Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT New Detached Garage in central Texas

[bradpac]

New Detached Garage in central Texas

We are underway with the planning and bidding for a detached garage for me to finally have space to work on my projects. Right now, the plan is a 28x25 interior garage with 12ft or better ceiling and 10x10 doors.

I'm going to ramble a bit here as I have a lot of different ideas and would appreciate some input on how to make things work the best.

Our house is located on 3/8 of an acre lot and there is enough room beside it to put a roughly 30x30 structure. I have come up with a floor plan I'm still debating on. I want room to pull two cars in, but only one side will be for actually working, the other would be for storage or move the car out and work on larger fabrication projects. 28ft is going to be my minimum length just because I like to work on trucks and my current daily is 20ft long so room to work in front of it, but still get behind it is a must. I'm thinking 25ft wide will be a little tight, but budget is also a little tight, if money allows I will try to do a 28x28. I'm giving up space with a 4 post, but working on pickups and some of that work being fabrication I want a stable platform, I can use a two post and screw jacks and I can be safe, but for months long projects, and possibly changing the weight bias multiple times I think a 4 post is better for what I want to do. Having the lift on the non-drive through side would be better if I ever need to actually go through, but with my parts and big tool storage needs (engine hoist, welder, drill press, etc) there's not enough room for the lift on that side and not enough room to store stuff and still be able to drive through on the other side if I swapped them. I was contemplating one big door, but smaller doors seal better, cheaper framing, and I kind of like the idea of only opening the side I'm using and being able to hide my junk behind the other door.

So, the need to work on one project car, while having room to store another along with large tools and parts. Also, the need to have back yard access for a trailer or to roll a car behind the garage if need be. Here is my current plan, what do you guys think. It will have some compromises, especially with enough storage room for larger stuff, and with having the fabrication work area needing to be mobile to turn into car storage area. Is there any better layout in this foot print?

 

[bradpac]

Re: New Detached Garage in central Texas

Well, I've gotten a couple of bids back on getting this sucker built, there's $20,000 difference between the two. Although the cheaper one I have a feeling will have some added costs. But this is just for exterior finishing, no doors, just studs on the inside.

One came in at $56,000, including the slab at $10,300 and $1200 for permitting, it is well spelled out and the builder did say it contained some extra contingencies.

The other came in at $29,000 which included $9800 for the slab. Just two lines one for the slab and one for the building, nothing spelled out, not sure if permitting is included. Questions I need to ask for sure.

I was just surprised by the extreme cost difference. One I can afford, the other I can't.

 

[bradpac]

Update

After seeing the stick built quotes, I turned to metal building. Based on our design with a 6:12 pitch, overhangs, and 30x30 size it will be a custom weld up, but I work with a few guys who know a thing or two about metal buildings, so no concern over having a well built structure. I probably should have gone this route to begin with, but I was trying to stay more similar construction to the house this garage will sit next to instead of trying to make a metal building look like it belongs. 30x30x10 weldup, bid came back at $32,000 minus the brick. Brick bid is $1500-$2000 depending on price of the brick. So, $34000, I can afford that and I prefer the metal structure and no ceiling over a termite's paradise wood frame and a ceiling that meant higher eave heights for my only one in the neighborhood want to blend in so you don't notice my junk, detached garage.

Revised floorplans attached. Haven't gotten any feedback so far, so I guess it's just so perfect you guys are speechless. Any comments of things I'm overlooking in these drawings. I'm hoping for room to work on a vehicle on the right side with room to store one on the left, but be able to move that vehicle out and have a large fab space if needed.

 

[bradpac]

So, almost 3 months later. Have building permit in hand! The only hiccup is they required a driveway for a garage. For me to call it a storage building there were other requirements that had to be met, so it's still a garage and I'm getting a driveway, there goes another $5000-$7000. I might have to sell off all the cars I want to work on in this garage to pay for it!

Last weekend we got the tree that was in the middle of the lot cleared out and now we have open ground. I still need to take out the fence and then site prep can begin. Woohoo!

 

[bradpac]

Re: New Detached Garage in central Texas

Alright, finally some actual progress to show. Dirt work pretty much completed and rebar almost complete. Going to run tape measures and double check everything with the builder tomorrow and hope to pour early next week.

 

[MacTexas]

I had to look at a map to find Taylor Texas. I will watch with interest in another Texas build.

 

[bradpac]

And we have concrete! Brick ledge for the front and nice door cut outs so we don't have any water blowing under. Weld plates all look in the right spot, the erector was on site and set them himself) Slab has 30" deep piers and the top slab came out about 5-1/2", I specced 5" but they got it a little thicker, not complaining. I made sure and double checked the form size before the pour and sprinkled it with water this morning and it doesn't all run right off so I guess it's pretty flat too. Steel starts next week.

 

[bradpac]

I had to look at a map to find Taylor Texas. I will watch with interest in another Texas build.

Haha, yea I usually just say Austin, but I didn't want people on here thinking I was weird or anything.

Glad to hear from some other Texas folks, I like watching the builds as well, I've gotten quite a few good ideas from other builds on here.

 

[bradpac]

Steel is going up! Looking good, they are welding up the roof beams today and will have a crane out Monday to get them set.

Anyone around Austin know a good brick guy, the front wall of this place is going to be brick.

 

[bradpac]

More progress. The crane truck came out and the guys made lots of progress yesterday. All of the main structure is up. A little taller than I was thinking it would be, probably a foot taller than the house, but I will have plenty of room to raise cars on the lift inside.

 

[P0sTaL]

looks like an amazing build cant wait to see the progress. I am in the middle of planing my setup in my current garage and im planing on a wall folding metal fab table. I know it sounds out of the norm but the room in the garage is limited but cant wait to see your build

 

[davo727]

Looks good, Im going to do weld up myself ( me welding) this summer in TX.

 

[PugetDude]

Hey Brad, that's a good looking slab and frame; congratulations!..
Wonder where the roof and wall panels are coming from?

 

[83VillageRepair]

That is going to be a good looking building. I will be following along. I am about a year away from starting a weld up building. I am in Taylor County, thought for a moment you might be close.

 

[bradpac]

Hey Brad, that's a good looking slab and frame; congratulations!..
Wonder where the roof and wall panels are coming from?

Yuppers, measured for the panels over the weekend. I guess the erector did a good job, the building is the same size all the way around! I'm glad my wife liked some of the discontinued colors we still have extra coil of sitting in the plant, saved us a little money with these crazy price increases.

It will be reverse run, horizontal U Panel on the walls and 1-3/4" Snap Lock on the roof.

 

[bradpac]

A tad bit more progress. Hat channel added to the walls for the horizontal wall panels and strapping and tyvek started on the roof for the unfaced insulation that will be put in between the purlins and on top. Should be an R30 or better. After pricing out spray foam and it going up 25% in a month (currently $5000 to do 2" closed cell for the entire building), the deal my erector gave me on doing this insulation in the roof ($800) was too good to pass up. I just have to figure out what I want to do in the walls, right now I'm thinking more unfaced with liner panels, as I can get a good deal on both.

Now, just waiting on the engineer to approve framing and should start sheeting the walls next week, then the roofer is going to work me in after that. In a busy market, you spend more time waiting for people to get to you than they spend actually doing work it seems.

 

[bradpac]

Well...contractor delays, and weather delays, but we have the start of siding.

This is horizontal, reverse run U Panel. It's not all trimmed out yet, but you can see the J trim on the corners to close up the ends of the panel. A corner trim will go over top to finish it off.

It seems like my worst issue may be finding brick to match our existing exterior. Our house is supposedly Acme French Country from the late 80s, and the new French Country and, just about anything else for that matter, the orange color does not match. So, the part I wasn't worried about is now becoming my headache.

 

[RogueFab]

It is cool seeing a little new flavor of metal siding (to me at least). I wish I was more help on the brick matching. Sorry

 

[bradpac]

It is cool seeing a little new flavor of metal siding (to me at least). I wish I was more help on the brick matching. Sorry

I appreciate the compliments...Trying to make it a little more residential friendly.

We found some brick that is close in color, but the mason will have to smear the white frosting looking stuff on it when they're putting it up, so we'll see how it turns out, but the most important part right now is my garage is moving forward. I purchased another project this past weekend so my driveway is currently over capacity.

 

[bradpac]

Got walls and soffits finished up this week. Hoping for roof this weekend, but they are calling for rain and the roofer isn't a fan of slip-n-slides...so we'll see.

The front panels were just done standard vertical as it will be covered by brick. The installer used a piece of trim between the long side soffit panels and the ones on the eaves, I was hoping they could layout the flush seams and make it work with no trim at the joint, but it looks pretty good so I'll only complain online.

 

[bradpac]

And we have a completed metal building. The standing seam, well snap lock, roof turned out really nice. Might would have looked better in the darker wall color, but my goal was some reflectivity of the Texas heat. The brick for the front is starting today. Still another month out on doors, but I have plenty of work on the inside that needs to be done before I can move in. Still need some electrical and I need to find some good shelves, benches, etc. But lights are top priority right now.

 

[bradpac]

And we have finished brick. Not a perfect match to the house, but the closest we were able to find. The brick layer only used a 3" tall lintel above the doors the first time around and we had a sagging issue, so they came and redid the top part with a 6" lintel and no more sagging. Glad they got it taken care of. Now I just need the rain to stop so I can get a driveway and maybe sometime this century my garage doors will come in.

 

[bradpac]

Finally had the driveway poured a week ago. Now I have a garage I can actually drive into. Doors are scheduled to be installed the 28th, finally after 3 months. Now I better get started on some electrical.

 

[bradpac]

Finally, we have doors! And putting the driveway to good use. Now I can start figuring out the inside. One thing for sure, it will need some good fans. The roof insulation is helping the temperatures a bit, but the front of the building gets full afternoon sun and with only a man door on the side air flow isn't good. Maybe I should have installed a few windows, but one day full insulation and a mini-split will keep me cool.

 

[jbrentd]

Looks good and the brick matches pretty close. I need to make a run to Acme and look at their samples to find a match for our brick. Our house was built in 1999 and I think I bought the last of the brick about 12 yrs ago when I had driveway headwalls redone.

 

[bradpac]

Looks good and the brick matches pretty close. I need to make a run to Acme and look at their samples to find a match for our brick. Our house was built in 1999 and I think I bought the last of the brick about 12 yrs ago when I had driveway headwalls redone.

Thank you, it did turn out better than expected with the different brick, after a couple of months I don't even see a difference now and all of the neighbors say it looks good.
The brick on our house is all Acme, but we actually found the best color match through Meridian. Neither one of them made the same size brick anymore that is on our house so the brick on the garage is about 3/4" bigger in all dimensions; being 8ft apart you don't even notice it. Good luck with your search, I now realize why on a lot of remodels you see them just paint the brick if they're doing lots of work to the walls.

 

[jbrentd]

Thank you, it did turn out better than expected with the different brick, after a couple of months I don't even see a difference now and all of the neighbors say it looks good.
The brick on our house is all Acme, but we actually found the best color match through Meridian. Neither one of them made the same size brick anymore that is on our house so the brick on the garage is about 3/4" bigger in all dimensions; being 8ft apart you don't even notice it. Good luck with your search, I now realize why on a lot of remodels you see them just paint the brick if they're doing lots of work to the walls.

I'll have to look at the other brick suppliers in town if we can't find a good match at Acme. And yes, we put painting the house and garage in our contingency plan, but I want to avoid that if at all possible. I like the look, but am worried it's a trend that will fade and you can't go back.