24x32 garage build

[MDSteve]

I am interested in building a 24x32 garage with an apartment above, but I am not finding any plans with the gable end on the 32’ side. I understand it’s a little more involved with spanning the load. I was thinking 9’ walls and 12 12 pitch on the roof with huge dormers on both sides to achieve the apartment space. My question is would it be advantageous to hire an architect?

 

[jack stand]

It's all in the trusses. Go see your local lumber yard that deals will trusses, ultimately the truss company will do the engineering and (truss) design regardless of an architect involvement.
Go to Staples and buy a pad of 1/4" grid graph paper as big as you can and sketch out your building. 1 square = 1 foot. It's very simple to convert your ideas to paper. (Floor plan and elevations)

 

[MDSteve]

It's all in the trusses. Go see your local lumber yard that deals will trusses, ultimately the truss company will do the engineering and (truss) design regardless of an architect involvement.
Go to Staples and buy a pad of 1/4" grid graph paper as big as you can and sketch out your building. 1 square = 1 foot. It's very simple to convert your ideas to paper. (Floor plan and elevations)

Thank you for the feedback. I will make a visit to 84 lumber to look at my truss options. I have roughly sketched the garage on graph page (to scale).

 

[Ak Jim]

Will it have interior or exterior stairs? Interior stairs eat up a lot of room.

 

[CraigStu]

I would start by visiting the local building permits people. I suspect that there will be very different code requirements as soon as you put living space on the second floor vs garage storage space.

 

[jkuro]

No TRUSSES, Trusses were designed to make a cheap roof system and as you can see a lot of people have trouble with them. Go to a designer or architect and stick build the roof system.

 

[billconner]

I don't know how large of apartment you want but I'd look at rafters and structural ridge beam to get more space. Using attic trusses seems to usually get about half or 16 x 24 in your case. Perhaps frame apartment floor the 24' dimension with TJIs.

PS 12:12 would allow a small loft in apartment.

 

[Higgins]

Thank you for the feedback. I will make a visit to 84 lumber to look at my truss options. I have roughly sketched the garage on graph page (to scale).

We used 14" TGIs going from front to back for 26 ft and that allowed for an open garage area without any steel posts!!

Depending on where you live, saying apartment of living space can opens a hole can of worms. Show it as storage. i.e. ---- would have to show plumbing and either sewer access or additional septic field expansion... $$$$

You could skip the stairway and just have a large access hole to the proposed 2nd floor. Just sheet the are with PW and be done with it for now!

 

[MDSteve]

Will it have interior or exterior stairs? Interior stairs eat up a lot of room.

A separate entrance with interior stairs.

 

[MDSteve]

We used 14" TGIs going from front to back for 26 ft and that allowed for an open garage area without any steel posts!!

Depending on where you live, saying apartment of living space can opens a hole can of worms. Show it as storage. i.e. ---- would have to show plumbing and either sewer access or additional septic field expansion... $$$$

You could skip the stairway and just have a large access hole to the proposed 2nd floor. Just sheet the are with PW and be done with it for now!

I was thinking about permitting it as storage space. I picked a location where water and sewer will be easy to connect (well and septic). My septic tank should be able to handle the added volume (1500 gallon tank). Thank you for the feedback.

 

[CombatNinja]

A separate entrance with interior stairs.

Ouch. You mean that there will be an entrance isolated from the interior of the workshop that goes up some stairs to the apartment? But the whole deal needs to fit inside the existing footprint?

That is going to crush your available space regardless of how cleverly you package that. In a 24' x 32' envelope, you're going to end up with a shop that has so much room taken away that it feels like a modern, cramped suburban 'double' garage that can't even park two cars unless there is nothing on the walls and/or end up with some convoluted stairway that is very narrow and you can't hope to get any furniture up the stairs because there is not enough room to turn anything.

Depends on your intended use for the garage. If you just want a place to park one car and house some tools, it could work. As soon as you throw 2 cars into the mix, you are going to find it way too small given that you are looking to take space for a staircase out of the interior. This might work fine for you but it would be a shame to throw $70,000+ dollars at something like this just to end up with something that disappoints. As to your original question, absolutely hire an architect. They can use software to model this in 3D to really give you an idea of what you are looking at space-wise. My theory has always been that I'd rather spend a little more money to get what I want because the sting of the expense is soon forgotten whereas the sting of compromise is felt every time I use something I cut a corner on. Good luck with your project.

 

[billconner]

I would think you could get away with a 36" stair against a 24' wall and still have a 28 x 24 space for two cars and some understair space for storage. In fact, last house built a 28 x 24 garage and a full loft area over with stairs against 24' wall and was fine for two cars (2 SUVs, not PUs). You may know that in fact you cannot egress a habitatal space through a garage by code.

 

[MDSteve]

Ouch. You mean that there will be an entrance isolated from the interior of the workshop that goes up some stairs to the apartment? But the whole deal needs to fit inside the existing footprint?

That is going to crush your available space regardless of how cleverly you package that. In a 24' x 32' envelope, you're going to end up with a shop that has so much room taken away that it feels like a modern, cramped suburban 'double' garage that can't even park two cars unless there is nothing on the walls and/or end up with some convoluted stairway that is very narrow and you can't hope to get any furniture up the stairs because there is not enough room to turn anything.

Depends on your intended use for the garage. If you just want a place to park one car and house some tools, it could work. As soon as you throw 2 cars into the mix, you are going to find it way too small given that you are looking to take space for a staircase out of the interior. This might work fine for you but it would be a shame to throw $70,000+ dollars at something like this just to end up with something that disappoints. As to your original question, absolutely hire an architect. They can use software to model this in 3D to really give you an idea of what you are looking at space-wise. My theory has always been that I'd rather spend a little more money to get what I want because the sting of the expense is soon forgotten whereas the sting of compromise is felt every time I use something I cut a corner on. Good luck with your project.

Thank you for the feedback. I think you are absolutely right about spending a little more money to be happy with my purchase. I’ve been a cheapskate my whole life. All this feedback makes me lean towards an architect so I can really envision the end product. I am really looking for income out of this apartment. I have a 12x20 shed/garage with a Lean-to that houses my tools and motorcycles. I would appreciate the added space to work on projects, but my real driver is the rental income to pay for my hobby which is flying. My home is on a good plot and is modest in comparison to the Neighbor's, so I should recoup most (75%) expenses if I do ever decide to sell.

 

[jack stand]

Permit for the apartment or not, I'd follow the building codes strictly as there's liability to your renters. Particularly in fireproofing the stairwell and shop ceiling. Not usually outrageous expenses but possibly 2 layers of 5/8 drywall and a bunch of fire blocking or more along those lines.
What is the reasoning for the roof sloped on the long dimension?

 

[MDSteve]

I plan to follow all codes. The reason for that orientation is for it to Mach the roof lines of the house. This is goin to sit 12’ off the house and I’ll eventually add a breeze way.

 

[CombatNinja]

My home is on a good plot and is modest in comparison to the Neighbor's, so I should recoup most (75%) expenses if I do ever decide to sell.

I don't know what exact area you are in but I find it very, very difficult to believe that you are going to see that type of return on investment with a detached garage with an apartment over it. Unless you live in some strange municipality in which it is usual and customary to have a detached garage with an apartment over it. There is so much complexity that goes into how a property is appraised and listed by an agent for sale. You can't claim the square footage of the apartment when listing the home's square footage because it is not an extension of the home. Further, a lot of banks will be leery of financing somebody for a mortgage at times if the property has one of these spaces. They don't want the buyer doing the math of figuring they can buy the house and make ends meet by renting out the apartment.

I once looked at a home that had a great little Mother-in-law efficiency that joined the house via the kitchen. Had its own little kitchenette, bathroom, exterior entrance, etc. I found it odd that the space was not separated from the main house by any door. Upon further inspection it appeared as though there was fresh paint and new trim in that space. The realtor came clean and said that it was required by the flipper's bank to remove it so as not to throw red flags on an appraisal by a prospective buyer's bank.

I think you should take the time to talk to a realtor about what you can expect to recoup on this project. Call any agent with a sign up in your 'hood and explain what you are trying to do. They will most likely give it to you straight. I think you are going to be looking at what most guys recoup on detached garages: jack squat, especially if the home already has an attached garage in keeping with what is normal for the area.

Not trying to be the Debbie Downer but when I hear someone throw out a number like 75% ROI on a detached shop, it throws red flags. Do your due diligence in talking to that architect and a realtor so you can go into this with open eyes and a clear head. Both professionals have the expertise to save you a lot of heartburn.

 

[MDSteve]

I don't know what exact area you are in but I find it very, very difficult to believe that you are going to see that type of return on investment with a detached garage with an apartment over it. Unless you live in some strange municipality in which it is usual and customary to have a detached garage with an apartment over it. There is so much complexity that goes into how a property is appraised and listed by an agent for sale. You can't claim the square footage of the apartment when listing the home's square footage because it is not an extension of the home. Further, a lot of banks will be leery of financing somebody for a mortgage at times if the property has one of these spaces. They don't want the buyer doing the math of figuring they can buy the house and make ends meet by renting out the apartment.

I once looked at a home that had a great little Mother-in-law efficiency that joined the house via the kitchen. Had its own little kitchenette, bathroom, exterior entrance, etc. I found it odd that the space was not separated from the main house by any door. Upon further inspection it appeared as though there was fresh paint and new trim in that space. The realtor came clean and said that it was required by the flipper's bank to remove it so as not to throw red flags on an appraisal by a prospective buyer's bank.

I think you should take the time to talk to a realtor about what you can expect to recoup on this project. Call any agent with a sign up in your 'hood and explain what you are trying to do. They will most likely give it to you straight. I think you are going to be looking at what most guys recoup on detached garages: jack squat, especially if the home already has an attached garage in keeping with what is normal for the area.

Not trying to be the Debbie Downer but when I hear someone throw out a number like 75% ROI on a detached shop, it throws red flags. Do your due diligence in talking to that architect and a realtor so you can go into this with open eyes and a clear head. Both professionals have the expertise to save you a lot of heartburn.

Thank you for that feedback. You might be right. I really appreciate the honest feedback. The reason I think the value would increase is that all other homes on the street have added garages over the years and are 575-750K my home is around 500k on 1.5 acres which in my area very difficult to find in this area (most lots .25 or less). I am sort of the smaller house on the street built in 1998 with 4 bedrooms 2 full baths. I will reach-out to a local realtor.

 

[loganb]

If its intended to be a rental apt, needs to have private exterior access. You don't want the tenant having access to the garage contents and from a code perspective probably easier to make pass muster with exterior access.

Keep in I'm mind living space means utilities, so you may need cable, a heat and/or cooling source and best to have it fed off a separate electric meter so no disagreements on usage. The cost implications of a finished attic for a hideaway/office/temp guest quarters vs a permanent rental unit is dramatic...and may be worth it, may not

 

[MDSteve]

If its intended to be a rental apt, needs to have private exterior access. You don't want the tenant having access to the garage contents and from a code perspective probably easier to make pass muster with exterior access.

Keep in I'm mind living space means utilities, so you may need cable, a heat and/or cooling source and best to have it fed off a separate electric meter so no disagreements on usage. The cost implications of a finished attic for a hideaway/office/temp guest quarters vs a permanent rental unit is dramatic...and may be worth it, may not

 

[CombatNinja]

OP heavily implied that we are talking about a separate, exterior entrance for the apartment with stairs that then are located inside his shop (but no access to the shop, just a stairwell contained within his footprint). At least that is what I am taking from this.

 

[MDSteve]

OP heavily implied that we are talking about a separate, exterior entrance for the apartment with stairs that then are located inside his shop (but no access to the shop, just a stairwell contained within his footprint). At least that is what I am taking from this.

That is what I was originally thinking (separate entrance stairs/ no access to the garage), but with all of the feedback it might just be easier and advantageous to have exterior stairs. The only reason for the original plan was if I decided not rent the apartment in the future it would be a easy modification to connect the stairs to the inside of the garage.

 

[MDSteve]

I am planning on insulation well and adding a heat pump. As far as the electric bill i was planning on including utilities in the cost of the rent, but I can see where that could be a mess. I might use a private meter. Thank you.

 

[billconner]

if you're in an area with much snow, you don't want exterior stairs. Under IBC they'd have to be roofed. I don't know in IRC. If 24 x 28 garage within 24 x 32 footprint is not enough, extend 36' a little.

 

[MDSteve]

if you're in an area with much snow, you don't want exterior stairs. Under IBC they'd have to be roofed. I don't know in IRC. If 24 x 28 garage within 24 x 32 footprint is not enough, extend 36' a little.

Not much snow here in Maryland, but I can see a liability issue with exterior steps. I am planning on having as large of a overhang on the roof as possible, but that still wouldn’t cover the entire stairway. Thank you for the feedback, I am compiling quite a list for the architect.

 

[CombatNinja]

I'd also like to point out that, regardless of codes and whatnot, you are going to be able to ask for and receive a lot more in rent on something that has a proper vestibule/entrance alcove leading to interior stairs than a set of outside stairs. I know it doesn't snow much in Maryland but I would not want the only entrance to my residence to be exterior stairs where temps get below freezing. The slipping hazard alone would put me off.

 

[MDSteve]

I'd also like to point out that, regardless of codes and whatnot, you are going to be able to ask for and receive a lot more in rent on something that has a proper vestibule/entrance alcove leading to interior stairs than a set of outside stairs. I know it doesn't snow much in Maryland but I would not want the only entrance to my residence to be exterior stairs where temps get below freezing. The slipping hazard alone would put me off.

Agreed, thats why my original plan had the stairs enclosed, but I really didn’t account for the space that would eat up. I can stretch the dimensions a bit. I was being conservative with my setbacks (property line, well and septic).

 

[Gerald O]

Ouch. You mean that there will be an entrance isolated from the interior of the workshop that goes up some stairs to the apartment? But the whole deal needs to fit inside the existing footprint?

That is going to crush your available space regardless of how cleverly you package that. In a 24' x 32' envelope, you're going to end up with a shop that has so much room taken away that it feels like a modern, cramped suburban 'double' garage that can't even park two cars unless there is nothing on the walls and/or end up with some convoluted stairway that is very narrow and you can't hope to get any furniture up the stairs because there is not enough room to turn anything.
...

Wrong on all counts.

The Time Machine Garage - 32x24 with loft

The Time Machine Garage Update: This is no longer a new build so I've decided to rename the thread. I'm calling it the "Time Machine Garage" to reflect the kind of 'vintage' theme I have going on. (and besides, there might be a time machine coming out of here someday...) ------ This is going to...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[CombatNinja]

Wrong on all counts.

Uh, looked through your thread. Negative, Ghostrider.

Read the OP's statements of needs. Now take your build as an example and imagine completely isolating that stairwell from the shop with an interior wall. Keep in mind the exterior door has to lead directly to it and you're going to want a small vestibule/landing to hang coats or store boots. It's not as if the stairs can start 6 inches inside the door. Still with me? Now you've got to make that stairwell wide enough to turn on it with furniture. Yours would fail that criteria. You built nice shop. For you. MDSteven has a different set of wants/needs/desires. Nothing wrong with that. Don't come up in here telling people they are "wrong on all counts" when they're giving out good advice. You don't even understand the problem.

 

[Gerald O]

You're putting words in OP's mouth that he never said mr big mouth. You know nothing about the size of that stairwell and what fits. Didn't even look at it did you. The stairs are a comfortable 40" wide with a 40x42 landing at the bottom. It was designed for either a direct outside entry with two steps to the door or open to the inside as I did it. Makes no difference in moving normal sized furniture up there I can assure since it happens be fully furnished right now. So how about you stfu and let people that know better give the advice.

One other thing, my garage walls are over 11'. Steve only wants 9' walls so that makes the staircase 3 steps shorter leaving even more room for an entry area.

 

[jkeyser14]

No TRUSSES, Trusses were designed to make a cheap roof system and as you can see a lot of people have trouble with them. Go to a designer or architect and stick build the roof system.

There is nothing wrong with trusses...

 

[MDSteve]

Uh, looked through your thread. Negative, Ghostrider.

Read the OP's statements of needs. Now take your build as an example and imagine completely isolating that stairwell from the shop with an interior wall. Keep in mind the exterior door has to lead directly to it and you're going to want a small vestibule/landing to hang coats or store boots. It's not as if the stairs can start 6 inches inside the door. Still with me? Now you've got to make that stairwell wide enough to turn on it with furniture. Yours would fail that criteria. You built nice shop. For you. MDSteven has a different set of wants/needs/desires. Nothing wrong with that. Don't come up in here telling people they are "wrong on all counts" when they're giving out good advice. You don't even understand the problem.

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking about a small entrance area. The stairs are going to be straight in from the door as the door will be on the front of the garage (if they can fit in that configuration). I was thinking 36” wide stairs, but 40” would make moving much easier, especially with a handrail. All good points, added to my list for the architect.