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Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT A Garage Decades in the Making

Workspaces between 705 and 1200 squarefeet.
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fouckhest

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Jul 24, 2013
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Greer, SC
Honestly, knowing how much I have invested in my 24x32 from what I paid the builder to do and what I have invested in the build out, this seems very reasonable!

Great build, I've really enjoyed following along, look forward to seeing more progress!
 
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HPRifleman

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Speaking of lights, what did you go with? I’m struggling with how I should arrange them on a vaulted ceiling.
I used the Lighting Visual Photometric Tool that was suggested in one of the lighting threads but, like so many people, I still wasn't sure how much lighting I needed. So I had my contractor put up 16 ceiling boxes on two different circuits. That number of fixtures seemed like it would be enough and I would rather have more than I need rather than not enough.

1640632262994.png

The tool assumes a flat ceiling but my ceiling goes from about 9.5' at the wall to about 12.5' at the peak, so I just picked 10.5 ft. as ceiling height. My strategy was to order 8 fixtures, put them up, and see how much light I have. If I needed more I could always add additional fixtures.

I got the Lithonia CLX L48. I had to take each unit apart to route the wiring, reposition the ground wire, and screw them to the ceiling. The effort was worth it as they look good and throw out a lot of light. The below photos were taken during the day so it may be hard to see the contrast between off and on.

gj_086.jpg

The single-bulb fixtures you see had to be installed before final inspection to pass code. I left those up there and put up the new 48" fixtures on the lower part of the ceiling. I was using a step ladder to put the lights on the ceiling. The lower fixtures were fine but getting up to the higher ones made me a little nervous on the higher steps of the ladder. If I have to mount those at a later time I may rent a lift or some kind of scaffolding.

Each car bay has two fixtures now (along with that single one from the contractor) and they really throw off a lot of light with great coverage and not much shadow. I think minimizing shadows is more important that the raw lumen output. At this point I'm on the fence about buying the remaining 8 48" units.

Bays #1 and #2 are on one circuit and #3 and #4 are on another one. I have been working mostly in #3 and #4 but I find myself turning on all the lights anyway. Maybe that's a sign that I should buy the remaining ones but I'm not sure. Of course, it seems a shame to waste all that copper wire in the ceiling.

gj_087.jpg
 
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HPRifleman

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Honestly, knowing how much I have invested in my 24x32 from what I paid the builder to do and what I have invested in the build out, this seems very reasonable!

Great build, I've really enjoyed following along, look forward to seeing more progress!
When I first came to Garage Journal I would look at the estimates people were throwing out for garage costs. $50/sq. ft. seemed like a good number for a nice space. When I saw my contractor's first cost estimate I almost passed out from shock.

Costs are so regional that it's hard to get context. Mine was stick built, architecturally matching the house, and in a suburban area. That's different than a pole barn out in the country. There are also so many people on this forum that do much of the build themselves because of their skill set. That can shave off a few bucks if you ignore the cost of your time.

This spring's rising cost of lumber really put a damper on some plans for garages on this forum. But as you can see, the lumber was just part of my overall cost. Delaying the build because the lumber went up by $1000 would probably mean I build when the total cost of all the other stuff went up by $5000. In my opinion I made the right decision to go ahead.
 

rd65

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Granite Falls, WA
Matching shop to house was likely a bit of a bite. Your permitting fees were crazy. I thought mine were high. I must say your shop looks great. My 28x32 pole building was just under the $50/sq ft you listed. It is a pole building but HOA said I no metal. After consulting with a lawyer we went with lap for the front and asphalt shingles for the roofing. The sides and back are metal. I have green belt on one side and in the rear so it cant be seen. My ceilings are 10' with 16 4' double tube led fixtures. I will be adding another row of 4 along the back/work wall for better lighting there. Those deformable led socket fixtures might be a solution if you want a bit more light without hanging additional fixtures.
 
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HPRifleman

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Wayne, IL
Matching shop to house was likely a bit of a bite. Your permitting fees were crazy. I thought mine were high. I must say your shop looks great. My 28x32 pole building was just under the $50/sq ft you listed. It is a pole building but HOA said I no metal. After consulting with a lawyer we went with lap for the front and asphalt shingles for the roofing. The sides and back are metal. I have green belt on one side and in the rear so it cant be seen. My ceilings are 10' with 16 4' double tube led fixtures. I will be adding another row of 4 along the back/work wall for better lighting there. Those deformable led socket fixtures might be a solution if you want a bit more light without hanging additional fixtures.
Keep in mind that those government costs were for both the building permits as well as last year's zoning variance battle. In my town applying for a zoning variance requires the homeowner to pay an application fee, private or government consultant cost, and the village's legal fees.

I didn't even count the $5,000 road bond that I had to post at the beginning of the project. I've already gotten this bond back.
 
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HPRifleman

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Wayne, IL
I have to say that I continue to be impressed with the in-floor heat. Everyone said how great it would be but you're never really sure until you experience it yourself.

It's been in the single digits (Fahrenheit) here for the last few days. But the garage thermostat indicates 60°. Working on stuff has been quite pleasant and there's no cold floor to **** the heat out of your feet. I usually wear an insulated shirt when I go out there, but if I do any moving around I take that off and work in just a t-shirt.

Well worth the money spent for the system. Thank you Garage Journal.
 
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HPRifleman

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My uncles used to have a motorcycle dealership and I inherited the sign they had hanging over their front door. Back in the '90s I put a couple of 48" fluorescent fixtures behind it, a toggle switch on the side, ran a cord for power, and hung it up in my garage. At our next house the garage was small with no nearby power source so the sign just hung on the wall for 18 years.

When I was designing this garage I planned where to locate the sign and how to illuminate it. Now that the garage is done it's time to get that sign put in it's permanent home. Here's how I did it.


The sign had a wooden frame with two 2x4 cross members. Here it is from the back after I took out the old fluorescent lighting.
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My plan was to put the sign over the window and power it with the receptacle that I specified up there. I would put a switch on the side of the sign frame to turn the lighting on and off. Then I realized that the upper receptacle was powered through conduit that came from the one to the right of the window.
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So I thought a better way to turn the sign on and off would be to install a switch in the quad box. That would make the switch easier to reach.
gj_097.JPG


I bought a neon LED rope light for illumination and mounted it to a 1/2" steel mesh screen. It wound back and forth but I really didn't know if it would be enough light and how it would look.
gj_098.JPG


Here is the whole assembly mounted to the wooden cross members. I felt the mesh would be a lighter way to mount the rope light than some kind of solid sheet panel. But handling the mesh was cumbersome as it kept wanting to roll back on itself.
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Just powering this thing shows it throwing out some light but the proof will be when the sign is on the wall.
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Here she is after my son and I wrestled it up on the wall and threw the switch. It's alive!
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It didn't turn out too bad considering how much guesswork there was on how to backlight it and installation. You can see the serpentine of the rope light so it's not a uniform glow. I thought about getting another LED rope and nesting it with the other one but then I would have to take the sign down, take out the mesh, and repeat the whole process. I couldn't bring myself to do this though as there are other things I need to tackle.

Well, now that the sign is on the wall I have to bring home the bike that goes with it. Stay tuned.
 

isonic

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Aug 1, 2018
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Location
Ham Lake, MN
I think this garage turned out great! I am sure it was painful to initially swallow having to pay for the insulation, drywall, and painting right up front when you were not expecting to, but, now I am sure you are glad it is all done. You are already hanging stuff on the wall, you wouldn't be doing that if you had to still be insulating and drywalling the place yourself. Enjoy the space, looking forward to seeing how you use the finished space!
 

Bob Heine

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Boca Raton, Florida
@HPRifleman, I thought I commented on your thread but obviously didn't. For starters your avatar caught my eye because of my old Chevy. Bought it used in 1978 and its remains are still in the garage.
1972 Corvette First Week.jpg
Then you ADD a 3+ car garage. My wife was tired of our old house so I agreed to move on one condition -- the 'new' house had to have a 3-car garage. We lucked into the house that matched my tiny list and her large one. Didn't occur to me to ask for a 5-car garage. Well done sir!
870 NW 4th Ave Prior to 2000.jpg
I really admire the way your new building matches the existing one so well. Also jealous of the ceiling in the new garage and the electrical outlet for a future lift.

Looking forward to the projects your new garage makes possible.
 
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HPRifleman

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@HPRifleman, I thought I commented on your thread but obviously didn't. For starters your avatar caught my eye because of my old Chevy. Bought it used in 1978 and its remains are still in the garage.
1972 Corvette First Week.jpg
Then you ADD a 3+ car garage. My wife was tired of our old house so I agreed to move on one condition -- the 'new' house had to have a 3-car garage. We lucked into the house that matched my tiny list and her large one. Didn't occur to me to ask for a 5-car garage. Well done sir!
870 NW 4th Ave Prior to 2000.jpg
I really admire the way your new building matches the existing one so well. Also jealous of the ceiling in the new garage and the electrical outlet for a future lift.

Looking forward to the projects your new garage makes possible.
Thanks for the kind words Bob.

Many people have commented on how well the front of the garage matches the house. It's something our architect really delivered on. The road was long and winding to get here but we consider ourselves very fortunate to have what we have.

Below is a picture of how the 50 year old Chevy has spent the last 5 weeks. Fluid changes (engine, gearbox, differential), parking brake shoes, rear lines and calipers, suspension greasing, battery hold-down hardware, etc., have really taken up my time. I hadn't documented the tasks since they're probably not very interesting to people. It's now back down on the ground waiting for the snow to stop.

Sliding around on my back under a jackstand mounted car has really made me want a lift even more. But there's plenty of other things around the house to throw money at that the 2-post will have to wait a while longer.

gj_114.jpg
 

Bryan Burns

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Apr 3, 2010
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Grayslake, Illinois
There are so many posts on this forum that ask about building costs so I though I would share some of the sub-contractor costs for this build. You can get a sense of the scope by reading through this thread. This hasn't really been a typical garage build as our location has dictated that we do some things differently than someone putting a garage on a piece of property in a rural area.

In general, the job was constructing a brand new 1074 sq. ft. (interior dimension) garage along with converting a 541 sq. ft. existing garage into dwelling space and a small overhang linking the two. Most cost categories consisted of multiple bids and I, as the owner, had to sign off on each chosen sub-contractor.

I know that some of you will have opinions on these costs relative to your experience or expectations. Two things to keep in mind are location (Chicagoland suburbs) and timing (construction during spring and summer of 2021). Judge these numbers in that context.


CategoryCost
Government Costs (Zoning variance & permits):$ 4,800.00
Architecture and Engineering:$ 7,000.00
Excavation:$ 8,600.00
Concrete (foundation and slabs):$ 40,300.00
Framing Labor:$ 12,400.00
Framing Material:$ 23,300.00
In-Floor Heat (new garage and old garage conversion):$ 11,100.00
Electrical:$ 15,500.00
Interior Trim:$ 13,200.00
Roofing:$ 5,700.00
Gutters:$ 1,700.00
Insulation:$ 5,700.00
Drywall:$ 8,100.00
Painting:$ 5,000.00
Masonry:$ 7,700.00
Exterior:$ 12,300.00
Windows/Doors:$ 7,800.00
Garage Doors (including openers):$ 8,900.00
Driveway:$ 9,000.00

There were additional smaller costs that added up but I didn't include them as they may not be part of a different garage project. Additionally, the general contractor received a fee that was a percentage of sub-contractor cost. This fee was also not included.

The result was pretty much turn-key. The only thing I have done after completion was purchase and install lighting in the garage ceiling.

I would be happy to answer any questions, just ask.
Thanks for sharing. You've done a great job as owner and it seems you picked a great GC as well. I didn't know that concrete was so expensive. Damn!
 
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HPRifleman

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Wayne, IL
Thanks for sharing. You've done a great job as owner and it seems you picked a great GC as well. I didn't know that concrete was so expensive. Damn!
I don't know if I described my thought process on finding a general contractor earlier in this thread but this would be a good time to note it.

We could have hired some contractor that builds nothing but garages but I knew that this project was not going to be just another 20' x 20' shell to park a couple of cars in. I wanted someone who understood how to work with an owner's unique requirements and how to build something special. My conclusion was that a custom home builder who had experience building in my particular locale would be the better fit for this project.

I called four local contractors with track records of custom home builds. One never even answered the phone and another never returned my voice mail message. I created a scope document with general notes of what I was looking for and then interviewed the remaining two. Both seemed competent enough and could complete the project but I had a better gut feeling with the contractor that I chose.

The chosen GC worked with the architect and myself to come up with a plan that my wife and I were both happy with. When the plans were made I almost passed out when the contractor gave me his first cost estimate. But, as it turned out, the final cost a year later was only slightly higher than his original estimate.

I think back to all the times in the project that things could have really gone sideways. My GC didn't catch everything, but he prevented the major stuff from biting us, and he kept the trades moving forward even as lead times for labor and materials were constantly being extended.

In the end I'm confident I made the right choice.
 

jbrentd

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Jul 8, 2015
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Northeast Oklahoma
It sounds like you have the Stingray all ready to go for the upcoming season. Even if you don't have that lift yet, at least you have a nice clean floor to work on now. Do the wheel chocks match the car on purpose or just a coincidence?
 
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HPRifleman

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It sounds like you have the Stingray all ready to go for the upcoming season. Even if you don't have that lift yet, at least you have a nice clean floor to work on now. Do the wheel chocks match the car on purpose or just a coincidence?
I bought those wheel chocks years ago. Probably from a local auto parts store. They don't get used much but I like using them when jacking up vehicles. I'm more comfortable during the lifting process when I know that non-drive wheels are prevented from rolling.
 
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HPRifleman

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After it has been away for 10 years, I finally brought home my motorcycle. Our last house had a small garage and, since I barely rode it then, it made sense to just store it elsewhere. Now that we have more garage space it can come home.

It's a 1987 Moto Guzzi LeMans. I bought it in 1989 after trading in my T-5 and all my savings from my pizza job. A pretty hefty price tag for a teenager but I finally had a bike that I always wanted. It hasn't been ridden much since the early '90's and currently only has 8300 miles. Because it's been sitting, I need to go through it and make sure everything is working as it should.


gj_126.jpg
 
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ed_v

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Kentucky
I haven't spent much time on tgj the last few years. I enjoyed reading through your posts. Thanks for sharing this.

I grew up in your area. I lived in a subdivision behind Elgin Community College. My brother lives in St Charles
 
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HPRifleman

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Very cool bike!! It's about as old as me, but has sure aged better :bounce:

Must have been exciting bringing it home to the new garage.
It was exciting and nerve-racking. I was very anxious whether I had strapped it down securely on the trailer. I think I spent more time checking on the bike through the mirror than I did looking at the road in front of me.
 
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HPRifleman

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My Moto Guzzi collection is growing. Now, in addition to the '87 LeMans I've had since I was a teenager, I just acquired this '78 from my Dad. This one is going to need some work to return it to it's original glory, but I have always wanted a first generation LeMans.

gj_131.jpg


Since my motorcycles are Italian, it only makes sense to have an Italian lift as well. This Grazia lift is a new addition to the garage.

gj_132.jpg
 

ambenz

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Hey neighbor, pass your town once in a while cutting thru to St. Charles from the N.E. side of the county.
Love the space and your build thread, thanks for sharing.
 

dmittz

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I bought those wheel chocks years ago. Probably from a local auto parts store. They don't get used much but I like using them when jacking up vehicles. I'm more comfortable during the lifting process when I know that non-drive wheels are prevented from rolling.
 
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HPRifleman

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That's a great space and a fabulous addition to your home.(y)
The Guzzi sign looks great and seeing your choice of crotch rocket makes me think you would like a great Guzzi Le Mans read, my son bought me the book for my birthday and I can thoroughly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838012761/?tag=atomicindustr-21

Thanks for taking the time to write it up.
That looks like an interesting story. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

Augus7us

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Central Ohio
The garage turned out fantastic! Looks great in the photo with the leaves turning.

Question, would you mind taking a photo of the doors covering your electric panel open? I might steal that idea for my basement. Thanks!
The panel doors on the right allow access to the electrical panel. What looks like a dog door below that is actually a panel to access the elecrical LB that comes out of the meter pedestal outside.
gj_064.jpg
 
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HPRifleman

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The garage turned out fantastic! Looks great in the photo with the leaves turning.

Question, would you mind taking a photo of the doors covering your electric panel open? I might steal that idea for my basement. Thanks!

Here's a picture straight on when the left pair of doors is open.
gj_133.jpg


Here's a better shot of how the doors are mounted.
gj_134.jpg


The stops are magnetic plungers that retract when pushed. Then they pop out when you push the door again.
 
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HPRifleman

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We have a 4 acre lot that is heavily wooded. At this time of year the leaves are falling fast and thick. We have gutter covers on the house but not the new garage so today's project is to clean them out. It actually went faster than I thought it would. Picked out the leaves and then hosed out the gutters.

gj_145.jpg
 
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HPRifleman

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My dad is moving out of state and is thinning out his stuff in the process. He gave me some tool chests with a bunch of tools. There was also an A/V cart which I can use as mobile tool storage so I can have some tools right next to what I'm working on.

There is probably plenty of stuff which is redundant with what I already have. But I'm starting to go through it to see what the best way would be to organize all of it.

gj_146.jpg

gj_147.jpg

gj_148.jpg

gj_149.jpg

gj_150.jpg
 

loganb

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Not sure you've got enough pipe wrenches there for 1 guy! Looks a lot like the toolboxes at my grandparents that my brother and I have been told are ours to divide and do what we wish with when he's no longer living there.

Hope he's moving someplace warmer and you can visit as you like!
 

ambenz

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You can NEVER have too many pipe wrenches. Good to see you repurposing tools and carts from you father. I still have a lot of my fathers tools from back in 1960's to the 1990's after he passed.
They "IF ANYTHING" remind me that the more you know, the more you can fix, the richer you will be when you do not have to hire someone ....you can DIY. Hope you got the garage heater tuned up, it's going to get cold here soon.
 

MattN03

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KY
Any more updates on this garage HPRifleman? Did you get a lift for your Vette? How have you finished out the renovated areas in the house? We're thinking about doing the exact same project, but I'd like to fully enclose the walk way connecting the new garage to the existing house.
 
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HPRifleman

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Any more updates on this garage HPRifleman? Did you get a lift for your Vette? How have you finished out the renovated areas in the house? We're thinking about doing the exact same project, but I'd like to fully enclose the walk way connecting the new garage to the existing house.
I've been using the garage for projects but not projects on the garage itself, so I haven't really had much content to post in this thread. But if anyone wants to see something, feel free to ask.

No lift just yet as we recently spent a fair amount of money renovating our home office. Plus it's hard to justify a lift when it would only get used a few times. It's still on the nice-to-have list but I'm trying to be smart about it. The Corvette is still hibernating and waiting for spring to come. I am ready to pull the trigger on an air compressor though as I have no efficient way to air up the tires on all the vehicles.
 
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