My DIY garage build

[Sawlog]

I’m finally done with my garage that I have been wanting for years. Started building the frame in mid November and am now inside enjoying the fruits of my labor.
26x44 with 12’ walls
The concrete work started 1.5 years ago. I dug footings by hand and pored them with 2” foam on inside wall. Framed up stem wall and poured those. The floor I hired out, I had everything ready and he came and just poured the floor for 1075 bucks.
started building in November when prices were at the lowest in a year or two. I had great weather for a winter build in illinois.
Worked on it after work and weekends.
18’x10’ insulated door on the gable end and a 9’x7’ on the long wall.
12’ 2x6 side walls with a 1/12 pitch Scissor truss. 13’ in the middle to get tube heated a little farther up. R-19 batts in wall, r-48 blown in in attic.
my wife wanted a shower for the kids so her house doesn’t get destroyed after a dirty day of playing. So we have a shower, lav and stool. Kitchen sink, fridge and microwave . 2 stage reverbery tube heater. 100 amp service mounted on top of sheathing and exposed emt conduit.
I used osb on the ceiling and walls. Put up 28 6000 lumen lights on two switches. It’s like daylight in there.
Used 1/2 steel for my rolling bench and stationary bench. Still have to finish building cabinets inside.
so far I don’t think I would change anything.
just thought I would share. Maybe somebody could get ideas on what to do or not to do.
I built this garage , septic system, water, gas, electrical, building, siding, by myself. I always hear people say they don’t have enough man power to do things. You just have to want to do it. Even put up all trusses up my hand.

 

[chad215]

Looks Great- I try to do as much as I can by myself but I doubt I would tackle as much as you have

 

[Sawlog]

A few more pictures

 

[Sawlog]

The good Lord gave me a extra amount of determination, and a place to live where you don’t have a code authority on everything everytime you turn around.

 

[nadogail]

Really nice looking project

 

[Juiced06GTO]

How deep did you have to dig the footings? That's a lot of work to dig by hand!!

 

[Sawlog]

3 ft. It took 8 days.
when I was a kid my dad dug around our house by hand and tarred the blocks so the basement wouldn’t leak as much. I will never forget the hard work he did.
Iguess that was my way of showing my then 8 year old boy not to ever be afraid of hard work. And that you don’t have to have a machine to get things done.

 

[paredown]

Nice build. And you are right--there's a really popular youtube video of a guy who did the full build himself as you did. He put up a second one to help people understand the process, and emphasize that others could do it too...

 

[Dreamer1975]

Very nice, I’m in Il as well and use my shop as my getaway during the winter. It’s nice to just keep on working no mater what the weather is outside.

 

[captain14]

Very nice garage and doing it yourself over the winter. How much building experience do you have prior to this project?

 

[Sawlog]

Very nice garage and doing it yourself over the winter. How much building experience do you have prior to this project?

I have been a plumber and heat and air guy for the last 23 years. So I have always been around it. Build a few houses prior to that. I’m very thankful to not have to hire stuff out, I don’t know how folks afford too to be honest.

 

[Jagmandave]

How old are you?

I could do things in my 40's and 50's that I can't now that I'm in my 70's

Makes a difference.....

doesn't mean I still don't want a shop, but not much I can do by myself now.

 

[jack stand]

Congratulations that's a great project and you have to be proud of it and yourself.
You are masterful with a shovel!

 

[Sawlog]

How old are you?

I could do things in my 40's and 50's that I can't now that I'm in my 70's

Makes a difference.....

doesn't mean I still don't want a shop, but not much I can do by myself now.

46

 

[Sawlog]

Congratulations that's a great project and you have to be proud of it and yourself.
You are masterful with a shovel!

Thank you, plumbing equals alooooot of ditch digging

 

[Juiced06GTO]

That is awesome man, nice work it looks great! I also love to DIY as much as possible. I look back at some of the stuff I've done and forget how I even figured out how to do it sometimes haha! At the end of the day its all just parts pieces and shear will and determination to make it all go together! Looks great brother!

 

[littlebean]

that looks really good, nice work

 

[mmb617]

Very nice job you did there. I can identify since I wouldn't have a garage if I'd had to hire it out. I built mine 20 years ago by myself and it is a lot of work but quite satisfying. I did have my wife help on parts that absolutely required two people like screeding concrete.

When most people say they built a garage what they mean is they picked the contractors. Not a lot of true DIY jobs.

 

[Sawlog]

That is awesome man, nice work it looks great! I also love to DIY as much as possible. I look back at some of the stuff I've done and forget how I even figured out how to do it sometimes haha! At the end of the day its all just parts pieces and shear will and determination to make it all go together! Looks great brother!

Thank you, you just can’t get overwhelmed by the big picture.