Above 1200 Sq/FT T.h.e...e…x….p…..a……n…….s……..i………o……….n

[MAYOR28]

T.H.E...E…X….P…..A……N…….S……..I………O……….N


Long time lurker, infrequent poster……

This community has been instrumental in helping to build out my garage dreams, and for that, I thank you bowdown. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I very quickly outgrew our attached garage space; that combined with my wife’s desire to park her car indoors, has led to our detached garage build.
I intend to be very honest about the build process and the issues I have encountered with building a detached garage. I hope you will forgive me, but I will attempt to limit the amount of personal details; however, I will say that we are located in Southern Maryland, not a suburb of DC, but nearby, and even closer in cost of living. I hope that you can learn a little from my experiences, but please bear in mind that I am no expert. I am not a construction professional, nor have I contracted or built anything this large before. So far the build process has been slow, but rewarding.

Here is what we are trying to accomplish:

Similar to Behm Plans 2280-2::

 

[Deanomyte]

That’s gonna be nice. Is the attic going to be a shop space?


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[MAYOR28]

In the beginning……
I started with the Plat drawing of our lot, I spent many hours trying to fit different sized & shaped buildings near the driveway of the house. I also had a back-up plan for the East end of the property, but that would require much more site work and additional County approvals.

I found that 84 Lumber has some Premium Garage Kits that are based on Behm Designs. I fell in love with the one shown below, and ended up getting a quote, which was much more reasonable than I had anticipated, $26,000 for essentially a dried-in building (quote was for a slightly modified version like the photo below).

This is when I started to finalize the Wish List, some non-negotiables and other flexible requirements.

.....1. 28x36+ Dimensions
.....2. Clear 2nd floor span in garage space (no center columns)
.....3. 2 Story (full second floor not required, but some second floor)
..........a. 2+ Dormers for the second floor
.....4. 12’+ ceiling height (13’+ desired)
.....5. Exterior matching the house
..........a. Block or Poured Wall foundation
..........b. Vinyl Siding
..........c. Matching Windows/Doors
..........d. Architectural Shingles
..........e. Full Eave Return on the street side



At this point, I started talking with local contractors and a family member who is a general contractor (but out of state). I had hoped that my relative could help me frame and finish the building, and I could find local contractors to take care of excavation, concrete, foundation, etc. However, we could not work out a schedule or time due to their very busy schedule. (But I still consult with him on the build process).


This is the area near the house:

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[MAYOR28]

That’s gonna be nice. Is the attic going to be a shop space?


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The attic will be 1/3 storage (controlled climate eventually) and 2/3 for cleaner hobbies (and/or wife's hobbies).

 

[captain14]

I will be along for the build but the pictures aren’t showing up.

I’m near College Park.

 

[MAYOR28]

I'm still trying to figure out how to make this work, so bare with me.....


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Electrical:

..........Lighting:
....................Original Layout HERE
....................Final Layout HERE



Flooring:

..........Concrete Pour:
....................Discussion HERE

..........Treatment:
....................Discussion HERE



Wall Coverings:
..........Insulation:
....................INSULATION INSTALLATION

..........Concept:
....................HERE

..........Materials & Process:
....................PLYWOOD DETAILS



Various Accessories:

..........Lift Decision:
....................Discussion Here

..........Lift Installation:
....................Discussion Here

..........Air Hose Plumbing:
....................Discussion Here

..........Compressor Room:
....................PART 1


..........Spiral Staircase:
....................Discussion Here


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[MAYOR28]

Talking with contractors has to be one of the worst experiences of my adult life, right up there with buying a car. I started with cold calling some local contractors that had good reviews on AngiesList, Google, etcetera. Turns out contractors with fancy websites come with fancy prices ($$$$$$). I was quoted $125,000 for an unfinished interior, no electric, building like the 84 Lumber Kit. No, Thank You.

I then reached out to some friends and coworkers looking for some reputable building contractors in the area. I was given 3 names and I engaged those 3 looking for quotes for a 28x46, 2-Story detached garage.

Contractor 1 was very uninterested, but strung me along and then never gave me a quote.

Contractor 2 was very eager and friendly, agreeable to my design constraints, and very prompt in replying. His quote was for a 26x42 building, unfinished, but electric included, $93,000.

Contractor 3 was very knowledgeable of the local county codes and had a lot of experience building detached garages/shops/barns. However, he tried time and time again to convince me that I didn’t want what I wanted (yes, you read that right). In the end, he didn’t think that I was ready to get a quote, because I didn’t agree with him on what I wanted (and yes, you read that right too).

After those 3 strikes, I was pretty defeated, but I did learn a lot, and wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I had hopes that our dreams were achievable based on the material costs, and napkin calculations. I just needed to find the right contractor to make the dream a reality.

 

[MAYOR28]

I talked with a surveyor that confirmed I could fit what I wanted on the driveway side of the lot. However, I had a 25’ setback from the Front Property Line that I needed to stay within. On the side property line, I only need 5’. Which led me to downsize slightly, to 28x40. Final layout shown below.

But closely following this realization, I found a contractor that was willing to deal with all of my nuances and desirements . My coworker suggested that I talk with someone, which ended up being the perfect mix of inexpensive, reasonable, agreeable, and competent. Now, as I am writing this, I have not yet completed the build project, but so far my choice has been worth it.


I also finalized the exterior appearance of the smaller building:

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[Deezler]

Nice plan, 28x40 is a great size. How tall are your sidewalls on the 1st floor, and what size are those garage doors?

 

[Homebody]

Love the look, Good Luck!!

 

[MAYOR28]

Nice plan, 28x40 is a great size. How tall are your sidewalls on the 1st floor, and what size are those garage doors?

The first floor interior will be 13'6" to 14' height. Those doors are 10'x10'.

 

[C_F]

Looks good so far, I'm glad that you were finally able to find a contractor who would work with you. That #3 guy you mentioned is just nuts.

Looking forward to your continued updates!

 

[MAYOR28]

Looks good so far, I'm glad that you were finally able to find a contractor who would work with you. That #3 guy you mentioned is just nuts.

Looking forward to your continued updates!

Agreed! I don't have time for that.

 

[captain14]

This reminds me when I was looking for a new HVAC system for the house including the removal of the old oil burner and tank. Prices were all over the place. I didn’t mind paying for Part of the contractor’s kids college education for part of the semester part not all Four years!

Last contractor pulled out a price list like a menu and read
Off the costs- sold- when can you start?

 

[Deezler]

The first floor interior will be 13'6" to 14' height. Those doors are 10'x10'.

Awesome. I was afraid those were smaller (narrower) doors given the square aspect ratio.

Gonna be a tall building and flight of stairs tho!

 

[Grabber70Mach]

Nice looks like it's going to be a really nice space. Glad to hear that you finally found someone to work with you. Where are you in Southern Maryland? Indian Head here.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

Who is responsible for drawing up the building plans ? I assume they have to be reviewed and approved by your local building department.

What is the pitch of the roof ?

I would go for a full second floor, with NO attic trusses. This does mean you will loose some space to a stairway.

At 28' you will need to use wooden I-joist or a parallel chord truss. The truss will mean you will loose ceiling height on the first floor.

 

[Toothaker]

snip

he tried time and time again to convince me that I didn’t want what I wanted (yes, you read that right). In the end, he didn’t think that I was ready to get a quote, because I didn’t agree with him on what I wanted (and yes, you read that right too).

"That's not what you want." I've run into that myself. I generally ask a lot of questions when I hear that, and the vast majority of the time, that's not what they want. I don't get it either.

28 foot depth is wonderful - it's what I have and it results in a very useful space. Subscribing.

 

[MAYOR28]

Who is responsible for drawing up the building plans ? I assume they have to be reviewed and approved by your local building department.

What is the pitch of the roof ?

I would go for a full second floor, with NO attic trusses. This does mean you will loose some space to a stairway.

At 28' you will need to use wooden I-joist or a parallel chord truss. The truss will mean you will loose ceiling height on the first floor.

The roof is 12:12. The second floor will be about 14.5' across, running the entire 40' of the building. I think there will ample room up there.

The trusses are engineered (i believe they are doubled up); the Behm design plans had dimensions on them. The trusses were about $12K of the $26K material quote from 84 Lumber, so I know they are expensive.....


We debated about what to do with the stairs, I did not want to waste a lot of garage space (which would have been the case trying to traverse 14' height), so we are going with a unique spiral set up in one of the corners. But more on that later......

 

[theoldwizard1]

The trusses are engineered (i believe they are doubled up);

What kind of truss is it ? An attic truss ?

 

[MAYOR28]

What kind of truss is it ? An attic truss ?

I believe they are considered attic trusses. The second floor will be entirely within the truss. Is that what you mean?

 

[MAYOR28]

My knowledge of permits, regulations, and local government matters is limited to my local county in Maryland. I do not have experience elsewhere, so here is how that went.


I was told that even though I had a Contractor, it would be much easier for me, as the homeowner, to pull the permit. So I did so, and it was rather easy. I was forewarned that the permit office could be ornery, but I went in very prepared and apologetic. I asked lots of questions and listened attentively to all of the answers. And it paid off! Permit in hand!


I was surprised that I had a very nice drawing that I had prepared showing the building on the plat. However, I did not realize that the drawing needed to be scaled (architecturally). Being a mechanical engineer, my drawings always say DO NOT SCALE, so this never occurred to me. Thankfully, the permit clerk (is that what they are called?) was very helpful and re-drew the layout to ‘scale’ on a photocopy of the plat. This seemed much less official than the engineered drawing I prepared, but it made the county happy, which makes me happy.

 

[MAYOR28]

Let the waiting begin……


We settled on a contract at the end of July, got the Permit August 3rd. We were told that there would be some waiting period, mostly due to the excavator’s schedule. It has been a very wet summer in Maryland, so they were very backed up nearing the end of the summer.

I took the time to lay the building out in the yard. And lay it out again. And again.

You can see 3 of the yellow stakes for the building in this picture. To give you some perspective, this is looking out of the master bedroom window, second floor. There is a fairly major road about 200 yards past the trees, so the building location will server to block some of that road noise.

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[theoldwizard1]

I believe they are considered attic trusses. The second floor will be entirely within the truss. Is that what you mean?

A basic attic truss

Just make sure they are designed/rated to carry what ever you want to do up there. If there is a remote possibility that you are going to use that space for people not just storage, make sure the engineer knows that NOW !

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was told that even though I had a Contractor, it would be much easier for me, as the homeowner, to pull the permit. So I did so, ...

You understand, that failing an inspection YOU are on the hook to correct any issues and pay for any re-inspection. Depending on how the actual contract is written, you may have no recourse against the person building your structure.

And if you decide not to pay, he can slap a "builders lean" on your entire property, meaning probably lawyers and court costs to get it settled.

You have to have a LOT of trust/faith in that guy !

 

[MAYOR28]

You understand, that failing an inspection YOU are on the hook to correct any issues and pay for any re-inspection. Depending on how the actual contract is written, you may have no recourse against the person building your structure.

And if you decide not to pay, he can slap a "builders lean" on your entire property, meaning probably lawyers and court costs to get it settled.

You have to have a LOT of trust/faith in that guy !

Good to know.

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[MAYOR28]

My understanding was that the holdup was due mostly to the excavator. Wet ground means limited work, and limited work for months on end means delays. These delays meant that we had to wait a long time for anything to take place.

The first action, was some tree work. I asked them to leave the trees in larger pieces so that I could get it milled into some dimensional lumber for future projects.


This also meant that they did not haul away most of the debris (or perhaps any) from the tops. Lots on cleanup to do……but I don’t mind, I really do enjoy breaking out the Stihl.

But in the end, here is pile that I have to work with, should be able to get a couple hundred board feet of Oak and Walnut. Mostly oak, one or two walnut.

After the excavator came, he piled everything together, so here is a current picture of my lumber pile.


(need to find missing pic....)

 

[MAYOR28]

Excavation Begins!!!!!!!!!!!
Exciting times! Although it took forever for them to start work, I am very impressed with the speed that they have been able to work. They did all of the excavation over 3 days, but they were by no means full days.

They started with making everything flat(ish). And they hauled a bunch of the tree debris away, even some that was just laying around in the woods (yay!).

This is where we ran into some issues. The excavator determined that our ground was too soft for the interior (the footers were okay, they would be on solid soil). Therefore, we were encouraged to clear out the soil, down to 24”, and replace it with compactible soil. Turns out that they needed to dig down nearly 6 feet to get rid of the root ball from one of the large trees! But, after Day 2 of excavation, they were able to dig everything out, and get it ½ way filled with the new soil.

The new (expensive) dirt is much harder, although I am sure if they ran this thing over anything it would be compacted……

.

 

[OOBER]

Nice progress! Keep it up!

 

[MAYOR28]

Nice progress! Keep it up!

Thanks!

 

[Homebody]

Usually always nice seeing tractors in your yard!

 

[MAYOR28]

Usually always nice seeing tractors in your yard!

I really wanted to 'borrow' that Kubota for an evening of projects! But alas, they must have known, and they locked it all up.

 

[RPH]

Looks like the excavation people know their business. I see nice equipment to do the job proper. Looks like a fun project and keep us updated.

 

[MAYOR28]

The building will have a block foundation with 2x6 walls. But first, footings; shortly following the flattening, the excavators moved onto the footings. These guys work fast! They finished the new dirt placement and compaction, laid out, dug, and poured the footings all before 3pm.

Here are some of the progress pictures:

 

[MAYOR28]

And yet, with all of the success (Footings!), we were met with a small failure. The inspection office said that they could not support the inspection in the morning, so the excavator found a P.E. to sign off on the footing excavation so they could continue as scheduled. This allowed them to pour the concrete and move on to other jobs, however, the inspector did show up later that day to ‘inspect’ the footings. When he found them filled with concrete, we ‘failed’ our footing inspection.

I have been told that this is rather standard practice for the one inspection agency in the county. But that is a little frustrating, since I have paid up front for all of the inspections.

 

[MAYOR28]

In order to start the block, I needed to provide some final dimensions to the GC. Here is what we are working towards:

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[MAYOR28]

We had to wait a little longer for the block work to start.

But once again, I was very impressed by the speed of the work. The mason is the GC’s father, and he works all by himself. He is 67 and he laid all of the block in 1.5 days. This was all Day 1.

I have witnessed a lot of construction projects, but this was the first time I had seen block laid, I was very intrigued by the process. It really is a fast process.

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[MAYOR28]

Day 2 of Masonry:

 

[MAYOR28]

Waiting patiently for its new home........

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[MAYOR28]

And then we waited…….again……..
It is starting to get cold here…..but not too cold..

And then, materials arrived!

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