How much does it cost to build a garage?

This page and video are focused on one question: How much does it cost to build a garage?

Hey there, it’s Pat from Garage How To and this is the How to Build a Garage series. Follow along as I build my own garage and share every step along the way.  

 

To be clear, this video talks about actual construction costs and not your personal construction budget. “How much does it cost to build a garage?” and “What Is Your Budget?” are really two separate questions with very different answers.

If you want to hear my thoughts on garage budgeting, you should finish watching this video and then watch the video I made to answer the question about Garage Construction Budgeting.

So . . . How much does it cost to build a garage?

As you might imagine, that question comes up A LOT, and the answer is what you might expect: It depends. Construction costs can vary wildly in different areas of the country, or even in your own town or city depending on the contractor you choose. [thrive_text_block color=”note” headline=”Garage Construction Costs”] When I started planning to build my own garage, I used $50 per square foot as a guideline. For a simple 24’ x 24’ two-car garage, that’s 576 square feet x $50 = $28,800.

My local County building department uses a calculator to estimate building costs when calculating the cost of building permits. For garage space they use $45.09 per square foot. That makes our 576 square foot garage a bargain at $25,971.84.

If you’re a skilled DIY-er and you do some or most of the work yourself, you might be able to cut the total cost by another 25-40%. [/thrive_text_block]

Stock vs. Custom Garage Plans

As I build my own garage, I’ll be posting all of the costs for your reference. Here’s a quick example of how costs can vary wildly for your own garage.

Let’s say you are building a simple detached garage and you use stock building plans. You can probably find exactly what you need for about $250. On the other hand, you can hire a designer for your attached garage, like I did, and spend $1500-$2000 or more. If I ever do build a detached garage, I’ll probably go with stock plans.

You can probably find exactly what you need for about $250. On the other hand, you can hire a designer for your attached garage, like I did, and spend $1500-$2000 or more.

For my current project, the design needed to fit with our house and pass muster with our local building authority. I also met with a planner at our County building department to see if stock plans were allowed.

The planner said I could use stock plans, but I would need an engineer to mate the plans with our house if it would be attached. After considering the cost of an engineer, and thinking more about the custom nature of our garage design, I opted for custom plans.

I actually had two quotes for plans. One was just north of $3200 and one was $1500. After checking references for both designers, I went with the less expensive one. In the end, my garage grew in size and complexity, and I paid $2000 for the final drawings.

Cost Considerations When Budgeting

If you want a detailed list of costs associated with your specific garage construction project, you can work with a contractor and ask for a line-by-line bid or proposal, or you can create a list of your own. To make this a little easier for you, I created a detailed list of everything you might find on a garage construction bid.

While your garage may not include everything on my list, and my list may not include everything on your dream list, it will give you a head start.

You may also find this and a load of other resources by visiting garagehowto.com/build-a-garage. The Construction Cost Worksheet is in the Personal Planning section.

Estimating Garage Construction Costs

How much does it cost to build a garage? In ballpark numbers, count on $40-$50 per square foot when you hire a contractor. If you do a lot of the work yourself, you may be able to save another 25% or more.

More complicated designs will cost more. Heated space will cost more. And, indoor basketball courts will cost more (like the one I’m building). Take the time to do your homework and you’ll be a lot happier in the end.

Watch Me Build My Garage

REMEMBER to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and and follow along as I build my own garage, sharing everything I learn along the way.

Visit the How To Build a Garage page for detailed steps, videos and resources to help with your own garage construction project. We’ll talk again soon – this is Pat from GarageHowTo.com.