does size matter?

[spazegun2213]

in all seriousness, I'm soon to be the proud owner of a house, in a place with NO HOA, and space to build a garage! WOOHOO. So I'm commencing with the stupid ideas.

The garage cannot be bigger than 576s/f, meaning that sizes are limited to 24x24, 22x26, and 20x28. Yea, the 20x28 is out because I have an 18ft truck that I'd like to be able to park in there.

So what would you all do? 24x24 or 22x26? I realize there is not much difference, but since its not a huge space I want to make it easy to work in. Here are the plans for what is going to be inside it. A 2 post lift, my '98 corvette race car will probably live on or near the lift, and a motorcycle or 2 in the other bay. I have a TON of shelving, a beer fridge, tool box, and work bench that I figure will line 2 complete walls of the garage (and maybe onto a 3rd). So do you think that 24x24 is enough to have good sized bays to work on one car, and maybe store another?

The 22x26 would give a little more width to the garage and thus allow more room on either side of the cars, but I'd sacrifice room at the front and back of them for it.

So what do you all think?

 

[Mike007]

I think I'd go with the biggest garage I could. I have a 24 x 24 and regret not going 24 x 26. Every foot helps.

 

[A1an]

If you have a longer truck it may be more beneficial to go with the deeper garage. You can make up for the lack of width by installing work tables that fold down from the walls when the vehicle is not parked inside (like in Jack's garage).

 

[djjsr]

Will they allow you to stick with the 576 sq ft footprint and build a second story?

 

[hdossett]

Mine is 22w x 26d. Like the extra 2 feet of depth for work. 22' width is the minimum I would consider. Just room to open door of two vehicles and walk around them. I some times have to bring in the mirror on the PU when we get to close. All that said, wish mine was 24x30!

H

 

[Addrock]

I have a full size truck and just built a 24 X 36, I park the 24 direction. I wish that I had built 26 but couldn't because of lot restrictions, as it was I had to get a variance in 2 directions. I agree with Alan deeper.

 

[LEVE]

A garage is never big enough... never. You can destroy your budget, your kids' inheritance and your life savings and it's still not big enough. Don't get garage fever resulting from garage envy. Do what you can afford.

If you're stuck for size... Plan later updates. Perhaps plan on a lean-to, or a shed roof built on the side with access from inside the garage. You can enclose it later (maybe?).

 

[spazegun2213]

If you have a longer truck it may be more beneficial to go with the deeper garage. You can make up for the lack of width by installing work tables that fold down from the walls when the vehicle is not parked inside (like in Jack's garage).

Well, the truck should never be parked in there full time. Just when I'm working on it. I'm thinking the bay with the lift, will NOT have a bench, or anything at the end (maybe a flip down, thats a really good idea) so it can easily accommodate the truck or anything else on the lift.

Will they allow you to stick with the 576 sq ft footprint and build a second story?

Yes, but I have to keep the building lower than the house. Honestly, I think my budget is going to make it so this is a 1 story only

I have a full size truck and just built a 24 X 36, I park the 24 direction. I wish that I had built 26 but couldn't because of lot restrictions, as it was I had to get a variance in 2 directions. I agree with Alan deeper.

I might have to walk around the neighborhood and see about other structures. As it is, I'm pretty sure I'll have to file a variance on setback so adding another one should not be to bad. However, Its not a big lot, 8000-9000s/f, and I want to make sure I have some semblance of a back yard when I'm done with this.

 

[LEVE]

Can you go down? How about a basement shop below the garage? Cement walls and a good floor would be cheap room. I wish I'd done that.

 

[UncleJoe]

Why a 576 sqft limit. Town, county or lot size? Can you have a second story? If so get a simple cheap winch/crane setup and a 4x6 hole in the ceiling. Build a platform that you can winch up and down to move larger objects to the second floor for storage.

If you are legally limited to 576 can you have two buildings? A shop and a storage building. I have a 24x26 shop and I built a 12x12 shed that has the same siding as the shop and I use that to store the tractor and all sorts of things. This really freed up space in the shop.

 

[djjsr]

Be sure to use trusses designed for storage space.

 

[5lima30]

+1 on build up!

 

[spazegun2213]

Can you go down? How about a basement shop below the garage? Cement walls and a good floor would be cheap room. I wish I'd done that.

I can, but I've been told basements are $TEXAS and that since I want a lift, i need to be careful

Why a 576 sqft limit. Town, county or lot size? Can you have a second story? If so get a simple cheap winch/crane setup and a 4x6 hole in the ceiling. Build a platform that you can winch up and down to move larger objects to the second floor for storage.

If you are legally limited to 576 can you have two buildings? A shop and a storage building. I have a 24x26 shop and I built a 12x12 shed that has the same siding as the shop and I use that to store the tractor and all sorts of things. This really freed up space in the shop.

County zoning laws, and house size. Right now a detached building cant be more than 1/2 the taxable finished space of the house, which is just less than 1200s/f. I can have other buildings as there are no laws for sheds under 150s/f.

Be sure to use trusses designed for storage space.

oh, never even thought about that.

 

[mobetta]

throw some carpet in the basement and call it finished?

they make both spread web storage truss' and room in attic truss'

I went w/ the RIA, even though my max height in the lofts is only about 4', the low side is 3'

 

[Falcon67]

#1 - depending on where you are in Tx, you'll have ground water issues with a basement. Most places here don't have them.

#2 - do an areal survey of the area with Google Earth. If you are in the county, I'd bet you will find plenty of buildings and sheds larger than the "limit". Document, ask for a variance. Especially if there are some close. There is some limit here in the city - the neighbor has a 50x60 pad already poured so no worries here. Ag buildings do not run small, if they are allowed you should get a break too. It's tax money for the county, if I was the commissioner I'd say "build the hell out of it" and don't come cryin' to me with the county accessor sends you the bill.

Where you be at in TX anywho.

 

[hdossett]

...

County zoning laws, and house size. Right now a detached building cant be more than 1/2 the taxable finished space of the house, which is just less than 1200s/f.

So... add a few hundred sq. ft. to the house!

Problem solved!

H

 

[Chris Adams]

One thing to consider, is cost is not always the same with the different shapes. If you are dealing with a contractor, or hopefully getting estimates from a bunch of them, ask each one if he already has blueprints etc. for a given size.

My shop is 24x28. While he didn't charge more for it, the extra exact shape caused my contractor to have to make modifications to the trusses to meet a zoning requirement that would not have applied to a 22x28 or a 24x26, so do the homework on that.
The 'perfect' layout that you decide to build might be 10-20% more expensive than an exact same square foot structure where the builder doesn't have to meddle with the details.
Just a thing to check.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Can you put a breezeway on it big enough to park a truck under ?