Looking to build 24x30 garage

[outdoorguy65]

Looking to build a 24x30 garage but contractor sticker shock is scaring me off? Also, the trusses seem unreasonably high at almost 5k just for them. Anyone have any ideas? I think I can build it all myself except I am too old to be setting trusses! Any feedback or leads on reasonable contractors appreciated! Project is in Poway, CA. Joe

 

[nadogail]

Any constructive advice will be dependent on the location of your project.

 

[outdoorguy65]

Poway, Ca

 

[billconner]

You can use rafters instead of trusses. I just did that for a 28x32 (and I'm 71!). FWIW under $20k without slab yet and living where ungraded rough sawn is permitted.

 

[Skiff Builder]

I still like rafters and ridge board for solo installation, on a building that size. My location, I could do that with 2x6 Fir , 16"oc, on a 5:12 gable roof.
(48) 2x6x16 rafters
(2) 2x8x16 ridge
Todays cost under $900

 

[outdoorguy65]

I still like rafters and ridge board for solo installation, on a building that size. My location, I could do that with 2x6 Fir , 16"oc, on a 5:12 gable roof.
(48) 2x6x16 rafters
(2) 2x8x16 ridge
Todays cost under $900

Probably a lot harder to get that thru our building Dept here in CA. I thought about doing that...

 

[nadogail]

If you build it yourself, possibly with the help of employees, you can save a lot of money. 40+ years ago I found Ransom Lumber sold "Garage Kits", including plans, delivered to your property for what was a very competitive price. i would visit all the Lumber Yards within 30 miles of your site.

 

[Spud McGee]

Is there a price breakdown? I wonder how much of your price is just everything in CA being stupid expensive, how much is the contractor's margins, and how much is you getting upcharged for extras.

Basic 24x30 pole barn with 1 door steel walls, roof, and trusses is $10k here after sales tax and delivery. Another $3500 to have them install it. Simple 4" slab would be a few grand more. Then as you start adding stuff like roll up doors, taller building, windows, insulation, power, lights, the price goes on up.

If you wanted to DIY it, the 24' steel trusses are $330 each here locally. A 30' building could have 4 of them on 10' centers. They can be installed with the manual crank lift rented from home depot for like $300 for the day.

 

[outdoorguy65]

Is there a price breakdown? I wonder how much of your price is just everything in CA being stupid expensive, how much is the contractor's margins, and how much is you getting upcharged for extras.

Basic 24/30 pole barn with 1 door steel walls, roof, and trusses is $10k here after sales tax and delivery. Another $3500 to have them install it. Simple 4" slab would be a few grand more. Then as you start adding stuff like roll up doors, taller building, windows, insulation, power, lights, the price goes on up.

If you wanted to DIY it, the 24' steel trusses are $330 each here locally. A 30' building could have 4 of them on 10' centers. They can be installed with the manual crank lift rented from home depot for like $300 for the day.

I have a bid for a steel building installed for 15.5 k and the slab is 10K. Steel is not my first choice but I may go that way. Be nice to kick back and watch it built LOL.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Probably a lot harder to get that thru our building Dept here in CA. I thought about doing that...

Only one way to find out. Good luck, enjoy the build.

 

[Zeke]

Probably a lot harder to get that thru our building Dept here in CA. I thought about doing that...

Why do you say that? Engineering is engineering no matter what you use. In CA the cost is all the damn metal attachments. Save where you can but plan on plenty of 3 x 4 and 4 x4 nailing members for 100% sheathing nailed every 3" on the edges. Lots of hold downs and Strong Walls at the big door. I did a 250 sq ft addition to the end of a house and it went up to include the 2nd story. We paid $4000 in metal all in from rebar to ridge. All the lumber was 16K in 2010. It took the framers almost as long to install the metal as it did to rough frame.

 

[CraigStu]

Check w/ truss sellers in your area. My SIL built his garage himself. The lumber yard also supplied the trusses. he scheduled things so the trusses arrived and a couple days later the crain came to lift them. He and I and one other capable guy had the trusses up and temporarily supported in 2 hours. He had marked and blocked the tops of the walls so the truss location at the wall was perfect. When I say temporarily supported I mean we ran 2x4s laid across the trusses w/ one screw per truss. They were close but final perfection of squaring them happened when the plywood went on.

 

[Bobf]

Looking to build a 24x30 garage but contractor sticker shock is scaring me off? Also, the trusses seem unreasonably high at almost 5k just for them. Anyone have any ideas? I think I can build it all myself except I am too old to be setting trusses! Any feedback or leads on reasonable contractors appreciated! Project is in Poway, CA. Joe

Hi Joe,
Don't know if they're still available but I built a 24X30 Dixieline kit delivered to my drive way back in 87. I'm a mile south of the HS off Espola Rd. if you want to check it out.

 

[Dmm698]

Are these just common trusses? What pitch? Room in attic or standard?
Seems expensive even if this is after sales tax, the trusses were spanning 30' rather than 24', and they were room in attic.
Have 2 quotes currently between 195-205 per truss, 30' span, 2' OC, 8/12 pitch, Room in attic trusses. NYS isnt quite AS bad as CA but your quote seems steep.

 

[outdoorguy65]

Are these just common trusses? What pitch? Room in attic or standard?
Seems expensive even if this is after sales tax, the trusses were spanning 30' rather than 24', and they were room in attic.
Have 2 quotes currently between 195-205 per truss, 30' span, 2' OC, 8/12 pitch, Room in attic trusses. NYS isnt quite AS bad as CA but your quote seems steep.

No room in attic, 4/12 pitch.

 

[outdoorguy65]

Hi Joe,
Don't know if they're still available but I built a 24X30 Dixieline kit delivered to my drive way back in 87. I'm a mile south of the HS off Espola Rd. if you want to check it out.

I did that same kit in Ramona in 1994 but passing Poways building department with the drawings provided in the kit is not happening. Plus I need the overhead door on the non-gable side which requires a larger header.

 

[daveindenver]

I still like rafters and ridge board for solo installation, on a building that size. My location, I could do that with 2x6 Fir , 16"oc, on a 5:12 gable roof.
(48) 2x6x16 rafters
(2) 2x8x16 ridge
Todays cost under $900

Just curious - What would you use for the 24' rafter ties? What if you wanted to have a drywall ceiling with insulation above it some day?

 

[Skiff Builder]

Just curious - What would you use for the 24' rafter ties? What if you wanted to have a drywall ceiling with insulation above it some day?

Dave-2X8X24' D.Fir
16"o.c.

 

[mepstein]

A couple grand for concrete? LOL. Concrete guys want a couple grand just to write up an estimate. You would think they were pouring gold onto the ground. That’s almost everywhere. CA is probably even worse.

 

[billconner]

I built 28 x 32vlast year and this for around $20/sf - all rough sawn pine, asphalt shingles, barn sash, reused overhead doors, gravel floor (base for future slab). No insulation, heat, nor AC. I do have a full attic. Having done one, I could probably save 10% on lessons learned. Adding a slab will be around $10/sf - and that's because I own and will place remesh and vapor barrier and all prep for placing and finishing by a contractor.

I think to have a garage built today it would start around $50/sf, and would not be hard to spend $100/sf.

 

[Skooterj]

Okay, so I just happened to have built a 24x30 garage starting last March. I'll give you a quick breakdown of how much its cost me, doing most of the work myself.

Concrete, monolithic slab, with associated dirt work and supplies - $9000 (Contracted Out)
One layer block set on the slab - $500 (Contracted out)
Wall Framing and Sheeting - $4000 (10 foot walls)
Roof Trusses - $4500 (6/12 Scissors)
Shingled Roof - $1200 (Contracted out the labor)
Engineered Siding - $4200
Windows x2 -$1300
Doors, 2 Overhead, One Man - $3000
Electrical -$1000

So about $29000 total

Now, my son and son-in-law have provided a bunch of free labor, they along with my Father-in-Law and 2 Brother-in-Laws helped set the trusses.

Now, could I have saved some, sure. Lose the scissors, 8 foot walls, cheaper vinyl windows, single overhead door, basic man door, vinyl siding. And wood prices have come down quite a bit, OSB was $22 a sheet last summer, is $15 now. Could I have done the shingles myself, probably, but a slip laying the tar paper scared me.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Could I have done the shingles myself, probably, but a slip laying the tar paper scared me.

I hear you on slipping on a 6/12 papered roof.

Has anyone tried shingling top down (in lifts)? Really works well- you can fix any number of duckboards/cleats/staging you need without ever treading on new shingles.



https://www.finehomebuilding.com/1996/05/01/shingling-from-the-top-down

 

[Skooterj]

Fall didn't scare me as much as the fence I would probably land on.

 

[dcg9381]

Fall didn't scare me as much as the fence I would probably land on.

Last time I rented a lift, they made me buy a safety harness. I wouldn't want to work on 6/12 either.
I agree, rafters can be used in place of trusses. Why do 6/12 in CA? No snow loads.

But I also agree with others, what it cost us to do a garage apartment in TX was a fraction of what it cost in MI.

 

[Dmm698]

I hear you on slipping on a 6/12 papered roof.

Has anyone tried shingling top down (in lifts)? Really works well- you can fix any number of duckboards/cleats/staging you need without ever treading on new shingles.



https://www.finehomebuilding.com/1996/05/01/shingling-from-the-top-down

The old felt paper is not so confidence inspiring (I just removed a 6/12 off my shop to do some other renovations and replaced with 8/12 attic trusses). But the new synthetic paper is pretty decent. I could walk the 8/12 on the synthetic paper without a problem, and i'm far from a roofing expert.
At 6/12 I would have zero concerns of even being on the bare plywood to roll out the ice + water and synthetic paper, 8/12 was a little sketchy. Bundles will stay put on a 6/12 usually, 8/12 I mainly just used pitch hoppers to hold bundles so I didnt have to worry about them sliding off if I reefed on the packaging to hard pulling shingles out.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You can use rafters instead of trusses. I just did that for a 28x32 (and I'm 71!). FWIW under $20k without slab yet and living where ungraded rough sawn is permitted.

So was the rough sawn green ? Any issues using it ?

 

[billconner]

So was the rough sawn green ? Any issues using it ?

Nearly green - lot of moisture - and other than a little heavy - it's is around a third more material for a given size plus moisture - and.+/- 3/16 in any dimension - I like working with it. In addition every board was on average a foot longer than ordered and paid for. I would do it again.