Garage build timeline

[fhowland]

I was looking at a few threads about people building garages. It seems like most garages are taking a year to build. I'm hoping to build a 22w x 30l x 10h
shop within a few months. How long will it really take?

 

[kbs2244]

It is a "man hours" thing.
The pros would do it in a week.
But that is 2 or 3 guys working 8 hour days.

 

[Matti]

I'm getting my garage built today. They started at 6:30 and will be finished mid day tomorrow (3 guys). I had the pad poured a month ago. That took 2 days. The planning took a lot longer! The wiring, insulation, dry walling and painting will take me a month.

 

[gesoffen]

If you work on it as a full time job with a small crew (2-4 compentent people), you could knock it out in 3-4 weeks depending on your local inspectors schedules (maybe even quicker if you really knew your local systems). The key is to have a firm set of plans, your materials orders staged so they show up just in time for use (means you have to use a competent, reliable set of suppliers and make sure your specs are right), and hope weather is on your side.

If your talking a nights and weekends build, it could take a few months if you dedicate nearly 100% of your spare time.

 

[PAToyota]

It depends on a number of factors...

• Paying someone to do it? Or doing it yourself?
• Typical box with vinyl siding and asphalt shingles outside and drywall inside? Or overhangs, trim details, special siding, metal roofing?
• Basically storage and light shop work? Or a "working" shop with electrical and structural requirements for tools and such?

Then, if you are doing work yourself it could be done quickly if you stay on track. But "life" tends to intrude. The boss asks you to start putting in overtime. You spend a weekend with your in-laws. Little Joey's team does well and they get into the playoffs.

Then there is the problems of "what about?" "Hey, a lot of guys are putting in lifts, maybe I should think about that." "I'll be putting in a compressor, so maybe I should plumb the whole place with black pipe or copper." "Hey, I have this really neat idea to put together a storage center along this wall."

The final group is probably what adds the most time to a project...

 

[dcjredline]

Built mine alone besides the foundation and the trusses. Took me about 4.5 months to get it to a point where it looked completed on the outside. I had 10 or so hours of "help" total. I did this working 2 jobs about 55-60 hours a week and having my daughter 2 nights a week for 4 hours. 28x30

Let me tell ya I worked my **** off and worked from day break till dark on the Sundays I had off and every night after only working 1 job I would work till I couldnt see anymore. Lot of sore places and learned a TON of stuff. Worth EVERY MINUTE of it to save $7-8k doing it myself.

 

[fhowland]

I'm going to try and get as much of the work done myself except for concrete and some help with the roof trusses/sheathing. I was planning to use composite shingles and hardiplanks for the siding. I would like to get the building weathertight and then finish the electrical/sheetrock/plumbing done as time permitted. I know my wife would have an issue with an extended build time.

 

[boiler7904]

Just keep in mind that whatever time you think it will take, double it. Weather will not cooperate. The wife will come up with things she wants you to do. Things will come up at work, etc.

Case in point. I thought I could knock out doing a new patio by myself in about 4 weeks this summer including demo. Real schedule ended up being 7 weeks after the demo was complete. We had a stretch in late May / early June where it rained every 2nd or 3rd day and just couldn't dry out. Then my wife had the brilliant idea to arrange two day trips on two of the good weather days. Resistance was futile as the say.

I did it done in time for a party at our house on July 5th. By in time, I mean I was finishing the seating wall cap at 6:30 and setting up furniture until 10:00 on the 4th and cleaning up tools, the garage, and the yard until people started showing up for the party.

 

[fireguy]

My small shop, 28 x 33 took 5 or 6 years to complete. I had the foundation and stem walls done. Then the city mgr decided there were too many firemen on staff. As the junior man, I knew my time was limited. I stopped working on the shop and paid off my bills, saved money and developed my business. When the lay-off letter arrived, I was in good shape financially. After about 5 years, I was comfortable about borrowing money and finishing the garage. During the down time the builing codes changed. My shop was too close to the property line and the inspector wanted me to trim the shop. I pointed out that if the city mgr had not laid me off, the garage would have been done several years earlier. He agreed with me and I had the shop finished. Of course, like all shops, it is now too small.