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Home improvement project.
Building a garage is an excellent choice for a home
improvement project. A garage not only serves as a place
to protect your car(s) from the elements, but somewhere
to store tools, sports equipment, and boxes of junk
that you just can't seem to part with. It can also provide
a space to work on various projects - anything from
pottery to potting plants to repairing and restoring
cars.
Garages aren't just for cars anymore!
You can also build a garage to add square footage to
a house for less cost than a standard home addition
- for example, as a playroom for the kids or as a home
office. Just think, in 1939, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard
created their first product and formed their company,
Hewlett Packard, in their garage. And what about the
countless bands that have started out in the garage?
For anyone with a musically-inclined teenager (and even
more so for the non-musically-inclined), a garage can
be a godsend as a practice space.
Do it for the benefits, not the resale value.
But for all the added convenience of a new garage,
be aware that you probably won't get fully reimbursed
for the addition when you sell your house. A garage
addition can cost upwards of $13,000, and you can expect
to get around a 60% return on your investment (although
these numbers may vary depending on factors such as
your geographic location, your neighborhood and the
real estate market at the time you're selling your home).
Think of the remaining 40% of the cost in terms of
the personal and other financial benefits you'll enjoy.
Things like improved lifestyle, recreational benefits,
protection and safety for your car, a tax write-off
if you use the space for a home office, and the cost
savings of not having to move to another home.
Local building regulations.
When building a garage, we start by consulting the
local planning department for information about , zoning
regulations and set back requirements, which regulate
how close we can build to neighboring property or to
the road. We will produce the construction plans and
a plot plan which indicates where on your land your
garage will be built.
How big?
So how big should you build your garage? A single garage
should be at least 20 feet deep and 14 feet wide, measured
on the exterior. The minimum width for a double garage
should be 22 feet, but you'll need more space if you're
planning on putting in a workbench or if you'll need
to store bicycles, tools or anything. A nice comfortable
size to fit 2 vehicles and room for a workbench and
some storage is 24’ wide and 24’ deep. Whatever size
you choose, your garage will cost roughly from the mid
thirties per square foot. Don't forget that you can
take advantage of the height in your garage by using
the trusses to hang shelving, bicycles, etc.
Symphony Structures LLC will orchestrate the
show.
Building a garage addition can be a complex job, so
it's important to hire a reputable, licensed contractor.
Symphony Structures will help you design a basic garage
and even make working drawings that are required to
obtain the necessary permits. But more importantly,
Symphony Structures will coordinate the various phases
of the project, and bring in appropriate specialists
at the right times. These may include sub-contractors
to do demolition, excavation and back filling to prepare
the site for building, form setting for the foundation,
framing and carpentry for the structure and roof, and
adding windows, doors, roofing, exterior siding, electricity,
ventilation and painting.
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