Converting a car port to garage

[Wreckster23]

Hey all. Long story, she got the house, but I got paid for my time.

I'm looking at new houses I'm a terrible market, but it's not as bad as I first thought. Looking at a few houses and one of the more promising ones has a car port attached to the house. Roof continues on and thats the car port. Looks to me like there is a good opportunity to make a garage out of it. Now baring the typical, electric, lighting, build the walls, doors, etc.. what I'm curious about is that the blacktop driveway goes right under the car port. Best I can figure up north here is that I would have to tear all that out under the port, have a perimeter cement wall whatever the code is depth wise and pour concrete build on that after. About right? If I'm looking to get this sorted as a decent size 1-car garage, how much might that run me? 8k? I don't need anything solid, but looking at the house tomorrow and wouldn't mind at least an idea of what I'd have to put into it.

 

[paredown]

I tend to think that you will need to do the exploratory--it is possible that they poured a continuous footing on the outside wall--assuming that it is a continuation of the roofline of the main box of the house. If that is true, you may only need to place your new outside wall on that, and worry about footings plus wall on the back side, and front stub walls for garage door.

If they just did simple square footings and dropped their outside corners on cement pads then you need to do what you first mentioned--go around the three sides and stub walls on front. A good machine operator should be able excavate to do that while leaving the corners & structure intact.

Don't forget--code usually requires that a garage floor is lower than the finished floor inside the house (I think ICC says 4"), and the door between them is on closer/auto hinges. Usually a fire-rated door is required--and some jurisdictions require a 1 hr wall assembly--from memory, this would be a 5/8 fire rated drywall on interior/ 5/8 fire rated on exterior to separate garage from living area. Some jurisdictions want the 5/8 fire rated on the ceiling as well--but that may only be when there is a bonus room above. (Check with your local jurisdiction.)

Pricing--no idea. All I know is that everything is costing me more these days

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

The only way you'll know for sure is to get multiple quotes.

But, what really needs to be said- can't! Because some here think it's bad to talk pol... oops! Which is a direct result of the present eco... ah, better not go there either!

 

[captain14]

There’s been a couple of build threads on GJ when they converted one into a garage. Try your Google Fu and add GJ in the search.

 

[u2slow]

Check your bylaws. I found out my carport was non-compliant due to improper setback, so doing things 'to code' was moot.

Like you, I have asphalt under mine. The supporting posts are on small concrete blocks. I decided to dry-stack 2 rows of concrete block and fill in between the support posts with 2x4s and T-111 siding. I built a rolling track door using barn hardware.

 

[Garcky]

Yeah, I wanted to do that to my house in California. So, I talked to the Building department. No can do, they said. Setback, they said. "You can get a variance, maybe," they said. Unlikely, I thought. I didn't really want a garage. I wanted a workshop.

So, I tore down the car port and poured a concrete patio in its place. No permit needed to pour a concrete patio. Then, I asked, "What kind of building can I build on my lot? The guy said, "Well, you don't need a permit to build a shed up to 120 sq. ft." So, no permit for a concrete pad, and no permit for a 120 sq. ft. shed. So, I build a 10'x12' workshop shed with a 12' high shed roof on a 20'x12' slab. Double doors on the front of the shed, opening on half of the slab. I put all of my machinery on casters and rolled it out on the apron, as needed. I even included a small mezzanine on the high end of the shed for storage. No permit. No sweat. No problem.

Then, I wrote an article on the project for The Family Handyman, back in 1983. Photo's a little faded. Sorry.

You might be in the same situation in terms of codes and setbacks, but if you don't need an actual garage to park in, maybe you can build something else on your property.

 

[Wreckster23]

That house was not going to work. Electric was outdated, bad floor in shower, rood done for and interior leak that damaged plaster. Looked at a fee others. I ended up near traumatized by a disaster of a house the sellers thought was worth something. In truth, it needs a full gut and rebuild, scary stuff. I've seen a couple car ports, so handy to keep that in the back of my head should a future consideration have one.