How to add on to the front of garage

[Crowbarman55]

I am not a builder so I don't know how this would look or if possible.
We are moving onto this house and I want to make the garage bigger. Is it possible to add about 10 feet to the front of this garage? How would the roofs connect if it is possible.
Thanks.
Todd

 

[mm08822]

Check first with your zoning office for minimum front yard setback.

The property line is usually not the curb line. Zoning may also help with that info, otherwise town engineer.

 

[Crowbarman55]

Never mind I figured it out.
Todd

 

[JuncleJohn]

Yep, that’s how I would do it. Before you get too excited, as already mentioned you need to find out what the minimum set back is from your front property line. Most builders don’t build a house very much past the minimum to save on driveway cost.

John

 

[finn]

In my humble opinion, it would look better extended out the back.

Especially if all the houses in the neighborhood have roughly the same street setback.

Longer driveways are better for when you have visitor, teen agers, or want to back a trail or in. This coming from someone who has had both long and short driveways

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hard to tell by the picture but consider the driveway itself for the extension. It looks fairly steep in the picture and will get worse when you shorten it.

 

[mike93lx]

Your front door is going to be really buried back there. I don't think extending off the front will look good

 

[Crowbarman55]

In my humble opinion, it would look better extended out the back.

Especially if all the houses in the neighborhood have roughly the same street setback.

Longer driveways are better for when you have visitor, teen agers, or want to back a trail or in. This coming from someone who has had both long and short driveways

I agree it would be better out the back but there's a laundry and all the utilities back there that I really don't want to move.
Todd

 

[Crowbarman55]

Hard to tell by the picture but consider the driveway itself for the extension. It looks fairly steep in the picture and will get worse when you shorten it.

Good point.
Todd

 

[finn]

I agree it would be better out the back but there's a laundry and all the utilities back there that I really don't want to move.
Todd

Again, from my experience, sometimes it’s best to bite the bullet and do things the “right way”, whatever that means, even if that means delaying the project a little.

I’m living with a couple of what ended up being bad decisions now, that can’t easily be redone. Those choices were made 36 years ago.

I’m going to see an architect to see if they can come up with a solution.

 

[kngelv]

It's going to be much more expensive than you think. You will have to have your foundation walls extended on both sides plus all the added support structure to tie it in with the current building. They will also tear out the current driveway to at least the first expansion joint past ten feet. I bet you're looking at around 100K. Good luck.

James

 

[captain14]

GJ Kevin54 did an addition to the front of his garage and made a thread about it.

Kevin54's....."The Addition"

Other than that, I don't have a good name for it, other than "The Addition". This has been a year coming, but do to being jacked around by contractors and such, it didn't happen last year. Yesterday was the official start. All of my permits were in line and good to go. So right now I only have a...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[driftpin]

I doubt the added-on parcel and footprint will comply with your local building code. As others mentioned, consult the building dept, the zoning dept. or the engineering dept.

You can probably consider the closest edge of the sidewalk to be your property limit. If you go online, and use the Building dept. GIS maps, you can see what your zoning district is and then use your online code of ordinances to see what your setbacks are.

I bet your setback is very-close to the minimum now. If you want a bigger garage, the only reasonable option I bet would be to purchase another property which matches your wants.

I used to be a State of FL licensed plans examiner and did zoning/code work, as a planner and other roles.

We did a whole-house renovation before retirement, and fortunately had additional space available. Our answer turned-out to be in the configuration of what you show as your prospective footprint, for the garage. I explored the idea of making the garage two stories, but in 2015, that would have been a minimum of $60 K more, above the cost of the garage renovation, our architect estimated. According to the Consume Price Index, that $60K would be $83K today, probably more.

 

[Lorydr]

Widen that garage.

 

[driftpin]

Widen that garage.

That looks like a typical 7-1/2' side setback, so 15' between houses, no room to widen.

 

[Crowbarman55]

Widen that garage.

Can't do that.

 

[CraigStu]

I realize it could be a pain in the neck but let's consider going toward the back. What do you want to do w/ the larger garage area? Do you want to be able to drive a car into it or would this mainly be for having a workbench, tool boxes, saws etc? If so that area that already exists could be just perfect. So could a room added on to the back of the house to move the laundry and utilities into work? You want to add a 10 deep by garage wide (22ft?) structure. Similar construction cost either front or back but in the front you need to ad the concrete work and live w/ the extra slope created. So would the extra concrete work and slope be approximately the same $ as moving the utilities? IDK but also I sure rather look at the existing than at an extended front.

 

[Crowbarman55]

I realize it could be a pain in the neck but let's consider going toward the back. What do you want to do w/ the larger garage area? Do you want to be able to drive a car into it or would this mainly be for having a workbench, tool boxes, saws etc? If so that area that already exists could be just perfect. So could a room added on to the back of the house to move the laundry and utilities into work? You want to add a 10 deep by garage wide (22ft?) structure. Similar construction cost either front or back but in the front you need to ad the concrete work and live w/ the extra slope created. So would the extra concrete work and slope be approximately the same $ as moving the utilities? IDK but also I sure rather look at the existing than at an extended front.

I would like to park a car in there. And you have some good points.
Todd