What’s on this page?
- Help with garage planning.
- Ideal size and cost to build a garage.
- If you already know what you want, go straight to the building plans page.
Do you need garage plans for a garage apartment or guest house, workshop or home office, starter home, recreation center or even your cars? Planning saves time, money and headaches.
A properly sized garage makes all the difference, so you first need to clarify WHY you are building a garage. WHAT will you do there? Park your cars, enjoy your hobbies, work on your cars or other home projects? HOW much do you plan to spend, on plans and on the actual construction? In other words, what is your budget?
It pays to answer these questions before you look for garage plans.
Garage Plans – Where do you start?
- If you know what you want, go straight to information on plans.
- Visit the 3-Car and 2-Car planning pages for information and insight on garage sizing and layout, including videos.
- See “How big does your Garage need to be?” below.
- Explore the rest of our site to learn about garage organization and storage, garage doors and openers, and many other topics that will help with your decisions.
- Take a look at our recommended books.
- Once you know what you need, browse through hundreds of garage-related plans at online house and garage plan sites here, including free garage plans, plans for two, three or more cars, garage apartment plans and plans for your workshop or home office.
Before you buy garage plans, ask yourself a few questions:
Why are you building a garage?
Do you really want to store your car inside, or are you just looking for a place to put more stuff? If you need a home for your car(s), remember to leave room for the stuff, too! Invest the time to find the right garage building plan for your lifestyle. Think about your hobbies and recreational activities, workshop and car repair needs, and all that stuff you need to store! How about a place to exercise?
Many people will even build and live in a beautiful garage apartment before eventually building their dream home on the same property. Besides being a less expensive starter home, they end up with a great guest house, home office or studio once the main house is finished. The possibilities are endless for what will likely be the largest room in your home.
How big does your garage need to be?
If you think a 20 X 20 foot garage will do the trick, think again. Even if you drive the new eight foot long Smart ForTwo coupe (cute as a bug!), you may want to think about a few other things. Consider a garage building plan at least 24 feet deep and that leaves room for a workbench, extra storage, a sink, and a host of other conveniences.
Decide on a 2 car garage plan at least 24 X 24 feet, and you may even have room to open your car doors for loading and unloading . . . no more car door dings! Interested in a 3 car plan? You will definitely have more room, but you need to be sure what’s going in there before making your decision.
Proper garage sizing makes a world of difference. Even 2, 3 or 4 extra feet in width or depth can make your garage more functional and your resale value much higher. Learn more about the ideal garage size before you build (that link takes you to the 2 car plans page, but it also links to the 3 car page with even more information).
Garage Building Cost – What is your budget and what will it cost?
That depends on who you ask. With new home construction at $100 per square foot or more, you can add substantially to your home’s functional space at less than half the cost.
In some parts of the country, you can have a new garage built for as little as $20 per square foot. However, you can also spend more than $50 per square foot in more expensive areas.
For most garage construction, costs vary but it’s a good idea to budget from $35 to $50 per square foot. The cost also depends on how far you go with finish, garage organization options, etc.
Garage door cost is another wildcard. There are almost limitless garage door options that will impact the final cost of your project. Garage doors cost from $600 to $10,000 or more, depending on size, materials, etc.
The right Garage Building Plans make all the Difference
CAUTION! Don’t get fooled into thinking free plans will save you a lot of money. They may not. Learn more about free plans before making your decision.
Why so much emphasis on the garage?
While most remodeling projects add only 80 or 90 cents to the value of your home for every dollar invested, a garage addition may add less than 50 cents per dollar invested. So why do it?
If you are planning to move right away, a garage addition may not be the best investment. On the other hand, having a well-designed, well-organized, immaculate garage will likely sell your home much faster than the one down the street.
If you are planning to stay put for a while, the benefits far outweigh the costs (in my opinion!). What’s the value of peace of mind? Of walking into a clean, well organized, multi-purpose addition to your home? Of storing your valuable cars inside? And, if you DO decide to sell your home in the future, you will still have the competitive advantage over dozens or hundreds of other homes on the market.
The right garage building plan makes all the difference!
Choosing the right garage building plans can make all the difference. Remember to visit a variety of online house and garage plans websites for hundreds of garage plans (two, three or more cars), garage apartment plans, and plans for your workshop or home office.
Visit the Garage Building Plans page with links to my favorite plan sites.