cheaper to build or buy

[noxided]

Im looking to get a garage soon that is a 25 x 30. would it be cheaper for me to build it myself or so but a turn key package? I have found some that are around 8K for concrete and building.

 

[yellowgt1vert]

Give us some more details on what you are getting for 8K...that seems pretty reasonable. I've got 16k in a 24x30 with 12' walls, a single 8x8 door and a 16x8 door-both high lift. This was for the building, doors (2 garage doors, 1 walk door), windows (2-3x5), concrete and drive for the building (20x30). I'm doing the insulation, wiring, and drywall myself.

Location will help too as costs in one area will be very different than others.

 

[noxided]

the price includes the floor, wood structure with r panel, 1 window, 1 roll up door and a steel entry door. 25x30 montgomery texas

 

[gtivr4]

8k with concrete? That sounds pretty tough to beat.

 

[Chris Adams]

Hard to believe. My 24x28 was about three times that much, and that was considered a very low price.

 

[5lima30]

Is that stick built or pole barn style? Is that a monolithic slab or stemwall w/ slab? Make sure that includes re-bar and footers with chairblock. You'll be sorry if you don't. Usually pole barn construction is somewhat cheaper...if you're having it built by a company. If you are building yourself I find that stick built is easier to do by yourself if you have little or no help. YMMV.

 

[stafford]

You'll definitely get more for your money if you can build it yourself. If you're capable and have the TIME go for it. You'll also need some good help if you're going to get it done in any kind of a timely manner. I'm still working on a 20 x 28 on a slab with a block foundation. A 10 x 8 roll up door with liftmaster, man door and 3 windows, fully insulated, sheetrock and painted. I'm working on workbench/ cabinet now and I've got around 9000 in it.maybe a little more, say 17.00 per sq. ft. It's snug as a bug in there and easy to heat. if you take your 700 ft. and multiply by 17 it's right at 12,000. That's doing everything yourself or using almost free labor. I built my own trusses , they were 16.00 each when all was said and done. The framing materials are the cheapest part of your project. I mighta had 1000 in the framing, about 1500 in the slab and foundation. after that the bigger ticket items are, in my case, metal roofing, lights, smart side, roll-up door and the operator. Now I did hire some fellows from your neck of th e woods to hang and finish the sheet rock. That was actually my biggest expense. I couild have done it but it would have taken forever.

 

[Scooterfish]

Is that stick built or pole barn style? Is that a monolithic slab or stemwall w/ slab? Make sure that includes re-bar and footers with chairblock. You'll be sorry if you don't. Usually pole barn construction is somewhat cheaper...if you're having it built by a company. If you are building yourself I find that stick built is easier to do by yourself if you have little or no help. YMMV.

What is chairblock? Thanks

 

[UncleJoe]

It can almost always be built for less money if you do it yourself but the big question is time.

All over America are guys with partially finished shops because they are out of time. If you have the time and skills then build it. Some would rather work in the shop than on the shop.

For the price you were quoted I would go with that builder after I had personally visited some of his previous builds and talked to the owners of those builds. His price seems too good to be true.

 

[csp]

What is chairblock? Thanks

Pretty sure the reference is to rebar chairs that keep the rebar spaced properly in the middle of the slab rather than at the bottom of the mud.

I'd be skeptical of the price given. There have to be some corners cut to be that cheap.

 

[Old Moparz]

When my wife & I bought our house there was no garage. The plan was to simply add it later, so when I saw a builder advertise in the paper, a complete 2 car garage, 24'x 24' with a slab for a set price, I called. The price was based on the location that it was going to be constructed, being flat. Any grading that needed to be done, or the import or disposing of surplus soil would be extra, which is understandable. The thing to keep in mind is that a turn key price may exclude certain things, so make sure of what is or isn't included.

As for doing it yourself, yes, you will save a lot of money. Like others have said though, if you have the time & are honest to yourself about your skill level, then go for it. I did my own garage & it took a lot longer than I had originally planned. I had built additions on homes & have done many phases of residential construction in the past so I wasn't afraid to tackle a 2 story building. Sometimes a minor setback in the construction, or some kind of family crisis can be a major time frame setback.

My garage cost was just shy of $15,000 in 1997. I never bothered with getting quotes, but my boss's nephew had just built a house the same year I did the garage. He considered a detached garage, but didn't for budget reasons. He looked at my plan & did a rough cost calculation based on the square footage quotes he got & said mine would have ran about $45,000 if his contractor built it. The savings can be substantial.

 

[brownbagg]

the material ging be the same if you build or contractor build, but contractor got wages, insurance, profit, taxes, vehicle, etc. so can save over half doing it yourself. Most people will claim, "I dont have the time" but to save 25k, you will make the time

 

[Grumpy365]

8k with concrete? That sounds pretty tough to beat.

If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is!

Check, double check and tripple check the contractor.

Also, here are a couple of threads you should read.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80776&referrerid=47711
(as an example of what can go wrong)

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83925&referrerid=47711



http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84324&referrerid=47711

 

[yellowgt1vert]

I'll throw in a clarification on my 24x30 shop...

Stemwall construction-stick built. I used masonite siding as I know I'm going to brick it eventually...but have to find the "vintage" brick to match the 73 year old home.

I've got 30 yr shingles, the window are basic white aluminum, the door is steel with a small light at the top.

I didn't go fancy...but that leaves more $$ for creativity inside.

Bigger is always better, but you'll always fill it up. Mine is looking pretty crowded as I set up my two 4-post lifts and work around two snap-on boxes-mines a 1000 series bottom with 700 series top and 1000 series side locker...my son's is the smaller single bank top and bottom with locker.

I thought a two car would be enough...had room for a three car and did it... With the two stackers I'll have parking for five in this shop and two on the house...and I'm wondering if I don't need the third lift! The wife just might shoot me!

 

[mikeyr]

When it came time to build my shop, I was going to do it myself to save money. My wife asked me if I really wanted to work on a garage for 2 years or pay up front and work on my cars and IN the garage for 2 years. It doubled my cost but they worked on it every day for 2 months instead of me working on it most weekend for 2 years. I might still not be finished with it by now but instead my car is nearing the finish line.

It was funny to watch, first week, grade and pour slab, second week frame and start roof, 3rd week finish roof and siding, fourth week finish siding, install doors....thought it was done but it took another 4 weeks to finish all the wiring and insulating and drywall, the details took almost as long as the actual construction. There were rain/weather/permit delays as well, could have been done much faster but it really showed that framing and roofing is the entire job.

 

[Grumpy365]

When it came time to build my shop, I was going to do it myself to save money. My wife asked me if I really wanted to work on a garage for 2 years or pay up front and work on my cars and IN the garage for 2 years. It doubled my cost but they worked on it every day for 2 months instead of me working on it most weekend for 2 years. I might still not be finished with it by now but instead my car is nearing the finish line.

It was funny to watch, first week, grade and pour slab, second week frame and start roof, 3rd week finish roof and siding, fourth week finish siding, install doors....thought it was done but it took another 4 weeks to finish all the wiring and insulating and drywall, the details took almost as long as the actual construction. There were rain/weather/permit delays as well, could have been done much faster but it really showed that framing and roofing is the entire job.

Your wife is a very WISE woman.

 

[Chris Adams]

One thing, until you start getting bids, you are just blowing smoke.

Call at least four, probably eight, contractors with your build idea.
Get prices. Get them to make suggestions.
This will cost you nothing, and may amaze the heck out of you.

Also, write down the name of each contractor on a sheet of paper, or on in a document on your computer.

After each visit, note some salient facts;
Did he show on time?
Did he have an attitude?
Was he going to do the job by subcontracting or did he actually have a crew?
Write down his estimates for how long it was going to take.
Look him and his truck over. Look like he's successful, or just squeaking by.
How long did it take for him to get back with the paperwork? All of them will give you a written copy of the estimate. Look that over, good or bad? Did it take him two weeks to get it back? Or did he just guesstimate in the front seat of his truck and hand you notes?


I did all this, and man am I happy I did.
Price variance was 20-34 on the same thing.
That's before I upgraded my order after I had signed papers. Wanted more square feet, more concrete, but that was all added on at a good price.

The contractors I 'down-checked' were because;
1 was going to do the whole job himself, with very minor sub-contracting. That's OK, but his estimate was 4 months. His two references said his work was "Um, OK, but slow".

2 didn't show even the day they promised. Since punctuality on construction is everything...
2 Never showed at all.
1 was a very successful sub contractor, who used low bids on every single aspect. No people he used on every job. His references were all over the map. "Had to wait for weeks for concrete, or roof, or whatever".
The one I picked had the lowest bid, but what sold me was 1. He wanted the job. 2. he seemed very competent, handled all my questions and pointed out things that would help. 3. His references (many) all thought he did great work. 4. While he never picked up a hammer, or even came to the job (except on friendly 'visits') he used mostly the same people over and over. When he did subcontract (garage door) he sent two local, good firms out. I met and talked with each of the door installers, and when I called my contractor and told me I like one of them over the other, he didn't argue, or anything, just said 'then that's who we will use'. I found out later it cost him more to go with the guy I liked.

Net result, I would highly recommend the contractor that did my job.
Told him he could use me as a reference, but he has so many that I never have been called.
I have hired several of his employees for 'moonlight' jobs, with the contractors consent, since then.

 

[Deltarat]

I priced all the materials to build my 30 x 62 shop. I had it built for about $500 more than the materials would have cost me. They did a very good job. The difference was that they poured the concrete for $2.65 a square foot and $4.50 was the cheapest price I could find. I did furnish the rebar in addition to the $2.65. They wanted to use fiber and I wanted rebar.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

8,000.00 is a darned good price, if the guys are reputable, and you re happy with what you are going to get.

 

[5lima30]

You might want to check the difference in price by using Hardie panel siding vs Masonite. In my experience Hardie panel will have double the life expectancy that masonite has for not much more money. I would not enclose masonite with brick, it soaks up water like a sponge and will wick water up into your walls. Hardie panel will not wick water or rot. YMMV.

 

[fflintstone]

Your wife is a very WISE woman.

I think she wanted him out of the house.

 

[drmoonshine]

I think a perfect mix between buying and doing your self will probably be the cheapest.

 

[Osborne]

I jst had a 40x50 built, ended up about $32,000, with 2 foot of block at the bottom. I finished and wired the inside, we used 40 yrds of concrete w fibermesh, by the time the 2ft of block was done i had spent $10,000, wood and trusse was about $6000. So when the building was up in dry w labor of 4 men, I was in about 20-22. I had 25 to spend rt, so I was like alright, until i priced vynal siding and singles and labor, lol. So now my wife has 15x40 for hair salon and I get 40x35. Oh 1- be sure to use rebar in concrete, 2- besure to cut the concrete

 

[srmofo]

Mine is 24x36x10. The concrete was subcontracted for $10k. Everything else I built in a weekend with help and 2 really experienced friends. I had $7k in materials including fully insulated doors, windows, openers, and vinyl siding. Another $2k in electric including 12 twin fixtures and outlets every 4'. $500 for insulation in attic only, and I still need to buy drywall.

I managed to get 2 contractors to actually show up and bid the job and both were around $25k with crappy doors, no electric, no approach (driveway)

I wouldnt go near a bid for $8k including concrete.

 

[Osborne]

Sounds like me and srmofo had the same exsperiance. I forgot to mention I got 2 12x10 insulated doors for $800 install, and 2 regular 36" doors, been buying 7/16 osb the last 2 weeks and its gone up a dollar a sheet in a week.

 

[slip knot]

Do both. My wife and I built our shop in 2004. We decided that putting the actual building up was more than we wanted to tackle. We hired a local metal building contractor to pour the slab, put the building shell up and set the garage doors. We finished up everything else. We had estimated a 2yr build as well but "finished" it in 6 months ( it'll never be completely finished) Really never looked at what we could have built it ourselves for. but were very happy to have it done.

 

[David79z28]

Like others have pointed out double/ triple check out whoever you have build it, if you don't do it yourself. I did just that and even had a good friend use a company that I did. Unfortunately the company changed hands right before they built my shop. The new owner had already made enough changes/ etc. His quality and service standards were much lower...

You can never be to safe.

Next time I will do most of the work myself.