Looking for a summer project? Ever consider a detached garage? Building a detached garage on your property is a great investment. It adds separate square footage to your home and can increase the resale value of your property. Homeowners use their detached garages for many different purposes. From a place to store cars to an at-home workshop, the options are endless. At Behm Design, we make the process of building a detached garage simple. We provide our customers with an extensive set of garage plan options in various sizes and styles. We also have a planning checklist to help customers get started. Before purchasing your plans, take a minute to learn about the detached garage building process.
Learn About Detached Garage Rules and Regulations
While you might be ready to start construction on a detached garage next week, it’s not quite that easy. Before breaking ground, pay a visit to your local planning department. They will share with you any zoning rules and requirements in regard to the detached garage. For example, most places have setback rules that tell you how close to the property lines you are allowed to build. If your property has a septic system or a well, there are also rules about how close you can build to either of those things. In addition to getting information from the planning department, you will also need to contact your neighborhood HOA if you have one. HOAs often have rules about the appearance of new structures such as paint colors, roof types, siding choices, etc. Additionally, if you live in an area with a lot of earthquakes, you need to understand your local seismic engineering requirements.
The process of becoming informed is perhaps the most important step in the garage building journey. During this process, you will get questions answered that will save you time and money in the long run. No homeowner wants to be unprepared and have to stop construction midway through the project due to unknown requirements by the HOA or planning department.
Set a Budget
Once you have spoken with your local planning department and HOA, the next step is to create a budget. Seek out estimates from local contractors and architects to guide you. They can help you get an idea of how much material and labor will cost based on the size and style of garage you are looking to build. At Behm Design, we provide you and your construction team with plans at an affordable price in the $200-$350 range, depending on the design. You can pick between 4 copies of paper plans or a PDF copy. Write out each line item of your budget in an Excel spreadsheet. Create a “budget” and “actual” column. As the expenses come in, record them in the “actual” column to make sure you are staying within your budget.
Purchase Detached Garage Plans
The next step is to actually select the detached garage plans. Behm Design offers hundreds of garage plans that you can purchase over the internet from the comfort of your own home. Sift through the plans and sort by type, style, size, or special purpose. Behm has it all, from 1-car garages to RV motorhome garages and everything in between. Style options include carriage house, colonial, craftsman, hipped roof, modernist, and Victorian, giving homeowners plenty of choices if they want to match the style of their current house. Behm Design has the option of paper plans or digital plans. Physical or electronic delivery is fast so you can start construction as soon as you are ready. In addition to the set of plans, you will also receive a free materials list.
Acquire a Building Permit for Your Detached Garage
After talking to your local planning department, they probably provided you with the requirements to apply for a building permit. This must be done before construction starts. Give a copy of your plans to the building department, as well as anything else they need to secure the permit. Once you have the permit in hand, construction can begin.
Hire a Team
Plans purchased? Check! Building permit acquired? Check! Now you are ready to hire a contractor to build your detached garage. Check out review sites like Yelp or Google Reviews to find highly-ranked contractors in your area. Word of mouth is another great way to find an excellent contractor. Once you have found someone to do the project, sit down with them to discuss timeline and budget.
Plan Your Space!
With your contractor, plan out a detached garage space that is unique to you! You have the generic set of plans to build the structure, but think about any special additions you want in your garage to make it your own. This could include things like a built-in work desk, a built-in bar, a mini split AC unit, etc. Your contractor will help you decide if your ideas are feasible and will work with you to create the garage of your dreams.
Building a detached garage is an exciting project! A detached garage can give you the extra space you’ve always wanted without having to build an addition onto your house. At Behm Design, we offer our customers hundreds of detached garage plans to choose from. We also provide customers with a getting started checklist so that homeowners know exactly what to do before they break ground. Start with a visit to your local planning department to learn all you can about local rules and regulations, and then go from there! For more information about detached garage plans or the pre-construction process, contact Behm Design today.