in Beaumont it was less than $6,000 iirc.

When we were shopping for this house, I rejected a dozen other properties for this reason. I got a boat. I got tools and stuff. Luckily I was paying attention.

[CBintheNorth]

28' x 26' would be substantially cheaper than anything bigger.
Any wall over 30', or an overall area larger than 728 sqft, requires an engineered slab, or a grade beam with piles.

However, it's only money that you would pay once, but a garage you'd have to live with forever....

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by roper1

Good post, every time we test drive a vehicle, the first trip is home to check garage fit....height, length, width.

One of my pet peeves, parking stalls have shrunk as well. Lots have gotten progressively smaller over the years, not so much room for a garage anymore.

Grizz

[esher]

Originally Posted by EZM

Some of us poor suckers work in the city ..... but yeah ..... we are just getting dumber and dumber here in the city !!!

Good news is there are lots you can buy with a larger building pocket to increase the size of your garage (if you pay attention to that). It's also not that pricey to do. I think when I built it out (larger than spec) in Beaumont it was less than $6,000 iirc.

When we were shopping for this house, I rejected a dozen other properties for this reason. I got a boat. I got tools and stuff. Luckily I was paying attention.

Idiot nephew in law cant get his welding truck in his garage, but note he is a welder. Just bought it. Mute point anyway he cant open the door.

[fordtruckin]

The house we bought has a 20x30 garage. I like the depth as I can fit my crew cab f150 or boat in and have room behind it and a work bench. It does suck having to do an Austin Powers type maneuver to get it close enough to the wall so my wife can get her Cherokee in with plenty of room to walk around. This winter the truck got the outside and the boat is enjoying the cover. I wish it was at least a 24x30 and wouldn’t build anything smaller than a 24x24 attached and 24x30 detached.

[let it fly]

Combine that with only a 7’door. Blows my mind why builders put in a 7’ door. Basically just a large cold storage space called a garage. Like EMZ said by the time you have a 4-5 riser step in a 20’ deep garage you can park a smart car in there.

[CaberTosser]

When I can build, its gonna have to be a good size as my Sprinter is just over 9'4" tall & just shy of 23' long. If I want to be able to open the back doors & have room to walk in front of it that means a 30' deep stall & a 10' door. I'll only need one door that tall, but the other will be minimum 8' tall, not 7'.

[Stuntcarpenter]

A wider door makes a huge difference with getting two cars in. Standard is 16’ wide but you can get a 18’ without having to get a commercial door.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

28' x 26' would be substantially cheaper than anything bigger.
Any wall over 30', or an overall area larger than 728 sqft, requires an engineered slab, or a grade beam with piles.

However, it's only money that you would pay once, but a garage you'd have to live with forever....

I had to get both my slab and plans engineered as I am getting 14’ walls and building 32’ x 32’ and the engineering was $2500. The last quote i had for material was $63,000, without concrete or labour. Just materials. The engineering is cheap. You are right though. I could have saved a few dollars.

[ChrisGrohms]

Originally Posted by HyperMOA

I had to get both my slab and plans engineered as I am getting 14’ walls and building 32’ x 32’ and the engineering was $2500. The last quote i had for material was $63,000, without concrete or labour. Just materials. The engineering is cheap. You are right though. I could have saved a few dollars.

Where did you get materials priced? Finished inside and out? Metal cladding?

[mooseknuckle]

My house built in 1983 has an attached 24×26. Fits my suburban and the boat. I'm right at the back of a culdisac so massive backyard. I built a 28x40 and use for my shoo.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by ChrisGrohms

Where did you get materials priced? Finished inside and out? Metal cladding?

Inside was only electrical and insulation. Outside was finished. The only things that would have been pricier than your average build was the 12’x12’ doors i am using, and hardie board.

The quote was from home hardware, about a year ago. I am going to start this year. I am hoping prices have come down a bit.

[elkhunter11]

I have a 31'x24' garage, but the silly steps from the house eat up 3' of length, for a good portion of the garage. So my boat/trailer, at 19' with tongue swung, only leaves about 1' of clearance from the door. So those silly little 20'x20' garages, with steps, leave only about 16' with the steps, not enough for a larger vehicle, and certainly not enough for a boat, or anything larger. If I was building new, I would put a lot more planning into the steps, either put them along one side, instead of across the end, or go with an outside entrance, and no steps. And I would never build one of those tiny 20' garages.

[waldedw]

My garage is 24 x 26 and I wish it were bigger, I back my 3500 crew cab in and the wife can drive her mid size SUV in, if we both park right we can open doors and get out without fear of banging into the other vehicle and still access the passenger side of her car, not my truck though.

I have neighbors that have nice big garages and park in the driveway year round because the garage is full of crap and they can't get a vehicle in, to each their own I guess.

[Ebrand]

Last two places.

Told the realtors to find me a a garage that my truck will fit in first. Then we can look at the rest of things.

Seriously limited my options. Tundra CrewMax is not a huge truck.....

Not paying $$$$$ for a house and parking outside in this country.

[Sooner]

From what I see with all the new hoods and double skinny/duplex homes being built on one lot, to get any kind of decent sized garage, you give up almost all of your driveway and can only park one vehicle sideways.


I grew up in a bungalow. Bought a bungalow when I moved out and got married. Nice big yard, an alley, detached big garage. Yard to park something in and parking on the driveway and front street.


Why people buy those chicken coupe houses(as my uncle calls them) with tiny yards, small garages and no parking, when you can have a older hood house is crazy to me but to each their own. I get some don't have toys, one car and never leave the city but what makes me laugh is you can sit on your deck and see everyone else sitting on their decks because they are all cookie cutter homes now.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Sooner

From what I see with all the new hoods and double skinny/duplex homes being built on one lot, to get any kind of decent sized garage, you give up almost all of your driveway and can only park one vehicle sideways.


I grew up in a bungalow. Bought a bungalow when I moved out and got married. Nice big yard, an alley, detached big garage. Yard to park something in and parking on the driveway and front street.


Why people buy those chicken coupe houses(as my uncle calls them) with tiny yards, small garages and no parking, when you can have a older hood house is crazy to me but to each their own. I get some don't have toys, one car and never leave the city but what makes me laugh is you can sit on your deck and see everyone else sitting on their decks because they are all cookie cutter homes now.

Then, when the week end comes, they rush to rv resorts and camp grounds , with their trailers, for more of the same.

Grizz

[AlbertanGP]

24' should be the minimum width for any garage, and then size the depth according to what you want to park in there. I'm not saying that's the size I would build...mine are all considerably larger. But that should be a building code minimum.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by HyperMOA

I had to get both my slab and plans engineered as I am getting 14’ walls and building 32’ x 32’ and the engineering was $2500. The last quote i had for material was $63,000, without concrete or labour. Just materials. The engineering is cheap. You are right though. I could have saved a few dollars.

The $2500 doesn't include the extra labor and material to dig, form, and reinforce the grade beam, or to drill the piles and materials that go along with it. There's a lot of labour and extra material involved in slab costs that are a direct result of the over-size.
I would estimate 20-25% cost increase besides the engineering fees.
The 14' walls add another dimension to cost entirely and isn't really relevant to most situations.

But like I said, you have to be in that garage a while so costs are relative to enjoyment and usefulness.

[Dick284]

Garage sizing rule of thumb…… what ever you think you’ll need or like for size, and go up in size by 2 feet each way or more.

I’m at 24x26 and couldn’t go much bigger due to my yard size and slope, would have like to go 26x26, but we can still fit a full size half ton and a 3 row mini van in it, I also have 1 upright and 2 medium chest style freezers, a welding bench, buzz box and a tool cabinet. I can also hang up to 3 critters without too much disruption.

[graybeard]

I would not construct a garage and not install "box trusses". That overhead space is invaluable....make sure you wire in lights up there too.

If you are a hunter then plan on shoring up a few trusses for the occasional added weight.

Wall plugs 4' off the ground and 8' apart; minimum 4 plugs on your bench. Lots of lights.

Good luck

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by graybeard

I would not construct a garage and not install "box trusses". That overhead space is invaluable....make sure you wire in lights up there too.

If you are a hunter then plan on shoring up a few trusses for the occasional added weight.

Wall plugs 4' off the ground and 8' apart; minimum 4 plugs on your bench. Lots of lights.

Good luck

Lots of good ideas here.

Grizz

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

The $2500 doesn't include the extra labor and material to dig, form, and reinforce the grade beam, or to drill the piles and materials that go along with it. There's a lot of labour and extra material involved in slab costs that are a direct result of the over-size.
I would estimate 20-25% cost increase besides the engineering fees.
The 14' walls add another dimension to cost entirely and isn't really relevant to most situations.

But like I said, you have to be in that garage a while so costs are relative to enjoyment and usefulness.

No piles. No labour. I'm building it. The wife says my time is worthless. The pad has less rebar than I planned to use and one inch thicker than I planned so not a huge difference from what I was building. No where near 20-25% more. And that is only the pad. Everything else was as I estimated. The 14' wall is so I can use a lift inside of it. That was what I expected for materials too. So I have something that should be nice and big and it cost $2500. 30 years from now I'll laugh at that cost as I use my lift. I could save that money much easier by switching to vinyl siding from Hardie Board. Buy once, cry once.

Mind you I spoke with a couple engineers before I used one. The one guy would've had me spend a million dollars on a pad, you are right about that. Call the next guy, and bingo, this guy knows what is realistic.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by graybeard

I would not construct a garage and not install "box trusses". That overhead space is invaluable....make sure you wire in lights up there too.

I am struggling with this too. I was going to use storage trusses, but do I really want to schlep junk up a 20' ladder into my attic? If I was building an 8-10' wall I think I would, but with a 14' wall I should have enough room for shelves and what-not. I'm really torn on this. Normally I would agree with you, but struggling with the idea now.

[HyperMOA]

As for the step problem. The day I moved into my house there was a 4' x 6' landing attached to the house with railing as "code". That was immediately tore off the wall as the builder handed me the keys. I have 3 steps with rails in and out of the garage. Saved me 24 square feet.