Estimating the Cost of Your New garage

A new garage is a great addition to a home since it adds resale value as well as providing extra storage or even living space for your family. However, garages can be costly (even if you do a lot of the work yourself), so, if you're thinking about adding a garage to your home, here's some things you need to include when estimating the cost of your new garage.

Tools

Fortunately building a garage doesn't require a lot of specialized tools and most DIY'ers will have most of the tools needed. However, in addition to the standard woodworking tools such as hammers, saws and measuring tapes remember you will also need rakes, shovels, and a strong wheel barrow which aren't part of most woodworking projects.
As well, a garage needs to be built on solid footings dug deeply into the ground, so you might want to include the cost of hiring or renting a small backhoe to dig them.

Design and plans

  • You can find reasonably priced garage plans on line or purchase you own design software package and actually design your garage yourself. However, in the long run, hiring a designer to create your own unique plan may be worthwhile since, in addition to ensuring your design conforms with building codes, the designer should also be able to provide you with a detailed list of all the components needed for your garage.

Building materials

  • Obviously, you'll need wood for the framing and roof trusses as well as plywood or OSB for sheathing and the roof. You'll also need rebar for the concrete, shingles,windows, doors, insulation, wiring and electrical fixtures and possibly plumbing components, drain pipes, a heater and drywall for the interior.
  • Also, don't forget to include the cost of any storage racks, cabinets or a work bench.
  • Garage doors and openers are expensive and go up from the $1000 price tag for a standard sized, single garage door. While it may be an added expense, having a professional install your garage doors may be worth the cost, since an inexperienced installer (YOU) can literally spend days installing garage doors,

Concrete

  • You'll need lots of concrete for your garage footing, walls and floor. Renting a cement mixer is one option, but mixing concrete one bag at a time is a long, tedious process and it would be a good idea to find out how much it would cost to have a concrete supplier provide you premixed concrete..
  • Since the price of concrete varies by region and time of year you may be able to save some money if you can build when demand for concrete is low.

Permits and inspections

  • Most communities require you to have a building permit for your new garage. Depending on your location this cost could range from a few hundred to potentially thousands of dollars.
  • While in most locations you're able to do the wiring in your garage yourself, be sure to have your work inspected so you know your home insurance provider will also cover your garage.
Murray Anderson is a veteran freelancer whose work has been appeared in books, newspapers and newsletters as well as on numerous web sites in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics including home, consumer, and personal subjects as well as general business and Marketing specific topics.