How to build a garage from the ground up

Step 15 Next Steps

Congratulations. Your garage is mostly weather tight and structurally complete. Before you can do anything else you need to get another inspection of the rough framing and construction. Give your inspector a call and have him/her take a look and sign off so that you can start covering things up with siding and interior finish work. This should be the second to last construction inspection that you will need to get. The final inspection will be a quick once over to make sure you have numbers on the structure visible for emergency crews and to verify any corrections that the inspector wants you to make. Then you are done!

Except for the siding. Oh, and the fascia. And the soffits. Not to mention any trim you want to add. And if you want to do any work or have lights you will need to do the electrical installation which requires a completely different permit and series of inspections. After all that you can then insulate and finish the interior.

The good news for me is that you have now built or at least have an idea of how to build a garage from the ground up, which is the limit of my involvement. Good luck with the rest of it. The electrical is the only real challenge. Keep your eyes peeled for another Instructable detailing the electrical process. But don't hold your breath.

The photos below show the completed project from the front, back, and a show of the interior in all its messy glory. In the corner by the windows is a built-in workbench that may be the subject of a future Instructable, it is sturdy as a tank and cost about $10 to build out of scrap lumber.

Thanks to all my friends and family who helped throughout the garage project. I could have done it without you, but it would have sucked a lot. And would probably have fallen over on my head. Twice. Thanks also to the patient inspectors who answered my questions and put up with our shenanigans.

Comments

[zra]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together, what did you use as a moisture barrier? Did you insulate the walls?

Thanks

[jmengel]

I did not use a house wrap moisture barrier.  I did insulate the walls with a craft faced fiberglass and sheathed the interior walls with 1/2" plywood.  I'm not sure the insulation does much since there is no ceiling and the roof is uninsulated, but the plywood was a great idea since it allows me to screw in mounts, cabinets and other gear just about anywhere and it has allowed me to unscrew the plywood panels at will to make changes to the electrical systems as needed.  This came in handy a few weeks ago when I had to run wiring for a photovoltaic system that I installed on the garage roof.

Maybe I should write that process up...

[zra]

Thanks so much for the quick response.

Yes I'd like to see any additional work you've done.

I'm planning the same sort of garage thing, but I want to insulate the roof and walls. We get no ice here in So Cal, but it gets roasting hot in the summer. I have been told to make sure to use a moisture barrier and weep screens at the bottom of the walls to avoid mold problems.

On another note, was there a reason you chose this type of roof construction over what is called Type 5 which has a central beam and provides more open rafter space?

I'm in the research phase, I'm right on the fence between trying to build one myself and just buying a Tuff-Shed brand garage as I don't have a bunch of framing experience.

Thanks again

[jmengel]

Well the solar install is mainly a RTFM on the panel, inverter, and racking.  Along with a sprinkling of local electrical code errata, so I haven't spent any time writing it up.  I'll tell you though that having the panels on the south facing roof do keep the garage cooler.  Basically functional shade.

Using the moisture wrap and screens are a good idea, I just didn't feel it was needed on our install.  Time will tell, and at least I know where to find the builder for rework.

I chose this type of roof construction because of low cost, ease of build and permit approval.  Getting a plan approved and passing inspection is easy with pre-fabbed trusses but takes a lot more work on a hand built roof as you describe.  I just didn't have the confidence in getting a ridge beam hoisted 20+ feet in the air.  Those LVL beams are heavy as heck, and getting them in position at the peak would require a crane that I did not have or desire to rent.  An attic with more storage room is possible with that type of roof, but I am able to store a fair amount of stuff in the trusswork so I can't complain.  The main reason I would go that route would be to allow an insulated ceiling in the main garage room, and a separate attic with access hatch/ladder.  That would allow the garage to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  However, the attic would be hot as all hell and limit what you could store up there.

Framing is pretty easy if you can measure and mark wood, make consistent square cuts to length within 1/8" of desired, have access to a pneumatic framing nailer, and if you have fairly straight lumber.  Sizing and design of the door and window openings and headers can be an area where experience is helpful.  That said, building it yourself is more fun than a Tuff-Shed any day, at least once you are finished.

[zra]

I'd like to do it myself, after reading all of this I'm considering very seriously. The project is about as complicated as yours except for demo of the existing structure. I have an existing garage that is the New Orleans of garages, it's 8" below grade on all sides when it rains hard I get 2" of standing water inside and after 60 years some of the sill plates are rotten and the stucco is peeling off. I'd need to knock the whole thing down, though I could probably salvage a lot of the lumber, pour more slab on top of the existing slab to raise it up with rebar to hold it in place and then build a new one on 1' stem walls. This would also give me a chance to make the garage 10' longer. I'm thinking of a Hybrid approach, a contractor to prep and pout the slab and stem walls and maybe a roofer to do the shingling and perhaps a pro for stucco. I read through your piece again, some details that seem to be missing are the actual building of the trusses and the block stem wall.

[jpb280]

Hello jmengel!  GREAT write up.  Love the sarcasm and jokes throughout.  As everyone else who is reading this, I too am in the planning stages of building a garage.  How big is your garage door?  Is that a 2 car or 1?  TIA!

[jmengel]

The garage door is a standard 16 feet wide door, a two car.  This winter was the first time we had two cars in it, and even with all the tools and other stuff it worked fine.  If we had SUV's I would say an 18 foot door or larger would be really nice to have.  So take that into account. 

[nyotasandja]

These are the best instructions ever written...
Do you have an idea how much it would cost to build a commercial lube shop? Let's say 3 bays, 1 waiting area, 1 restroom, 1 office and 1 break room?
I think I could really use your help as much as possible. If you think you could help, e-mail me at [e-mail]

Thanks a lot!

[jmengel]

The requirements for a commercial building are substantially different than a residential dwelling. Not to mention the infrastructure for hydraulic lifts and other capabilities required for the shop you describe.  Additionally, in many locations (at least in the US) you need to be licensed and bonded to do work (electrical, plumbing, etc) on a commercial building whereas if you are the homeowner they give you a lot more lee-way to screw things up yourself.

To answer your questions, I don't know how much it would cost, I don't think you can do it yourself, and thanks for reading.

[rglbgl41]

I just completed a 24X24 foot work shop using this site. The building turned out great. Now I have to get the electrical installed. Any help doing this?  Thanks for the great instructables

[jmengel]

I can certainly answer questions, but I didn't take photos of the electrical install in the garage (or attic renovation) so a detailed step by step is not in the cards.  Many of the books at your local hardware store or library have the basics of electrical work and cover anything a home owner will need.  For a shop, just get a few hundred feet of 12-2 Romex and string it everywhere. Leave some slack where you are going to cut in an outlet.  If you want 3-way switched stuff get some 12-3.  12 gauge is good for 20 amps and you will want 20 amp breakers at least on all outlets.  You could get away with 14 gauge on the lights.  Be sure to check your local codes, as outlets in shops/garages usually need to be elevated 48" above the floor and GFCI protected.  Good luck.

-Jon

[regoody43]

I plan on building a 28'x32' to add a car lift. Any suggestions on wall height. I was thinking 2' block and 12' walls. The area for lift 6" concrete rest of floor 4" concrete. Suggestions please. These steps are very helpful that you posted I plan on doing all the work except foundation and concrete to save on cost. With money saved I can add lift. Thanks

[slgegg]

first would find out the max height of the lift, then the size of the object being used on the lift either it's a car, suv, or truck. example is the max height of the lift is six feet and the height of the suv is five feet then the roof rack may scrape the truss.   maybe you need to raise the wall height to 16' to allow enough space to not create this dig. i would make the floor 6 bag concrete, 6" depth with alot of rebar. lift pressure may cause 4' depth to crack.

[jmengel]

Hey, the bigger the better. In my locale, there are limits on the height of auxiliary structures so I went with 8" block and 8' studs which gives ~9' ceiling with the double top plates. For a lift, if you want to lift a 6' tall truck 7' in the air you will need at least 13' of clearance so I would take a guess at the type of vehicles I was planning on working on and use that. I couldn't say how thick the concrete needs to be under the lift but I would check with the manufacturer of the lift and the concrete contractor they should have the info needed. Good luck, sounds like a sweet setup.

[pigsnfish]

We just bought a house that is in desperate need of a garage. We are planning on doing it ourselves and this instructable may just be our saving grace! Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[jmengel]

Glad to be of service. Good luck with your project. Be sure to check the codes in your area, just because what I describe passed in my neck of the woods doesn't guarantee it will in yours.

[Dreizehn]

The garage looks great! I'm planning on constructing a garage myself (for my parents), but I do have some time constraints. Do you have any idea on how long this took? Or even better, how long each stage took? Thanks!

[jmengel]

Getting the walls, the roof trusses and sheathing took a weekend (crew of 4). Shingles, windows and doors another (crew of 4). The siding another (crew of 2). The interior wiring, paneling and trim took longer because I was doing it myself and had no time constraints. We did not work that hard and had lots of jawing and beer breaks. If you were pressed for time and had a good plan with all dimensions planned out, all materials on hand (no trips to Home Depot), and a hardy crew of 4 you could get the walls, roof, sheathing, and shingles on in one long weekend. You'd probably need to work friday evening, and all day sat and sun (9am to 8pm or so) depending on how big the garage and how many windows, doors, and other fancy details. Good luck.

[AlaskaErik]

Just curious, but why the plywood sheathing on the inside? I was planning on using sheetrock.

[jmengel]

Plywood sheathing on the inside so I can hang stuff everywhere and anywhere I want. I hate being limited to the studs and with the plywood I can screw or nail anywhere. Besides I like the woodgrain look. additionally, I can also remove the plywood by unscrewing it to repair or modify. I have already done this once in order to run some additional wiring. Works great.

[Dreizehn]

The Plywood looks great, but I usually use Pegboard instead. That way you have holes everywhere to hang stuff. Perfect for a workroom! Great writeup!

[joecooljsi]

We are putting up a garage kit that gives so little direction that I had to go do a search on the web and found this site. After reading the instructions I have a lot of confidence and feel like I now know how to put up a garage. Thanks

[jmengel]

Great to hear. Good luck, and let me know if you hit any snags. -Jon

[kmiller118]

This is AWESOME! I am getting ready to build my garage (25x29), I recently hired a contractor and he quoted me 32k on the whole thing, while I didn't have that much accessible at the time I asked him how much for the first step, the foundation, he said 8k, OK no problem he moved a shed to rear of property, dug foundation, laid footing and blocked (no floor), I asked how much for next step, (framing) he said 9k, well since i don't have it i ventured on the web and stumbled across this GREAT site! Now the trusses will cost 3k, i saw the invoice, but there is no way I am paying him 6k to frame this thing, I am 100% confident I can do this myself, its just having the guts to tell my contractor who is also a good friend that I am going to proceed by myself, with some free help of course from closer friends! I will always refer to this site! Thanks a bunch!

[speakwithrich]

1.) Excellent Presentation! What "software" did you use to design your garage and how much is is? It looks good enough to use as a building plan for the permits? 2.) What was the approximate cost of everything for this job...cement included? 3.) How long did it take from start to finish? 4.) How was it lifting the awkward and heavy trusses? Thank you very much for such a perfect and helpful blog, your the best.

[jmengel]

The software is Google SketchUp, it is free. I used it along with a drawing program (InkScape, also free) to create the plan drawings for the permit. They don't require much. The approximate cost of everything was somewhere in the range of $12-15k. I haven't really broken it all out. The slab was by far the biggest piece. Lifting the trusses was no big deal with 2 people.

[hmcclain]

This is great!! Now I can be master of my own garage- Heidi Mc