My garage site plan
Watch the video on this page to see my site plan and learn about Site Plans, in general. The video also answers the question, “How much does it cost to remove a tree?”
I had to remove a large fir tree to build my garage, so this was an important question to me.
If you want to learn more about site plans or you need some help creating your own, visit “What is a site plan?” Or take a look at the resources listed on the How to Build a Garage page.
What is a site plan?
A site plan, or a “plot plan,” is a drawing that shows what currently exists on your property. It also shows anything you are proposing to add to your property. In my case, that addition is a garage.
When I created my site plan, I measured my existing house, and then measured the area where I was planning to build my garage. My garage fit nicely because I live on a relatively large piece of property. This made it easy to avoid building too close to my neighbors.
Below is a look at the site plan for my garage construction project. Mine is very simple without too many details. My site plan will give you an idea of what is required in some areas, but some building authorities may require more details.
Garage Site Plan Example. This is a very simple site plan. Yours may require more or less information.
The problem with my site plan
Even without the neighbor or property line issues, other things may hinder your building process. One of those hindrances for me was 120 feet tall.
As you can see in the video, I was standing on top of what’s left of the 120-foot-tall fir tree that sat next to my house. When I laid out my new garage, it was obvious this 70-year-old beauty had to go.
I hate cutting down trees, so this was not an easy decision. After talking with three arborists and discussing the pros and cons of building around the tree, I decided to take it down.
One of the hidden challenges with leaving the tree was the extensive root system. The roots extended under my existing home foundation and under the proposed foundation for my new garage.
Even with the tree removed, I had to dig out the roots that extended under what would be my new foundation and concrete slab. My arborist reminded me that roots will eventually rot and collapse, causing my foundation and slab to sink. The process takes 10 or 15 years, but it will eventually happen.
How much does it cost to remove a large tree?
That depends. Costs are generally lower if the tree can be dropped in one piece. If you live close to your neighbors and your tree has to be removed one small piece at a time, the cost will be higher. Other factors include:
- Will the wood be removed from your property?
- Will the branches be chipped and left for you, or removed?
- Will you or the tree service clean up the mess?
It all factors into the cost. To give you an idea of the cost, I had bids from $300 – $900 just to drop the tree. To have the tree cut into 16” lengths for firewood, the cost went up to between $1500 and $1900.
Finally, to have the tree completely removed, including grinding of the stump, the cost went up to $2900. What’s the lesson? Think carefully about how you want to handle your tree removal and be sure to get 2 or 3 bids. Costs can vary a lot, as I discovered with my project.
What’s the next step?
Now that the tree is down, I will be removing the roots before starting to layout the foundation. Watch for future videos to show you how we lay out the foundation, and then get moving on pouring concrete.
Watch Me Build My Garage
REMEMBER to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and follow along as I build my 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 garage construction project. We’ll talk again soon – this is Pat from GarageHowTo.com