Help With Garage Plans.....

[RSanch111]

Ok....

So I'm buying a small house, across the street from Lake Michigan. It's a log-sided chalet-type...One big room for dining, kitchen and living room. Couple bedrooms and a loft. Not nearly enough storage.

I want to build a garage that will be enough for: 3 cars, couple of snow machines and jet skis and a trailer-able fishing boat, like about a 23' Trophy walk-around. Trouble is, the boat will cause me to need a 9' door opening instead of the regular 7'.

Also....I want an unfinished upstairs to the garage that I can finish myself at my leisure.

So far, all of the plans I've seen online have come up lacking.

Do I just go with a stock plan and leave my boat outside on a poured slab? I don't want to incur the cost of an architect. Can I hire a draftsman to modify some existing plans? Also, I don't want a super complicated roof with a bunch of dormers. Windows at either end and maybe some skylights will be fine.

Suggestions??

 

[arjay]

It's easy enough to draw your own,just use a stock plan as a starter.A basic rectangle,10'+ ceilings on the first level and trusses for the roof would be pretty simple.
Or,you can stick frame the roof to keep it from being too tall.

 

[H Richard]

I only recommend that you build it bigger than you figure you need, you'll appreciate it later.

 

[don5]

Let me help you out. Here is my idea for my big garage. This what I did.

It is 30 x 64. I would have block laid up so that the top of the block is 2 foot above the inside slab. I would then frame 2x6 sections 8 feet long. This will give you a inside ceiling of 10 feet. You will have the advantage of putting insulation in the walls. I also put a beam in across one end that is 21 feet from the door. My doors are on each end. You can drive through one side.

I also had a metal pit welded up to sink into the ground so I can change oil without crawling under a vehicle. The beam is rated to suspend 2 ton dead center. It has a 12 inch web I believe. I never checked it and yes it was fun getting it put up.

Since you are using 2x6 walls then you can put a second floor in with no problem. You can use a barn style truss or just frame another floor and add the trusses on top.

I also used doors that are 10 feet wide and 8 feet tall on one end and 10 feet wide by 9 feet tall on the other side. The garage is easy to pull in and out of.

The sad news is that I do not have it finished. It is going to cost me some big money to get the floor put in. 5 digits worth.

Anyhow there you go. Go big and don't look back!

 

[RSanch111]

Good ideas, thanks. I was going to use a row of blocks but I hadn't thought about making them 2' tall. I guess I could use stock plans that way, which will be great.

 

[gunnails]

Pole Barns are affordable, quick, and easy.

 

[jag312]

If you plan to do any work on your vehicles, then you might consider an air compressor and an automobile lift.

 

[carpriver]

Have you considered a pole building, you could put in a second floor. You could insulate the second floor and heat it.

 

[quneur]

Every county, city, township will differing requirements. Depending upon the building department you are submitting to, they may have simple plans to use as an example.

Garages are the pita for both the designer and building official (and decks). Clients always want this and that, make it bigger and we need it to fit within this amount of space. For the plans checker, trying to figure out if jamb sides are designed properly, if the hurricane hangers can be properly installed, etc.

He's what I would do. Contact the building department and see what is needed for submittal or if you need to submit. Make sure you are allowed to build. There are usually hard surface coverage percentage which limits building sq ft. Next, sketch up a simple layout with sq ft. and you may set up a meet with the building dept. Take along a site plan with current house footprint (which you can obtain yourself from city or county public records). Take notes.

Then find a good experienced draftsman/designer. Just using a nephew's friend second cousin won't help. If you can, hire a senior draftsman or someone with atleast five years experience. Again, designing a garage is a pita and a junior draftsman will run into lots of problems. Check with the company which supplied your log home. They would have a draftsman on board and whatever they designed would match your home.

Remember, the more work you do yourself (knowing what you want, the sq ft., having plans on hand, etc.) will cut down on the time for the designer and the quicker it will be ready to submit and get a permit. Note: the permit/bldg examiner will also usually take notes on what he wants to see. When submitting plans, will check off each requirements which is quicker than actually evaluating each note on the drawings then coming back and looking to see if all requirements (they can think of) are met.

 

[don5]

Sears used to have garage planning booklets also. I have one and it was pretty handy. They tell you how to set your garage up if you are a woodworker or a mechanic. They basically give you tips on maximizing your workspace. I don't know if they are still available.

Another thing to think about is your heating requirements for your garage. If you build it as a stick built building then it can be insulated like a house. On my garage I have gas heat planned on both ends with a wood burning stove in the middle next to the work benches. I am going to put two 30,000 BTU gas plaque heaters in the garage. One on each end of the garage.

I am seriously planning on pouring a small concrete pad outside next to the garage and enclosing it. I am going to put a large upright air compressor in there. Then I will run the air line though the wall and plumb the garage. This way I will not hear the noise of the air compressor while I am working in the garage.

I almost went the way of the pole building but decided against it.

 

[Farmer17]

I have had my own construction business for 25 years and have built a lot of houses and detached garages. The last mancave I built for a guy was 22 x 40 with 10' side walls. It had a high pitched roof and we ran 2x12 roof the joists across but left a big opening in the middle. This was so he could raise his cars up on a hydraulic lift and the opening was big enough for the roof and windows of the cars to go through but not the whole care. With the 10' ceiling he could almost walk under the car or lower it and work on a vehicle from a sit down rolling chair. The opening added light and kept the upstairs from getting too hot and there was still a lot of storage upstairs. He loved it and it matched his house and it had brick and rock and coach lights and the driveway and sidewalk tied in to his existing drive way. We also built a brick and rock arch that tied into his house that made his house look very large and impressive from the street. I think the total cost was about $40,000 and I drew the plans myself in about an hour with an architects scale.

 

[mrrick]

Build it as big as you can afford. Put in the maximum insulation possible, don't use that spray in insulation, use the bagged stuff. I left part unpaved so snow from my big truck can melt into the ground and not have big puddles.

In 2009, (when contractors were desperate for work), I had a 35X35 foot garage built for $22,500 plus another $3000,00 for insulation and wall board. Engineered trusses to support the roof. Two doors, 8 ft. and 12 ft. (2 doors are better than one). Four 4X4 sliding windows.

We had a huge winter storm that lasted a week, left nearly 10 feet of snow, and had 4-5 feet of snow on the pitched roof. If that didn't bring down the roof, nothing will. Wired it with 200 amps and a couple of 220volt outlets. Regular 120v outlets every four feet.

Had to pay nearly $700.00 for the county permit, but the county inspector checked it about 6 times during construction and made the contractor fix/improve a few things, so it was worth it.

Do it right the first time.

 

[BigBill]

Here's my last 24' x 48' addition with a 24' x 28' garage with 10' ceiling.

1. Poured cement 6" thick floor, 1" foam insulation and clear plastic under the cement. 10" thick walls 4' high for welding. 2" x 10" second floor joists.
2 9' x 9' R15 metal insulated doors. Commercial door operators. Fully insulated walls and 5/8" sheetrock walls and ceiling and in the room.
Extra bathroom with shower. Woodstove in the garage. The floor is toasty warm in January. Do it right. Insulation and clear plastic is the key. Don't leave out outside faucets and plug boxes. Hot and cold running water(sink) garage. I ran a natural gas pipe to the garage but the woodstove was warm enough.

During a recession I hired a out of work framer, a excavator and cement guys who work together. I paid a plumber to run the gas pipe and new sewer drain. The total Bill was $22k with me and my two sons framing, I did the electrical and the plumbing. That's a new driveway too. With a retaining wall 4" x 6" x 16' long PT 60pcs and 25,000lbs of 1 1/4" stone and drainage pipe. All the gutter pipes were under ground

I'm planning a two story barn with a three car garage now.

 

[drgbike]

Bigger, bigger, bigger, then add 50 ft. I have an acre the house sits on , I should have just enclosed the house in a ! acre garage, then bought the neighbors.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I recommend against building a garage based on what automobiles you own and use. Build it to accept about anything you might ever own, or that a potential buyer might want to put in the garage. This means a minimum depth of about 28 feet (for the larger and longer vehicles), ceiling height of 10 feet, door height of 9 feet (allows a 1-foot header above the door with a 10 foot ceiling height). Width will require a minimum of about 10 feet per parking stall (12 feet will be much better).

My plan would start out at 36' X 28', one overhead door of 10' X 9', second overhead door of 20' X 9'. If significant working space is required that will have to be added to those floor dimensions. Ideally the doors should be located in a wall that will not carry the butt-ends of upper level floor joists, but either way you may find that interior supports (such as adjustable steel posts) will be needed, as well as a beam or two to properly support your second level finished space.

Having the second level finished pretty much eliminates the option of engineered roof trusses, leaving rafters and beams as the likely option. This will require some pretty substantial dimensional lumber to achieve the required spans and roof load requirements. Even if local building authorities might permit proceeding without engineering spec's for the plans, you would be pretty foolish to attempt such a project without having an engineer or architect spec this part of the job.

All of the above will place a considerable load on the walls and foundation. There is a lot of difference in load-bearing capacities of walls framed with 2X4's and those of 2X6's, and between walls framed at 16" on centers or those at 24" on centers.

The foundation will have to carry all of the construction load plus applicable snow loads and wind loads for your locale. Type of foundation and its construction will vary depending on soil conditions, subsoil type, soil percolation data, historical frost lines, and other factors. In some locations you might get by with slab-on-grade, other locations might call for monolithic pour with integral footers, and others might require grade beams or poured walls on footers followed by back-fill and slab pour. Steel reinforcement of the concrete (footers and slab) will almost certainly be required, and specifications for that reinforcement will be dictated by state or local codes as well as site and soil conditions.

Frankly, even after spending several years building homes I would be uncomfortable proceeding without a complete soils report, soils percolation testing, and an engineered plan based upon those reports and the requirements of applicable codes.

Finally, there are those who build to code minimums and there are those who build to last (you can never do less than code requires, but it is always OK to do more). It is much easier and less expensive to do it right the first time than to find out a few years later that repairs or replacement of key elements (foundation, load-bearing walls, beams & supports, etc) will be required. Nothing is gained by "cheaping out" on a building project.

All of the plans in the world will be meaningless unless they are properly evaluated and applied to the actual site to be built on.

 

[MGB11]

Ok....

I don't want to incur the cost of an architect. Can I hire a draftsman to modify some existing plans?

Suggestions??

I do architectural work for a living and have my own AutoCad program. If you are interested I would be willing to draw something up for you at a very reasonable price. Send me a PM and we can talk about the details.

Mike

 

[quneur]

I would get a used copy of Architectural Graphic Standards. Its basically a reference book for both architects and draftsman. Its expensive but it will give you the basics of design and producing construction drawings. For more detailed stuff there's the web and manufacturers sites.

Several things to consider:
1. Site grade. If its on a steep slope and you're building into grade, there's is a certain height allowable before calling it a retaining wall and needing a structural engineer's stamp.

2. Utilities. Existing utilities have setbacks. Any structures built upon those (accidentally or otherwise) will be torn down by the utility company if needed at your expense.

3. Listen to what the building department says concerning foundation, footings, slab thickness, reinforcing, etc. Using something that is different will cause alot more scrutiny than something more standard, ie. 18" below grade on undisturbed earth, etc.

4. Thermal envelope. If you are going to build a structure over the garage, you need a heated garage. That is another set of possible headaches. Its easier to put insulation under slab and no insulation in walls and call it unheated. The upper floor then would need R-38 or 2 layers of R-19 Batts Insulation. The walls - R-19, roof - R-30. Envelope is now upon the living space and not the garage. (all values have to be verified!)

If you want to build the living space later then put insulation (R-11 Rigid Insulation along footing and 24" horizontal) and leave it at that. Call it unheated so no calculations are required. Then when ready to build living space, submit another set of plans.

5. Consider these items: All plumbing stubs must be added before pouring concrete. Important for living space above. If plumbing goes through walls, it has to provide 3" drain plus insulation. Plumbing walls are 2x8 and its going to be ugly if lower floor walls are all 2x6. When it comes time to insulate you will break the envelope. Some examiners let it go but others won't.

Lighting. Lighting calcs are easily done but most building depts want it done.

Make sure you have adequate electrical outlets; 220v or 110v. You also need a separate panel for a new structure.

Outside lighting.

Ventilation to outside. Both garage and living space bathroom(s).

I was an architectural draftsman for twenty some odd years. Our goal was to keep clients happy first, drawings were done to give contractors enough information to get what we wanted but not enough to get us in trouble and to put specific information for the plans examiner. That last one trumps all.

That's why I say always keep the building department in the loop. To say let them design the drawings (what to put on the drawings and not the actual design) would be about correct. Personality (and influence) is huge. Its sometimes easier for a novice to get a permit than an architect or designer. You get into a battle of who knows more which could hold up the process for weeks. I been involved in projects that was held up for months because the examiner didn't like my employer.

Letting the examiner tell you what he wants on plans will get the review process quicker. I've also been involved in projects where the owner took in a basic sketch (drawn by me) and wrote what the examiner wanted directly on the sketch and walked out of the meeting with a permit.

Edit: make sure you spec ties and connectors. Simpson website for information. It is important for lateral stress and one thing examiners look for.