DIY Garage Construction Tips

[FunfDreisig]

This thread is for those of us brave/stupid enough to be building (or have already built) their own garage(s) with little or no contracted help. I'll be using this thread to share my DIY Garage Construction Tips and welcome everyone to join in with their own tips / experiences.

Here's a start...
Design and Planning

• Don't think that just because you are building it yourself you won't need detailed plans.
• Changes during construction will be easier but they will still cost you time and money.

Site Prep / Maintenance

• This is biggest unknown factor in most construction and it is not included in most off-the-cuff $/sqft estimates.
• Don't underestimate the time & money required to prep your site.
• Make sure you understand the grades and drainage issues before you finalize your plans.
• Fix any drainage issues BEFORE (or while) you do the foundation.
• A clean job site is easier/safer to work in - cover any bare earth with mulch ASAP to reduce mud / dust.
• Build an all weather construction driveway with adequate space at the job site to turn around without getting stuck.

Suppliers / Deliveries

• Know who you will be using for your main suppliers and set up accounts ASAP.
• Pick suppliers with delivery trucks that have 'Piggy Back" style fork lifts to put the materials right where you want them.
• Make sure their delivery trucks can get in and out of your site safely -- a loaded 18 wheeler at the other end of a narrow/crooked 1,000' driveway is not a welcome sight

Building Materials Storage

• When working short handed, it will take more time to use up each load of building materials.
• It will rain/snow sometime during your construction project -- and at the worst possible time.
• Have someplace to store each load of building materials that is dry.
• 10x20 SUV garage tents (COSTCO or SAMS) make inexpensive (under $200) storage / workshops during construction.
• You can load up to 20' long items FROM THE SIDE using a fork lift by temporarily removing the inner 2 poles and rolling up the side.

Some other topics might be...
Foundations, Framing, Drying in, Roofing, Exterior Finishing, Interior Finishing, Tools / Equipment: to Buy or Rent, Job Site Tool Storage, Job Site Safety (when working short handed)

Funf Dreisig

 

[IMXCITD]

good tips

 

[DigitalFusion]

I will be watching this thread like a hawk, and hoepfully contributing as I am building my garage myself. I would liked to add a couple points myself

- call and have the locate (underground lines) done BEFORE you do the site planning.
- PICTURES! I wish I would took some before pix of the area before I started cutting down trees and ripping the area up.

 

[mpraddict]

A couple quick ones:

-protection: If you have to sub out any work (most likely site work and concrete) EXPECT something to get damaged. Subs will not be as careful as you would. Do everything you can to provide protection for areas adjacent to the work area.

-phasing: If possible, work from the back to the front of the site (if phasing construction/drives) so that the finished work does not have construction traffic

-materials: know lead times (time it takes from time of order to delivery on site) for materials so you're not finished with one stage and waiting on materials to start the next

-site work: if possible design final grades so that cut and fill equals (so you don't have to pay to have dirt trucked in or hauled away)

 

[FunfDreisig]

Thanks for chiming in guys! The more contributions the better

...
-protection: If you have to sub out any work (most likely site work and concrete) EXPECT something to get damaged. Subs will not be as careful as you would. Do everything you can to provide protection for areas adjacent to the work area.....

Absolutely! When I went to sleeve the rest of the septic line in front of the garage slab. I discovered that one of the delivery trucks had cut the corner too sharply and ran over a schedule 40 septic line cleanout cracking the fitting below ground. There was no visible damage at ground level. So it would have been awhile before I found the damage -- say after the roots of the nearby big tree had clogged the septic line

I'm always amazed at how careless delivery truck drivers can be. And how willing contractors are to rut up YOUR place to be able to park THEIR trucks/heavy equipment under YOUR shade trees, even when they see YOUR truck parked out in the blazing sun. Maybe they just think land owners are too stupid to park in the shade

Funf Dreisig

 

[z28toz06]

I put 3 windows in my back wall for light purposes. Two low and one high up in the vaulted part of the back wall. In retrospect, I wish I had placed all 3 up high. It would have given me the same light benefit and would have given me more wall space, and been impossible for anyone to see in or climb in to steal anything.

 

[ddawg16]

I'm going through this very process right now.

Plans - I did my own...but it took me about 6 months to get the plot plan (position of garage) approved. And another 4 months for the construction plans....because of the size, I had to have engineering which cost me about $1700.

Contractor - I got numerous estimates....don't make the mistake I made by putting down a deposit with a contractor until you are actually ready to go....things can change....and get references....and don't go with the lowest bid.....when it comes to construction...especially concrete....'fixing' it is not an easy option...

Schedule - Everything will ALWAYS take longer than you think....contractor told me 2 days to prep the foundation.....he was supposed to start Wed....he started today...most likely will not be ready for the inspector until sometime next week.....while I'm in England.....I'm not happy.

Cost - Yep...always more than expected....like the $630 for tree removal....

Survey - Add this to the list....If you think you are even close to your property line...get a survey.....I'm glad I did....I gain about 8" more space on the side than I though I had......

This is turning into a good thread.....might want to make a sticky.....

 

[hidollartoys]

An alternative that is not used very often is to hire a contractor to provide techanical assistance but does no actual work. A consultant of sorts. They will be familiar with local codes and can offer detailed advice when/if you get in trouble or dont know how to handle a specific hurdle.

 

[mtwaterguy]

Do not under any circumstances allow a contractor to perform any work without proving that he has insurance. Verbal statements are worthless and if someone gets hurt and your contractor has no insurance, guess who the injured comes to for compensation? Even the smallest job has hazards and the last thing any homeowner needs to be doing is supporting an injured worker, possibly for the rest of he life. Luckily my uninsured worker was unhurt when he fell off the roof of my shop. When I asked if he went to the hospital to be checked out he informed me that his boss had no insurance and that he couldn't afford to go. This was after the contractor, a friend of a friend, had guarenteed me that he had insurance and was licensed and bonded. When I asked him for proof he never showed up to finished the job.

 

[rickairmedic]

I would say it is sad how few peaple actually ask to see my license and insurance when I am working on their home . I honestly wis more peaple would ask its sad how many peaple are out there working unlicensed uninsured and running with the profits while doing shody work. I had one customer actually ask to see documentation last year and I actually thanked them for doing so. I would agree ask to see proof of licnses and insurance before you have any work done on your shop or home .


Rick

 

[z28toz06]

I'm going through this very process right now.

Plans - I did my own...but it took me about 6 months to get the plot plan (position of garage) approved. And another 4 months for the construction plans....because of the size, I had to have engineering which cost me about $1700.

Contractor - I got numerous estimates....don't make the mistake I made by putting down a deposit with a contractor until you are actually ready to go....things can change....and get references....and don't go with the lowest bid.....when it comes to construction...especially concrete....'fixing' it is not an easy option...

Schedule - Everything will ALWAYS take longer than you think....contractor told me 2 days to prep the foundation.....he was supposed to start Wed....he started today...most likely will not be ready for the inspector until sometime next week.....while I'm in England.....I'm not happy.

Cost - Yep...always more than expected....like the $630 for tree removal....

Survey - Add this to the list....If you think you are even close to your property line...get a survey.....I'm glad I did....I gain about 8" more space on the side than I though I had......

This is turning into a good thread.....might want to make a sticky.....

It always costs more and takes longer.
When I was builiding my house my buddy was helping me "budget" and after we worked out all the materials I said now what do I do, add ten percent?So I added ten percent. Then I said now what do I do with that figure...
he said double it!

He was pretty damn close!

 

[wayne]

Just finished my garage/shop. Did not run into any major problems, other than snarky hydro employees abusing their supposed authority (take a pro with you for the electrical permit).
1. draw up plans...re-draw them a number of times.(make sure you have a drawing for your electrical) 2.Get one or two quotes to do the entire job. 3. assess where and how you can save money/time by doing work yourself. (I farmed out the concrete work - ****** good thing) 4. Locate and mark all underground lines. 5. Take drawings to suppliers, let them come up with materials list and supplies quote. 6. set up accounts 7.Get permits, note when inspections must be done 8.Make sure you have some friends/relatives who will give you a hand with the tough stuff (like sheeting in a 10 - 13 foot sloped ceiling that my car club friends came out and helped with) 9. Paint everything you can on the ground before you put it in place. 10. take lots of pictures (I did'nt) I would really have liked to have some showing me using my 2002 Camry to pull out tree stumps, tires were chirping a bit on the driveway) LOL 11. check often on this site others have done it before you!!

 

[carguykeith]

Hi all, just finishing up a 26x30 shop with 10’ walls a vaulted ceiling and am a long time lurker, first time poster. Figured this was as good of place to start as any…

*You CANNOT have detailed enough plans!
-Think about intersection points a lot for example: How will you tie two walls together securely yet still be able to insulate right to the corner and drywall the inside? Or what about framing around your garage door openings and tying into the glue lamb?.
- Also lay out as much as possible, like roof sheathing so each row starts and ends with attaching to at least 2 truss’s before the eve yet none of your seams line up from one row to the next. Another good one is mud plates (so that you are minimizing lumber/anchor bolts and keeping the top plate breaks offset).
-Really research your utility connections, it will be more complicated than you expect and they can’t be redone very easy if you did something wrong then poured concrete on it…

*Make sure everything is as quare, straight and plumb as you possibly can during framing and hanging the roof truss'. It was unbeleivably nice having all my wall sheathing and drywall cuts straight. I had the last 2 peices of roof sheathing get out of square and chased that damn angle all the way through roofing...

*If you are going to do this in one summer, you need to hit the ground running. I had my building permit and locates done and was turning dirt by the first week of May, took two weeks off of work for the framing, and only two weekends this entire summer off from working on the shop yet I’m just now getting heat in the building…

*If at all possible try to arrange for a second person to help on as many days a possible, I swear two people make the work go by three times as fast. Just having someone else to hold the other end of a board or hand you something makes a world of difference.

*Start watching auctions and Craig’s list right now for the following items and buy as good of quality as you can stand as they will pay for themselves in time saved:
-A chop saw (no you don’t need the cool sliding one, you just don’t cut that many big boards).
-An air compressor with at least a 25’ air hose, a framing nailer, and a coil nailer. I actually preferred the 110v one on wheels in the middle of the shop for most of the construction. It seams silly but spend the extra $20 on a good hose that coils easy and can’t kink.
-At least (2) good stepladders and (2) extension ladder, the stepladders should be at least as tall as your walls and the extension ladder should be able to reach the peak of your roof comfortably. The heavier the weight rating the better (not because you carry that much but because they will be WAY more sturdy when your way up in the air and swinging a hammer.)
-An 18V cordless drill with 2 batteries and a good charger, I had other cordless tools but rarely used them since the batteries didn’t last very long. The drill on the other hand would go through a battery about as fast as the other one would charge so it was perfect.

*If your roof is more than a 4/12 pitch rent scaffolding for the sheathing and roofing, sure you could do it without it but for a couple of hundred bucks it is money WELL spent.

*This site and U-tube are your best friends, there is either posts on here, a video of exactly what you want to know or both, just spend the time and look.

I’m sure I’ll come up with more and everything in the posts above is great too, just keep telling your self you can do anything. It just takes time and money, lots and lots of time and money... Just figure out what you have more of and plan accordingly…

 

[ElCamino68/87Elky]

Hey Z28, whats the dimensions of your Garage ?? Length,width and ceiling height ?? looks like its going to be pretty NICE . Mark --------------------------------------------------------24x24 wood frame on a 6in. concrete pad

 

[terry1769]

I'll add that if you live in a jurisdiction with codes and inspections, talk to the building inspector before you start. Discuss all of your plans with him in advance. You really don't want to find out late in the game that something that seemed like a really smart idea is illegal.

 

[FunfDreisig]

Hi all, just finishing up a 26x30 shop with 10’ walls a vaulted ceiling and am a long time lurker, first time poster. Figured this was as good of place to start as any…....

Welcome to the forum. What a great first post

Those were all really good tips for the DIY garage builder

Funf Dreisig

 

[hidollartoys]

Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, spend, build, spend, build, spend, build, spend, build, wish you planned more.

 

[Sundowner]

I built my own 17x20 garage. Bieng a structural engineer, there were 16 sheets in the plan set and massive amounts of detail. Some things I learned, whether I wanted to learn then or not:

1) plan carefully and draw out as many details as you can. even the small ones. you might find that a very minor detail moves a very major structural element

2) prefabrication is your friend. becuase I went with a timberframe skeleton, I could prefab almost all of it in my basement and carry it out to build it quickly.

2b) don't prefab anything bigger than two guys can lift into place

3) make sure you don't use anything exotic. if you can find it in your lumber yard or home store, you can use it. that's a pretty big rule to me.

4) windows cost. a lot. use used windows if you can. I got mine after 10 months of bieng patient and looking on ebay and craigllist obsessively

5) quibble over the small costs. they add up fast. It's easy to panic and go out and buy an expensive widget or tool to fix a problem, but it's better and cheaper to take a step back, sleep on it, and look at it again in the morning.

6) build it detached. fight for it. life will be easier.

7) don't get greedy. be honest with yourself about how much you can afford to build the garage well. yes a zeppelin hanger would be nice for all of us, but if you have go cheap and low quality to get there, it's not worth it. build it right, build it strong. you can always make small spaces work. for me, the budget was about $12k and the footprint was 17x20. it worked well becasue I was not greedy.

8) they sell a body harness and a safety rope in a bucket for about $120. but it.

 

[madjack]

Hire a boom truck to lift the high stuff. I hired my trusses lifted. Cost $100. Hired my roof sheeting lifted $40. built a platform to set it all on so it straddled the peak. Way worth it...

 

[Jer]

What I've learned when building my project: Sometimes it is a LOT cheaper to hire a pro to do certain jobs. For example, I got my garage insulation with installation cheaper than I could have bought the insulation and installed it myself. I'm all for DIY, but there were things that I didn't feel comfortable trying on my own. It takes a lot of time, and if major mistakes are made, things can get expensive very quickly and wipe out your cost savings.