Hello from DFW!

[YukonXL04]

Hey Guys, Im new to this forum, but a avid member of others. We are purchasing a new to us house. Hoping to close on it by the end of the month.

It has a attached 2car 20x20 with a 10ft wide 5ft deep cutout in the front. This garage will be mainly vehicle storage.

The wife has approved a 24'w X 30'D garage/workshop. So once we get a couple projects done on the house we should be starting construction.
I am waiting till we move in so I can get some contractors out to give me some bids. I am leaning towards letting them build the whole thing turn key or them doing concrete and me doing most of the rest.

Currently working on some google sketchup drawings to see how its going to look. Also trying to decide placement on the property as well.

Thanks.

 

[txvwnut]

Welcome aboard. If you haven't already check your local building codes as they will dictate how big of a building you can build.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Hi and welcome aboard from Australia, as always, enjoy..

 

[drivesitfar]

Yukon: you might want to put your location in your profile so when you are posting and asking questions on other threads the other members can maybe give you an area specific answer.

also any pictures to post of your new (used) home? so are you building a detached 24 x 30 to add to your existing 20 x 20 garage? if you are going to have a lift some require 12.2 foot tall ceilings so read up on them before you build.

lots of great builds and good information if you have the time to read and if you can't find the answers just ask questions.

welcome

 

[YukonXL04]

Thanks for the welcome! Im in Arlington Texas.

Here is a pic of the front of the house.
View media item 47887
Here is a overhead with 2 options for shop placement.
View media item 47888
The overhead shot isnt to scale or anything, but basically either up close to the existing driveway, or at the back corner of the lot. From the driveway to the fence line is about 60'. So either put it up front, and save 30' of back yard area and extra driveway concrete costs. OR put it at the back of the lot and have a extra driveway poured between the shop and existing driveway.

I have already spoke with the city. For that lot I have 5' easements on each side and back. so Just stay 5' from the side property line and the back property line. No biggie.
Also have a 25' height limit, but I dont see any problems there either.
However the exterior does have to be of masonry construction. So Hardie plank siding it is, I may brick the front though. Also has to have a shingle roof like the house has.

So as it stands Im looking at 24'w X 30'D. 10' walls with a 18'x9' garage door. Or whatever I can get to fit. Im thinking attic trusses over where the garage door will be when open. and maybe scissor trusses or something similar to give me more ceiling height in the center so some sort of a lift may be possible.

 

[rburke65]

Welcome Yukon. If she is dictating the size remember it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission. They are never big eough. Good luck.

 

[txvwnut]

Thats cool that Arlington will let you have that much square footage on the ground. I'm in Bedford and they have a 500sqf limit but also allow to be 25 foot high. So I went 20 feet up and some of the neighbors weren't too happy but they'll just have to get over it. What was cool about my build was when I was done with it all and got the green tag from the city I got to find out who the biggest compaliner was, should've seen his face when I told him I could've went taller.

 

[1nterceptor]

Howdy and welcome aboard!

 

[drivesitfar]

Yukon: it looks like a nice house. how are your new neighbors or have you met any yet? i have several friends that put a second story in their garage shops for storage or an office/man cave and one put his compressor up there.

you'll hear this a lot here so i'll put it out there and let you decide how big to build your garage. it's probably over 90% that all members say build as big of a garage as you can afford. i like the garage back in the corner because you'll need the extra cement for something later even if only to have kid's ride their bikes on. if you stick around here long enough you'll probably end up wanting to buy a fork lift and you'll need a little space to remove machines and heavy items.

one other note i'm hearing depending on the lift you buy or want to use inside your garage the ceiling height should be 12.2 feet. i saw you might want to change the tresses or if you build a floor for a second story just wanted to let you know. if i was building a garage shop i'd probably put in a huge steel I beam in case i ever wanted to use a hoist.

again welcome and enjoy all the reading about the possibilities you can do in your new garage.

 

[YukonXL04]

Thanks alot guys! Some good info on this site.

@txvwnut: Yea their only limit on SQ.FT. is you cant exceed %50 of the property size.
Well the property here is about 12,600 sq.ft. The lower story with garage is somewhere in the 1,800 sq.ft. range lol, so I could theoretically build a 4,500 sq.ft. shop haha! I wish...

@drivesitfar: Yea I didnt think about the kids playing on the concrete, Im thinking them playing in the grass haha. The wife did mention putting a basketball goal in the extra driveway. She wants it further back as well. So More than likely it will end up in the back corner.

Yea Im going to have to talk to some contractors when they are out here to see what kind of options I have for ceiling height. I dont see a lift in the near future -5 years, but I would like to have the height available if I decide to put on in at a later date.

That is a great Idea on the steel I beam. That would be great to have. I will bring that up as well and see that my options are for that.

I went deep so I have room to fit a decent sized boat. I figure the next 2-3 years Ill be buying another wakeboard boat and want to be able to fit it easily. I figure with 24ft wide I can have a boat up against the west wall, and still be able to pull a vehicle in to work on it. I will be building a 6'x6' table on large casters to hold my table saw and router. I think I can roll that off into a corner. Cabinets along the whole back wall. Air compressor, and dust collection system. Cant wait!

 

[drivesitfar]

Yukon: just a word from another parent. kids don't play where you want them to if left on their own. i have 5 grown kids now and one that has spina bifida and was in a wheelchair almost all of her 24 years so i speak from experience. they play where they want to unless you are playing with them. BB court is a good thing and you can buy fish netting to put up behind it to keep it out of the neighbor's yard.

if you don't know a builder and are just getting bids you might give them your budget and see what they can build you for that instead of just getting bids. then pick the one that not only has some great ideas, but also the one you wouldn't mind spending your life with for 2-6 months.

good luck and ask questions if you have any or just enjoy reading the threads in Garage gallery and ask questions on those threads if you need some answers about stuff they are talking about.

have fun designing and building your new garage and the more you keep the wife on board with everything the better.

 

[YukonXL04]

Haha No kidding, I know thats the truth. The wife wants to dedicate a room for the kids to play in, I told here its pointless cause they are going to just bring to toys out to where we are lol.

Yea I dont have a set builder. Still on the search. Most of it will be paid for by cash, whatever else it takes to build it like I want will be financed. But I am really hoping to be in the 20k-30k range.

Here is about the best I can do in sketchup lol.
View media item 47925View media item 47926View media item 47927View media item 47928
Looking at that, Im really happy with it. Just waiting till I can sign the papers.

 

[drivesitfar]

Yukon: plan looks great. i like the vaulted ceilings in the garage and the fence is nice.

i forgot to finish my little story with my little girl and her wheelchair. there were many days i'd see her maybe going 20 MPH down the middle of our street and our driveway is at the bottom of a small hill and she would grab the wheels and chatter to a stop. i can't believe she never crashed and we must have bought her 10 pairs of tires for her first chair she had until she was about 12 and we bought her a new wheelchair.

nice to hear your wife wants you to have the detached garage, but not sure you'll be able to build it for $20-30 if there are a lot of permit fees with studies needed. also with your nice exterior finishes that's not the cheapest way, but it should look good. see what the contractors say and maybe there are a few that are either members here or that some in your area have one to recommend.

good luck

 

[txvwnut]

That rendering looks great and the set back is nice too, if you do a full set back you will appreciate it later. I'm not sure about your budget as I spent a little over 20k and did all the work myself and that was 12 years ago.

 

[YukonXL04]

Yea I figured that was a tough budget. But so far I have had a 20k and 25k estimate. Not including the extra 20 ft of concrete for the extra driveway. Also no brick. Didn't really like it in the rendering.

Txvwnut: What do you mean by full setback? How big is your place?

Drivesitfar: that's awesome that your daughter didn't let the wheelchair slow her down. I bet the other kids wanted to try haha.

 

[Greasymofo]

Howdy there Yukon. Welcome to the forum. I also am in Texas. Congrats

 

[fireeqpsrv]

Welcome to the GJ from Mississippi

 

[Tader82]

Howdy from Corpus

 

[txvwnut]

Yea I figured that was a tough budget. But so far I have had a 20k and 25k estimate. Not including the extra 20 ft of concrete for the extra driveway. Also no brick. Didn't really like it in the rendering.

Txvwnut: What do you mean by full setback? How big is your place?

Drivesitfar: that's awesome that your daughter didn't let the wheelchair slow her down. I bet the other kids wanted to try haha.

I'm referring to how far it is setback from the house. I put mine at the back of yard and that put it about 70 or so feet from the front of the shop to the back of the house. The foot print is 20w x 26d and is 20 tall to the peak, that gave me 500sqft down stairs and 500 up stairs.

 

[TexasT]

Welcome to the neighborhood. We are over off of Park Springs(yeah, just a stones throw), near Wood Elementary.

 

[Lone Star Blaze]

Welcome!

I miss that part of the world

 

[JD in DFW]

Welcome, I'm just down the road from you in Mansfield. I grew up in SW Arlington, Went to Martin. If I can be of any help with a referral for a certain trade let me know, Have been in the contracting business in these parts for a good while, know alot of folks.
JD

 

[YukonXL04]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

Welcome to the neighborhood. We are over off of Park Springs(yeah, just a stones throw), near Wood Elementary.

Haha thanks man. Yea we are on Little road right now, so just down the street.

Welcome, I'm just down the road from you in Mansfield. I grew up in SW Arlington, Went to Martin. If I can be of any help with a referral for a certain trade let me know, Have been in the contracting business in these parts for a good while, know alot of folks.
JD

Hey thanks alot. I may take you up on that. Ill PM you for more info.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Hello and welcome to the Garage Journal.
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I am a ToolAholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit