We are recently under contract on a new construction that we really love. In the past, I've saw parents and friends struggle with small garages and have been interested in a bigger garage. We've asked about upgrading our 2 car garage that they quoted us as 19x20 to a 3 car garage and they are asking $15K for the upgrade. Does this seem a bit high to others? The difference between a 2 and 3 car in construction costs from scratch doesn't seem to be that much, but I just wondered if I was being taken for a ride here. We are in the Nashville area if that helps. Thanks!
Upgrading to 3 car garage during construction
- Thread starter TPowell
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ripperd
Well-known member
That seems pretty fair to me.
Okay awesome. My wife really wants this due to having the extra storage space for the kids and everything else as the attic isn't very big and we do plan on having kids soon. Anything we should look at as far as adding to base builder garage possibly? Maybe extra insultation?
mikeb27
Well-known member
We had a new home built end of 2017, and it cost a little over $12k to add a 3-car garage from the beginning. $15k with today's lumber increases seems fair.
HeadsUp
Well-known member
The house we built in 2016 includes a 21'x21' garage. This seems the new norm but small to me. Asked our builder quoted an additional $85K for a 28'x28' detached garage with attic trusses and minimal finishing.
So yeah $15K would be a bargain given today's material costs.
So yeah $15K would be a bargain given today's material costs.
21x21 seems like an oversized 2 car to me. Is that what you had?
Keep in mind we get the 2 car garage for free. The 15K is just to add the third bay
Charlie51
Well-known member
Sounds fair to me. Are you able to specify attic trusses for the additional bay?
mikeb27
Well-known member
Our standard 2-car was 20x20 and the 3rd bay added was 12.5x19 for the extra $12k
HeadsUp
Well-known member
Yes the attached garage is 21'x21'. The architecture of the house wouldn't really allow for a 3rd bay to be added. Opted to build a detached 28'x32' in 2019. The detached has (2) 9'x10' doors. Plenty of storage now.
ShadowRuleZ
Well-known member
We were told $70 sq/ft so for 200 more square feet it sounds like it's in the ball park.
No, I asked about that creating unfinished space and they said it wouldn't add additional sq footage to the upstairs when I asked about additional unfinished/finished space.
240sxguy
Well-known member
I don't know what the overall project cost is but if you told me I could add a bay to my current garage for 15k I'd run on foot to the bank if I had to.
BillK
Well-known member
Cant help on the price but 19x20 is pretty small in my opinion for a 2 car. My attached garage is about 22 x 22 and it is still tight with two cars in there. Of course I dont have any small cars. My 99 Tahoe and the Wifes 84 Riviera both fit but dont leave a lot of room for opening doors.
vavet
Well-known member
Depending on what cars you and your wife drive, you might tire of using a 19x20 garage for two cars. I see lots of neighbors with both cars parked outside while the garage is jammed full of bikes, lawn mowers, sports equipment, etc.
We added an extra half bay when our house was built 5 years ago. I think it was about $8000, but that also made the room over the garage bigger, so that got us more garage space and more finished space. I think it was a good compromise over the expense of a full additional bay, but having enough room for bikes, lawn mowers and tow cars. We both drive fairly small cars. I have a Mazda5. My wife had a Sonata, but now has a Kia Seltos. We both park our cars in the garage every day.
My observations: very happy to have the pedestrian door leading from the garage outside.
I like the additional half bay.
I wish I would've had them install an 18 foot wide door, or two 8 foot/ 9 foot wide doors. It would give a little more room to comfortably open car doors.
I wish I would've added some depth to the garage and just just width. It wouldn't take much, maybe 2 extra feet. A friend was at my house with his double cab, short bed Tacoma. I asked if I could put it in the garage to get a feel for it. It fills up the space. I think a 6 foot bed would fit, but that would be tight and I don't think you could walk around either end if the door was closed.
We added an extra half bay when our house was built 5 years ago. I think it was about $8000, but that also made the room over the garage bigger, so that got us more garage space and more finished space. I think it was a good compromise over the expense of a full additional bay, but having enough room for bikes, lawn mowers and tow cars. We both drive fairly small cars. I have a Mazda5. My wife had a Sonata, but now has a Kia Seltos. We both park our cars in the garage every day.
My observations: very happy to have the pedestrian door leading from the garage outside.
I like the additional half bay.
I wish I would've had them install an 18 foot wide door, or two 8 foot/ 9 foot wide doors. It would give a little more room to comfortably open car doors.
I wish I would've added some depth to the garage and just just width. It wouldn't take much, maybe 2 extra feet. A friend was at my house with his double cab, short bed Tacoma. I asked if I could put it in the garage to get a feel for it. It fills up the space. I think a 6 foot bed would fit, but that would be tight and I don't think you could walk around either end if the door was closed.
dcg9381
Well-known member
Good price. Agree on the 19x20 garage (tight).. Do everything you can now to get the garage space that you can get... And add a sub-panel / correct outlets for what you need.. Consider EV charging, etc.
Thanks everyone! Everywhere I've read says 18x20 is the standard 2 car garage size. We have an SUV and an Altima right now, but we may end up with 2 SUV's which would be very tight possibly. Definitely seems like a good addition for the price and value it adds. Just wish we didn't have to pay a big chunk of it up front before construction, but oh well.
Falcon67
Well-known member
Our house garage is 22x21 and my F-150 and something like a Ford Escape leave little room. So depends on your vehicles. My F-350 will just barely fit is a 24' deep shop with the overhead door closed LOL.
My house garage is a nominal 20x20. It's really 19.5x 19.5. This is tiny. Don't count on putting much besides cars in there. I hate the tiny 8x7 doors. You will need a shed. I built my other garage at 32x 28 with 10x8 doors. These feel like the minimum acceptable size to me. As they all say, even 32x 28 isn't huge and I kinda wish I'd gone to 36x32.
LeonardY
Well-known member
I made the mistake of not upgrading while the house was built. I thought I can add the ceiling fan outlet myself. No problem. It cost $125 for each. Well, it wasn't a problem but it was a PITA to do it myself. Money spent upfront will save you later.
My house had the option to have a den instead of a 3 car garage. I have the den because the previous person that dropped out of the house picked it.
My house had the option to have a den instead of a 3 car garage. I have the den because the previous person that dropped out of the house picked it.
CombatNinja
Well-known member
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- Aug 24, 2013
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18' x 20' is a joke for a 2-car garage unless you live in a proper downtown where real estate is very, very precious. Speaking of your additional 3rd bay, is this thing going to be continuous/open to the main garage to make one big space (good) or just one of those tacked-on ******** 3rd bays that has a tiny opening to it (bad), or worse, no access from the double garage? Those just become motorcycle garages in the best case scenario because at 10' wide, you can't park a car in it and worse (and more common case) just become catch-alls for junk that nobody want to make a decision about.
My advice: if this 3rd bay adjoins the double that was already in the plans, don't let them just frame out a little passageway to it, have that thing fully open (which might make it more expensive yet because of the beams needed for support). It will be more than worth it in the end.
Joe Reed
Well-known member
gnpenning
Well-known member
I don't know where you read a 18' x 20' is a standard 2 car garage?????
Set out a space that size with boxes, rocks or whatever and park your vehicles in it and see how it feels when you open the doors and walk around it. Increase the size until you have plenty of space. Do the same with the door openings.
Drive by most any neighborhood and see how many vehicles are parked outside, the vast majority do so because the garages are 2 small. Most builders do what is easy for them and the architects just plug in numbers and clueless buyers go along with it and find out to late what they agreed to. Don't be that guy, lay it out, then decide.
Set out a space that size with boxes, rocks or whatever and park your vehicles in it and see how it feels when you open the doors and walk around it. Increase the size until you have plenty of space. Do the same with the door openings.
Drive by most any neighborhood and see how many vehicles are parked outside, the vast majority do so because the garages are 2 small. Most builders do what is easy for them and the architects just plug in numbers and clueless buyers go along with it and find out to late what they agreed to. Don't be that guy, lay it out, then decide.
bigdave_185
Well-known member
Oops. Just read the size your adding. Not at all worth it!
If it was a double deep garage yes!
Any garage shorter then 22’ in my opinion is a waste of time unless your a senior and have one four door Toyota car.
Must full size need 24’ suv or truck,
Then the builder is going to add stairs into the garage I assume also. There goes at least three feet
Depending on your square footage your adding. It sounds cheap
I was an estimater for a custom home builder and left last December.
Think,
Your adding footings, to move the wall out,
Your adding at least 12’ on both front and back of your house of.... studs, sheeting, exterior finish, paint, gutter, shingles, trusses all grow, concrete, site prep, drywall inside, your electrical grows, driveway gets bigger more prep there,
You might be able to trip him up on driveway cost because I’ll bet the 15k isn’t including the wider driveway,
Don’t do a 8’door wide, do 9-10’. And make them give you three feet wider then Garsge door for the exterior wall!
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If it was a double deep garage yes!
Any garage shorter then 22’ in my opinion is a waste of time unless your a senior and have one four door Toyota car.
Must full size need 24’ suv or truck,
Then the builder is going to add stairs into the garage I assume also. There goes at least three feet
Depending on your square footage your adding. It sounds cheap
I was an estimater for a custom home builder and left last December.
Think,
Your adding footings, to move the wall out,
Your adding at least 12’ on both front and back of your house of.... studs, sheeting, exterior finish, paint, gutter, shingles, trusses all grow, concrete, site prep, drywall inside, your electrical grows, driveway gets bigger more prep there,
You might be able to trip him up on driveway cost because I’ll bet the 15k isn’t including the wider driveway,
Don’t do a 8’door wide, do 9-10’. And make them give you three feet wider then Garsge door for the exterior wall!
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Last edited:
bigdave_185
Well-known member
With today's prices $15k for the addition probably isn't outrageous. What surprises me is that 19x20 is considered a two car garage today. I'm just behind the times I guess but I always thought of a two car garage as 24x24. When I built my three car garage I made it 24x36 and certainly don't think it's oversized.
I know what you mean, but that still made me laugh
Oh it's definitely funny when you think about it lol
ripperd
Well-known member
I can see some of you have not been paying attention to new construction in developments.
If you are on a budget and looking into new developments at a particular price point, you just cannot have it all.
Tract builders are unlikely to expand footprints, as that requires a lot of re-engineering, as well as re-doing city approvals, hard space requirements, setbacks, etc.
The fact that he even got an option to go larger is nice. Definitely go as large as the builder can go.
But thinking you are going to get (or even negotiate for) a nice 25x25 2 car or 25x35 3 car garage in a mid priced tract development is fantasy land. The majority of non garagejournal buyers do not desire that over more first floor square footage. And in a new development lots are not large, so between setbacks and impervious surface limits typically the house+garage+driveway footprint is already as large as absolutely possible.
The way around this? Either lots of $$$, or don't go for a development. If you value being in a development for neighborhood feel, lots of kids around, etc, your only option is a higher end development. Around here you have to spend $500k plus to get something with a decent garage in a development. All of the $250-400k new construction has your typical 19x20 (2car) or 19x30(3car) garage.
If you are on a budget and looking into new developments at a particular price point, you just cannot have it all.
Tract builders are unlikely to expand footprints, as that requires a lot of re-engineering, as well as re-doing city approvals, hard space requirements, setbacks, etc.
The fact that he even got an option to go larger is nice. Definitely go as large as the builder can go.
But thinking you are going to get (or even negotiate for) a nice 25x25 2 car or 25x35 3 car garage in a mid priced tract development is fantasy land. The majority of non garagejournal buyers do not desire that over more first floor square footage. And in a new development lots are not large, so between setbacks and impervious surface limits typically the house+garage+driveway footprint is already as large as absolutely possible.
The way around this? Either lots of $$$, or don't go for a development. If you value being in a development for neighborhood feel, lots of kids around, etc, your only option is a higher end development. Around here you have to spend $500k plus to get something with a decent garage in a development. All of the $250-400k new construction has your typical 19x20 (2car) or 19x30(3car) garage.
CraigStu
Well-known member
15 yrs ago we added a 10wx20d bay to our md house for about $25k. 7 years ago we added a 14w x 20d bay to our house in N Va for $34k. W/ that $15k price I'd add as much as possible. 2 yrs ago we had a house built and made a 28d x 32w garage. My one mistake is I should have gotten an 18ft door vs the 16. But otherwise it is great.
20190320_125351 by craig stuard, on Flickr
Wife parks her daily driver in the left and I drive my car in angled to the right. We can get our old Tacoma in also if needed for bad weather but I haven't done that yet.
20190320_125351 by craig stuard, on FlickrWife parks her daily driver in the left and I drive my car in angled to the right. We can get our old Tacoma in also if needed for bad weather but I haven't done that yet.
So I don't remember if I posted all the specs or not but the 2 car garage would be 19x20 with a 16 foot garage door. The 3 car addition would be 10x20 and an 8 foot door.
I don't plan on really putting anything out there outside of some storage which is doable on the sides/back of the garage as I'll have organizers. I just mainly want a space that comfortably fits 2 vehicles (mid size SUV's we'll say). If it fits comfortably then I should have the storage space I need as well. I just don't want to run into that situation where I have to choose between storage (light storage obviously) and putting the other car in the garage.
I don't plan on really putting anything out there outside of some storage which is doable on the sides/back of the garage as I'll have organizers. I just mainly want a space that comfortably fits 2 vehicles (mid size SUV's we'll say). If it fits comfortably then I should have the storage space I need as well. I just don't want to run into that situation where I have to choose between storage (light storage obviously) and putting the other car in the garage.
Can someone help me with whether or not this is tacked on or continuous? I assume the OP means make sure that the third bay is still connected to the same 2 car garage and that the area INSIDE of the garage is all one big space just divided by one being a 10 foot wide door and the other being a 20 foot door outside.
bigdave_185
Well-known member
Maybe you can take a photo or screen shot of your main floor layout, that would clear some haze in the thread.
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Yetti37
Active member
I just signed a contract earlier this month to have a new house built later this year and selected the 3rd garage bay option. Base house comes with a 20'-6" x 21'8" garage and adding the 3rd bay expands the size to 30'-8" x 21'-8" for $13.5K. The price they they quoted you seems reasonable to me.
One thing to check on this option is whether or not that $15K cost includes fully finishing the interior of that 3rd bay. For us, we have to pay an additional $1.5K for them to insulate, fully sand & prep drywall, and paint. If we didn't pay this, the exterior wall of that 3rd bay would be uninsulated and the drywall wouldn't be prepped for paint.
One thing to check on this option is whether or not that $15K cost includes fully finishing the interior of that 3rd bay. For us, we have to pay an additional $1.5K for them to insulate, fully sand & prep drywall, and paint. If we didn't pay this, the exterior wall of that 3rd bay would be uninsulated and the drywall wouldn't be prepped for paint.
ericm
Well-known member
I'd add the extra bay. 16' door is tight for two SUVs and the extra bay would give you room for non car stuff.
If you can get them to insulate and finish also see if they can add outlets. Even if they are on the same 15 or 20a circuit that feeds the garage they'll be useful.
Having the builder do it means it'll just be added to the mortgage so it's not a big cash outlay like doing it later would be.
If you can get them to insulate and finish also see if they can add outlets. Even if they are on the same 15 or 20a circuit that feeds the garage they'll be useful.
Having the builder do it means it'll just be added to the mortgage so it's not a big cash outlay like doing it later would be.
Bluedodge
Well-known member
If I could go back and re-do it when we were building....
I'd ask the guy how much larger of a stall can they add for $20K instead of $15K.
I'd ask the guy how much larger of a stall can they add for $20K instead of $15K.
ludakris04
Well-known member
This!
I have a 20x20 and its best used as a 1 car.
tool box, tools, bikes, trash cans.. its tight.
I want to add a 15x10 ish on the back as a "work shop" it will probably cost at least $15k..
(I tried getting it deeper when talking with the builder.. it was a no go for the cookie cutter)
as said, add as many outlets as you can, at least one per wall, I did that, should have double it.
My neighbor also had them "interior finish" the drywall, so all he had to do was paint it. I didnt know that was an option..