The Beauty, now the Beast

[bjsbuds]

So, I just had to have a sloping lot when I had my house built in 1998, so that it could accommodate a walk out basement. This has turned out to be a curse.

Started with the swimming pool. Great looking in-ground pool installed in 2000, but we have to walk down three flights of stairs to get there.

Now, I want to build a 2-car garage to supplement the attached 2-car garage, but the slope of the land is so much that it will require quite a bit of a poured cement foundation.

I had a rep from a pole building company come by to give an estimate, but he said he couldn't build one on my site, and it could be very expensive just to pour the foundation. Ugh.

Then I requested an estimate from my local Carter Lumber two days ago, but haven't heard from them either.

I am just trying to get an idea if it will cost me $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 or more to build a 20 x 20 garage on a sloped lot. Any advice?

 

[rburke65]

We would have no idea. For starters we don't know where you live. Then what exactly is a sloped lot? Pictures would help. And third, we would need a lot mor info on this 20 x20 garage. Is this going to be all brick, doors, windows, siding, wired, etc. This is like asking what's a house cost.

 

[bjsbuds]

We would have no idea. For starters we don't know where you live. Then what exactly is a sloped lot? Pictures would help. And third, we would need a lot mor info on this 20 x20 garage. Is this going to be all brick, doors, windows, siding, wired, etc. This is like asking what's a house cost.

Sorry, Cincinnati, OH

The garage will be siding to match the house, (GP that looks like wood), and a small amount of stacked stone on the front to also match the house. I was planning on having two windows, and having electric.

I will try to take some photos today and determine the slope from front to back.

 

[rslaback]

I assume the backyard slopes down and the front of the lot is higher. Correct?

Look into dozing a spot for the garage and do a half subterranean. Essentially what you are doing is pushing dirt from the high side to fill in the low side. It is the same thing that happens when a road is built through hills and valleys. Take the top half of the hill off and throw it in the valley. Then build on it.

In your case you'll end up with a driveway slanted down into the garage (just make sure the drain in front of the door is good and drains to the backyard and you'll be fine) and essentially a walkout on the back.

 

[JoeFin]

Depends on what you want to do in your garage

If your planning on loading it up with 5K lb machines like I do then you have issues. If you want to store a car or 2, and a couple of roll-away tool boxes then not so much.

Personally I would build it level with the existing and put my money into the step wall foundation which is going to need to be single pour to remain water tight to the ground water. That's why your getting the high estimates for the foundation.

But on the flip side you'll be able to do both - have room for 2 cars in the garage up stairs (engineered TGI beams on 12" centers) and place 5K lb machines in the downstairs as long as you have access on the back side through a garage door.

But that's just me

 

[kbs2244]

Build it with a walkout basement that you can use as a pool house.