Build quotes for new 2 car garage

[pb4uski]

I had actually watched that video a while ago. In NH however, 600sf is the most you can pour a monolithic slab (with no frostwall), would not be code here. So I am sure that excavating 4'+ down, pouring a footing, then the wall is a pretty high incremental cost.

Me and DW often just look at each other and say "It's just money. Right?"

Your footprint is only 6' bigger than ours... you're 24x34 and ours was 24x28.

No code here but they poured a floating perimeter slab on 3-4' of crushed stone... there was a 12-18" (I don't remember the depth) trench along the inside perimeter of the forms and a single pour of the slab and "frost wall" except the frostwall didn't go below the frostline. It has been solid... not even any hairline cracks on the floor.

 

[finnski1]

Your footprint is only 6' bigger than ours... you're 24x34 and ours was 24x28.

No code here but they poured a floating perimeter slab on 3-4' of crushed stone... there was a trench along the inside perimeter of the forms and a single pour of the slab and "frost wall" except the frostwall didn't go below the frostline. It has been solid... not even any hairline cracks on the floor.

That's how my slab is done also.
18" deep around the perimeter at a foot wide. the rest of the slab is 6" thick.
30' x 30' all done in a monolithic pour. I also had a fiberglass filler in the concrete which is supposed to help avoid cracking etc.and increase strength.

 

[finnski1]

Your footprint is only 6' bigger than ours... you're 24x34 and ours was 24x28.

No code here but they poured a floating perimeter slab on 3-4' of crushed stone... there was a trench along the inside perimeter of the forms and a single pour of the slab and "frost wall" except the frostwall didn't go below the frostline. It has been solid... not even any hairline cracks on the floor.

It looks like you had the slab insulated as well? Wish I had done that.

 

[pb4uski]

Yes, we did... it was a last minute add once I decided that I was going to heat the level the cars were on. Funny thing was that when I got the bill for the insulation the number of sheets that they charged me for could have covered 3-4 24x28 slabs... I told the contractor that they must have got my project confused with another of their projects and they did ultimately agree to adjust it.

Not sure it was so wise.... a few years after we built we started snowbirding so the Hot Dawg heater in the garage on the car level hasn't been run in several years... a bit of a waste of money but hopefully I'll get it back if we ever sell.

 

[finnski1]

Yes, we did... it was a last minute add once I decided that I was going to heat the level the cars were on. Funny thing was that when I got the bill for the insulation the number of sheets that they charged me for could have covered 3-4 24x28 slabs... I told the contractor that they must have got my project confused with another of their projects and they did ultimately agree to adjust it.

Not sure it was so wise.... a few years after we built we started snowbirding so the Hot Dawg heater in the garage on the car level hasn't been run in several years... a bit of a waste of money but hopefully I'll get it back if we ever sell.

Not only great for heating but I get a lot of condensation on my floor when the concrete is colder than the humid air. Drives me crazy.

 

[Music Lover]

Wow, a lot of big numbers to build garages. I helped my brother build a basic 24' x 24' garage last spring. He paid to have a slab poured and we did the rest. All in less than $15k, which included siding, fascia, soffits, and shingles.

Obviously the cost would be a little higher today due to the increase in lumber prices.

 

[skyking1]

A little bit of advice for the construction.
After the forms are stripped and before backfill, toss a couple of pipes across the door side. Make one a 2" pipe and the other a piece of 1" conduit. 3 sticks of 1" is $18 at home depot.
If the conduit is properly glued, it is capable of carrying pressure water. The 2" is a sleeve you can put anything through. Put a rope through that as you lay it down. Snap a picture and place a small board below grade at the end of the pipes. I tend to make a document for them, an as-built sketch.
If you have walkways planned at the side entrances, repeat with short sticks.
Cost = < 75$ total.
Not having to cut your concrete down the road a few years?
Priceless.

 

[doneat54]

We avoided the demo/disposal costs in an unusual way. We knew we were going to rebuild the garage in the fall and DW was having a garage sale in June to get rid of stuff. On a lark, she put a sign on the one-car garage that said "Garage - FREE!".

Awesome story. I don't think anyone wants this shed. Originally I thought the framing might be worth something as "re-purposed" lumber. It is roughhewn 2x4s 24" on center with a fairly large roof beam. But one of the contractors said it wasn't old enough to be worth anything. The sheathing is OSB that was never covered with anything and it all flaking apart. The thing is hideous. I was going to sledge hammer it down myself, but now am happy to have someone else take it down. The GC said that it will a guy in an excavator all of 5 minutes to take it down.

 

[doneat54]

I know you are in NH somewhere. These guys have been building these packages around nh for a long time. Prices seem be very good still
https://lavalleys.com/products/garages/studebaker/
These prices include the concrete slab and complete erection of the garage. You may have to paint the exterior or could have them add the price of vinyl?
They have several models on their site.

Attractive pricing, but again, I am told that you can't do a monolithic slab in NH over 600sf and meet code. Nor would I want one. And by having a frostwall, you can have a 12" (or more) kneewall that the framing is built on. Thus you get lass chance of moisture/rot at the ground level.

 

[doneat54]

A little bit of advice for the construction.
After the forms are stripped and before backfill, toss a couple of pipes across the door side. Make one a 2" pipe and the other a piece of 1" conduit. 3 sticks of 1" is $18 at home depot.
If the conduit is properly glued, it is capable of carrying pressure water. The 2" is a sleeve you can put anything through. Put a rope through that as you lay it down. Snap a picture and place a small board below grade at the end of the pipes. I tend to make a document for them, an as-built sketch.
If you have walkways planned at the side entrances, repeat with short sticks.
Cost = < 75$ total.
Not having to cut your concrete down the road a few years?
Priceless.

I think I know what you mean. The guy who built the house we're in now did that in 2 places along each wall in the shop. and ran two 2" conduits from the house basement into the shop (12' away). I used one to have a gasfitter run a flex line to the shop furnace I had installed.

 

[finnski1]

Attractive pricing, but again, I am told that you can't do a monolithic slab in NH over 600sf and meet code. Nor would I want one. And by having a frostwall, you can have a 12" (or more) kneewall that the framing is built on. Thus you get lass chance of moisture/rot at the ground level.

Fair enough. I did a 1000 sg ft monolithic slab in 2005 and have had no issues but I did go 6" thick with a full 18" thick around the perimeter and 3ft of crushed stone etc underneath. also put fiberglass in the concrete and appropriate rebar.
Can't compare prices today but all in I was at $27K for a 2 story with 10/12 roof 10 1/2 ft ceiling on first floor, PVC trim, high end carriage doors etc, I other words I didn't skimp. However that price was for me doing everything except the slab. That dang slab cost me $10 k in 2005, almost 40% of the cost!

 

[pb4uski]

Attractive pricing, but again, I am told that you can't do a monolithic slab in NH over 600sf and meet code. Nor would I want one. And by having a frostwall, you can have a 12" (or more) kneewall that the framing is built on. Thus you get lass chance of moisture/rot at the ground level.

Usually building codes are local. I'm pretty sure that you could do that in Dixville Notch and many other rural part of NH. I guess I'm questioning the statement that you can't do it anywhere in NH. Was the source reliable? Not a contractor with a vested interest in a more expensive approach?

You could still pour a kneewall on the slab if you really want to.... besides, if the grading around the garage is done correctly moisture/rot at ground level should't be an issue.

 

[Cobra9777]

Here is a contractor (Ken’s Karpentry) in Vermont that gives a good breakdown of the price of building garages based on Jan 2021 prices.

https://youtu.be/jO0bs2x1OrM

I've been subscribed to Ken's YouTube channel for a couple years now. He does great work, but also just a very nice, soft-spoken, and honest guy. It's enjoyable to watch his projects go up. He's very upfront about his material costs and pricing. His prices seem very reasonable to me, but most of his projects are fairly small relative to what OP wants.

 

[Music Lover]

My garage slab is 672 sq ft (24 x 28). By code a monolithic garage slab here is only restricted by overall size (880 sq ft) for outbuildings and garages unless it's attached to the house, then of course a foundation tie-in is required.

 

[doneat54]

Could be a local code, not sure. I still wouldn't want a slab. I'm sure others have had good luck with them, but I've seen enough cracked foundations and frost heaving, I'll pay the extra for that.

 

[Music Lover]

Could be a local code, not sure. I still wouldn't want a slab. I'm sure others have had good luck with them, but I've seen enough cracked foundations and frost heaving, I'll pay the extra for that.

My 20+ year old garage slab in the Canadian prairies is crack free as well as my parent's 35 year garage slab, and we're in about as harsh a climate as you can find anywhere on the planet.

It's all about the quality of the pour.

 

[Winemaker]

In 2008, I had a 26'x26' 2 stall brick garage built, for $48,000. We had to put a 6' block buildup as the rear of the building was slightly over a embankment. Price included foundation, rear block walls to bring it to slab level, 8" concrete slab, 8' entrance slab to bring driveway up to garage entrance, 30 year shingles, and drywalled interior. I did the wiring and insulation in ceiling and walls, electric doors and openers.

Covenants in our home deed requires any outbuilding to be made the same material as house. Our house has 100% brick showing, so the garages is the same, with matching quoins.

 

[38Chevy454]

I can only say the price of materials is not helping you out. Do agree the local contractor seems a good choice. Interior is just going to be the bare studs for now? Then you are going to add additional electric and insulation before fishing out the walls? Ceiling or open to the trusses? All of the interior finishing takes materials and labor. Conventional stick built is easier for DIY interior work as all of the materials needed are standard. Even if you do not have the contractor install it, have the HVAC pre-plumbed if you are going to eventually do that. Consider having the contractor put the ceiling in and use LED lighting. Installing a ceiling is tough work, much more than walls. Another consideration is wall height, I think at least 10 ft is nice, 12 even better. 8 ft is just too short if you want to do anything other than park stuff, not good for working.

Highly recommend to put as much insulation as you can, it pays off in both cold and hot temps by moderating the inside temps. Cost differential for 2x6 vs 2x4 walls is not much. Also consider the fact that extra width or length is the cheapest way to get increased storage and space. Keeping intervals at 4 ft lengths is better for use of materials. No matter what, as soon as you build it you will wish it was bigger

If you haven't already been on the site, www.garagejournal.com has lots of discussion for garages and ideas. Check it out.

I have a 50x70 with 16 ft walls detached garage. I did most of the interior finishing work: lots of extra electrical, built a mezzanine 8x40, built lot of shelves, big workbench and pegboard area, added air lines all around shop, enclosed the walls, installed heater, and many smaller items. Lot of work, but it saved me considerable doing all the interior work myself. Contractor did the white painted metal ceiling and lighting since that is 16 ft height. Also have a 1/2 bath in the garage, very nice for cleanup or bathroom needs without having to go into house. I keep my motorhome inside (out of weather and no winterizing), and all my old cars along with my car working area. Feel very fortunate to have it all set up. Kind of a long term fulfillment of ideas and plans.

 

[finnski1]

Could be a local code, not sure. I still wouldn't want a slab. I'm sure others have had good luck with them, but I've seen enough cracked foundations and frost heaving, I'll pay the extra for that.

My slab is fine but I made a mistake building the garage.

I didn't put any knee wall of concrete around the perimeter before building the framing on the slab.
Also didn't insulate the slab. As a result I had the snow melt/rain/ condensation wicking thru my wall plates even though they were pressure treated with a foam sill seal underneath.
This caused the water to wick up into my studs and plywood well over a foot high.
This led to an at least 3 week project to fix.
Had to fashion beams/gussets to allow me to lift/support garage wall,
create forms, pour 16 bags of concrete, let everything cure then remove forms, repair siding etc. Came out well but was a lot of work.
I can understand why you don't want the slab but my mistakes were self inflicted and not the quality of my slab which has been excellent.

 

[wmc1000]

For comparison, here in central indiana, we are currently waiting for 32' x 56' x 12' pole barn to be erected this month on our property.

We had the base area excavated since our SIL has a good sized backhoe to do that and spread a 10" gravel base for the concrete floor to be poured.

Building will have a man door, 9 insulated double hung windows and a 10x10 insulated overhead door. Sides are all wainscoted and a 1 foot overhang on the roof all around.

Ceiling will be metal with R-45 blown in insulation. Walls will have 1/2" EPS under metal siding to which I will be adding another 5.5" of XPS insulation in the future.

No insulation under the 4" concrete slab but contractor is putting 2" 2' deep perimeter insulation all the way around.

Concrete slab will also have a 12" x 12" drain in the near the overhead door so I can wash vehicles off in the winter.

6" guttering and snow guards included.

Electricity to be added later although contractor will place a stub out so it can run through slab rather than through exterior wall.

I got permit over the phone for $100

Total erected cost for building and concrete including our expenses for stone and permit is $48,600

 

[pb4uski]

My 20+ year old garage slab in the Canadian prairies is crack free as well as my parent's 35 year garage slab, and we're in about as harsh a climate as you can find anywhere on the planet.

It's all about the quality of the pour.

+1 In our old house we put in new frostwalls and repoured the garage floor and we still had cracks... OTOH, no cracks at all in the perimeter slab of our current garage after 8 years. Frostwall footings don't guarantee a stable garage floor.

One thing that helps is to not be stingy with foamboard. Because the water table is so high at our lakehouse we couldn't put the footings below the frostline. I was nervous but the builder was confident and he was right. He brought in boatloads of crushed stone so under the foundation would drain well and then put foamboard below grade around the outside perimeter of the foundation to prevent frost from getting to the foundation. We've never had a problem in a very harsh winter climate.

 

[Sunset]

My slab is fine but I made a mistake building the garage.

I didn't put any knee wall of concrete around the perimeter before building the framing on the slab.
Also didn't insulate the slab. As a result I had the snow melt/rain/ condensation wicking thru my wall plates even though they were pressure treated with a foam sill seal underneath.
This caused the water to wick up into my studs and plywood well over a foot high.
This led to an at least 3 week project to fix.
Had to fashion beams/gussets to allow me to lift/support garage wall,
create forms, pour 16 bags of concrete, let everything cure then remove forms, repair siding etc. Came out well but was a lot of work.
I can understand why you don't want the slab but my mistakes were self inflicted and not the quality of my slab which has been excellent.

Great fix, and terrific pictures.

 

[skyking1]

My slab is fine but I made a mistake building the garage.

I didn't put any knee wall of concrete around the perimeter before building the framing on the slab.
Also didn't insulate the slab. As a result I had the snow melt/rain/ condensation wicking thru my wall plates even though they were pressure treated with a foam sill seal underneath.
This caused the water to wick up into my studs and plywood well over a foot high.
This led to an at least 3 week project to fix.
Had to fashion beams/gussets to allow me to lift/support garage wall,
create forms, pour 16 bags of concrete, let everything cure then remove forms, repair siding etc. Came out well but was a lot of work.
I can understand why you don't want the slab but my mistakes were self inflicted and not the quality of my slab which has been excellent.

OUCH!
Very nice fix though.

When I built ours, I specified a 1' high stemwall for a couple of reasons. I'm always working with heavy things, jacks and jackstands, structural steel, welders, big table saws. I wanted that concrete bumper of sorts. The other and main reason was 9' ceilings. I could use regular 8' sheeting and studs and have 9' ceiling and 8' doors. When you are messing with 8' sheets of finish plywood, that extra height is handy. Also nice for taller trucks and canopies.

 

[finnski1]

OUCH!
Very nice fix though.

When I built ours, I specified a 1' high stemwall for a couple of reasons. I'm always working with heavy things, jacks and jackstands, structural steel, welders, big table saws. I wanted that concrete bumper of sorts. The other and main reason was 9' ceilings. I could use regular 8' sheeting and studs and have 9' ceiling and 8' doors. When you are messing with 8' sheets of finish plywood, that extra height is handy. Also nice for taller trucks and canopies.

yeah I should have used stem walls.
I do have 10 1/2 foot ceilings though.

 

[skyking1]

Nice for rolling sheets on corner
Mine was about 15K in 2005, all in. I paid 2k for the flatwork complete, including an extra 8x12 shed slab and a 4x20 handicap ramp. I did all the form work.
I think I paid 1200 for the footing labor and form rental.
All of our structures are 1' standing seam metal roofing. Neighbor worked for the manufacturer and it was a very good deal.