Menards Garage Building Plans

[docshiznit]

Wondering if anyone can tell me how specific and detailed the Building Plans are that Menards sells along with the material list for their garages?
The design plans for the 24x32ft garage I created are about $500. Are those documents literally just the detailed blueprints?
Or is there some walk-through of the assembly?
I've built a 12x24 garage before as a kit from another company (with some cutting by me) and it had step by step instructions for assembly.
It was pretty straightforward and I have a decent amount of rough construction skill, but I'm wondering if I'm going to get the same help from these Menards plans.

 

[eegger]

I built mine a little over 2 years ago. No step by step instructions or what really goes where. The plans included are pretty basic and really just a blue prints.

They really just sell you a materials list and you do what you want with it.

 

[docshiznit]

Any recommendations (besides hiring a contractor) on getting more details of assembly prior to having everything purchased and delivered? Did you just figure it out as you went along?

 

[finn]

Make sure the “plans” will give you a building that meets local codes.

For example, their basic pole barn plans don’t meet snow load code requirements for my county. You certainly can upgrade the trusses to meet code, but I don’t know if Menards has qualified engineers on staff to guide a novice through things like that.

You also have to do the slab and electrical, pull permits, etc on your own.

Putting up a garage a little more complicated than pulling the materials through the checkout.

 

[nadogail]

i respectfully suggest you request an "Informational Interview" with your local building department and ask their opinion. Bringing a box of Doughnuts is usually considered a nice gesture.
We don't have a Menards in my area, so I am unfamiliar with them. A local full service Lumberyard might be a better source of information than a "Big Box Store" that has some part time help selling whatever they have at the moment.

 

[andyvh1959]

I used the Menard's system to get a design and bill of materials for the 24x28 detached garage I built. I was traveling weekly for work at the time so I submited the design and bill of materials to the city of Green Bay and I got my building permits and inspection schedules with no issues. The bill of materials covered everything, but I've built garages twice before so I knew what material was for what. Although, I never used the metal spacing ribs that set the spacing for the trusses (because I didn't realize what they were for).

 

[Stuart in MN]

The last time I looked, Menards has garage plans on a rack in the store along with various books on building and various DIY projects, you can go in the store and look at them before buying. Are the plans you're talking about something different?

 

[barnym17]

They also have online where you input the size and basic shape of the building you want and it spits out a materials list and some drawings.I think that's what we are talking about.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The best thing for you to do is stop by the local Menards you are planning on using. Talk to the guys or gals working the Pro Desk.

Ask them your questions and what the plans come with. The one's I have dealt with are knowledgeable as this is their full time gig.

 

[Just_Steve]

84 Lumber also do kits if you are looking for options if they are in your area.

 

[Shoester]

I’d be happy to email you my set of standard Menards blueprints so that you can see what you’ll get. My building was “rural” and I believe I paid $500 for the drawings. I emailed them during the build to see if they could give me some detail on fastening the truss carriers to the poles, and they said that kind of detail required the “engineered plans” and would be a $6k charge!

There was a little bit of interpretation, but overall it wasn’t too bad and I certainly am glad I didn’t spend that $6k. These buildings aren’t rocket science, and there’s a few different ways to build them.

 

[mike93lx]

Any recommendations (besides hiring a contractor) on getting more details of assembly prior to having everything purchased and delivered? Did you just figure it out as you went along?

Watch lots of YouTube videos. I can't imagine you are going to find real plans with instructions as a garage of that size really isn't a first-timer project.

 

[purplezr2]

Doubt you will find any directions that will list out directions like Legos that show you the length and the placements of the individual components.

Do you have previous building/construction experience. Do you understand basic wall construction, bottom/top plates, headers, king and cripple studs etc.?

 

[andyvh1959]

Right. In my case I got "plans" that showed the overall views of all four sides, and the bill of materials, and a basic cross section showing the wall construction and a generic slab view. I don't recall that I paid anything back in 2019 for the plans, think it was a free download as part of buying the bill of materials. I created an overhead plan view showing the garage location on my plot, just as a Google Overhead download onto which I used Microsoft Paint to detail the setbacks and position of the garage relative to the house.