Cost to build a two-car garage with loft

[xli1]

I am thinking of build a attached two-car garage with loft, the size is around 24' X 26'. The loft will be insulated and finished. Just wondering what is the estimate cost to build this MA. This morning a contract call me, he wants $80,000!!! What a big mouse to open! I searched the internet, but could not come with clear result, some estimate to be around $25,000 to $30,000. Anyone out there has any ideal about this? Your information will help me decide which way to go. Thanks in advance!

Xu

[JTimmons]

A neighbor of mine accross the street and I built a 26 x 30 two years ago and the price including the slab was 14K. The footings and slab were done by a contractor for 3K. If the 25 to 30K is for someone to come out and do it for you, it's about right.

[xli1]

A neighbor of mine accross the street and I built a 26 x 30 two years ago and the price including the slab was 14K. The footings and slab were done by a contractor for 3K. If the 25 to 30K is for someone to come out and do it for you, it's about right.

That really make sense to me. The price that contractor gave me is just radiculous, just want to rip me off. Thanks for the information.

[venkatbo]

If you go by sheer $/sqft that ~$125/sqft... Not sure about MA, but here in CA $125/sqft is considered low - costs in the Bay Area can be $200/sqft depending on the materials...

[bigsteel15]

Here in Edmonton, I was getting quotes of around 20K for my 20x22 detached with attic space, no interior finishing included. 25-30K for attached sounds about right depending on the tie-ins required for the roof, etc.

[jbalders]

I was looking around a while back too. I found this, which may or may not appeal to you:

http://www.shelter-kit.com/b_floorplans40-3c.html

This particular one is a little bigger than what you were asking for. $32K for a 3-car 24x40 with loft. There are others on the site, some bigger, some smaller. Apparently they come as a kit and you just need to get a slab poured.

[jhart]

About 5 years ago, we built a 3 car garage for about $21,000, including steel siding, 2 doors and openers. Had a contractor do the slab/footings, etc, we did all the rest. I had estimates from a couple of contractors ranging in the $30 - 34,000 range. No loft, just regular rafters. You could probably add 20 - 25% for today's prices with the cost of materials going sky high.

Depending on what you want in your loft and how finished, $80,000 may not be too far off.

[wbsettle]

I just built a detached 24x24 (no loft area) here in Wilmington, NC back in February. Cost was $32K...we had some fairly elaborate foundation prep due to water table issues, but the inside is completely unfinished, exposed trusses and studs, no insulation, vinyl siding, no windows, one man door. Got a second estimate for right at $40k for the same job. BTW, that's soup-to-nuts by the contractor, sounds like JT's numbers were a lot of DIY.

Considering you want to tie into an existing structure and build livable space above the garage, I can see where you could get to $80k pretty easily, especially if the exterior is brick or has other intricate details. We briefly discussed an attached option with our contractors, but tieing into existing is complicated and quickly runs the numbers up and $30+ was already more than I wanted to hear.

Brent

[91FE]

If you go by sheer $/sqft that ~$125/sqft... Not sure about MA, but here in CA $125/sqft is considered low - costs in the Bay Area can be $200/sqft depending on the materials...

$125-200/SF is for finished living space... not a garage. Those are average numbers including things like HVAC, trim, kitchen cabinets, flooring, bathroom fixtures, plumbing...

You should be safe with a budget in the neighborhood of $25K-30K.

[jessrice]

I am in the process of building a shop that is attached via breezeway. Its 36x52, with 17 foot wall height. 1/3 of it is has a loft, amd is sided in T1-11, as it had to match my house. it is about 2500sqft located in Eastern Washington. I have been doing most of the work myself.

My mothers friend is a custom framer by trade, and helped me do most of the framing. He would have charged $3.00 sqft (7500.00) to a normal customer.

Here is what i have in it.

plans and engineering 1200.00
building permit 1200.00
excavation 500.00
Footings concrete/labor 16 yards 3500.00
Foundation 6" 5.5 sack 36 yards 5000.00
Undersslab Plumbing 500.00
Lumber package 15000.00
Trusses 2500.00
WIndows (12) 1800.00
Garage Doors 12x7 12x12 11x14 (r17) 4900.00
Roofing 2500.00
Misc fasteners, glue, silicon, crap 1000.00

Might as well round up to 40000.00 at this point.
I still have these things to do

Bathroom plumbing/fixtures 1000.00
Instant Hot water heater 800.00
Electricity Hook up 1000.00
Rough Eletrical 2000.00
Finish Electric 1000.00
Insulation (installed by contractor) 3500.00
Drywall and Tape 3500.00

thats another 12800.00 for those goodies

I still have outside trim work and painting as well, plus need to get a driveway/apron quoted.

so i am willing to bet by the time i get done i will be at 55000.00, or about 22.00 a square foot which is easier to swallow than the lumpsum.

The county has already valued my building permit value at 89000.00, being they used a contracted based estimate verses do it your self. their price per foot is about 36.00 a sqft.

I competively shopped for all my materials, and tried to keep waste to a minimum. I saved about 4200.00 on lumber and windows by making Home depot price match a local lumber yard by 10% and then throwing a Lowes 10% off coupon at the register.

When i contracted out, i also shopped around. Big price differences among some. i went wiht the best contractors for the footings and foundation.

The county will of course value and tax me on their figures, and not actually what i have spent, but at least my property value has come up by about 40,000.00 more than i have spent.

I know the size is different from what your are looking at, but hopefully you can use some of these numbers to get an idea. i attached a picture to give you an idea.

Good luck with your building, i am excited about mine!

Jesse

[bigsteel15]

Good luck with your building, i am excited about mine!
Jesse

NO DOUBT!!!
Oh and BTW, YOU SUCK!!

Nice shop. I assume you will be using this for work of some kind.
If this is a WW shop...well I'll be moving to Eastern Washington next month then neighbor.

Why $1,200 for a building permit? Commercial establishment?

[LCHIEN]

They tax you at the salable value of your house which would include your labor at market costs, not what you actually spent.

when I looked at putting a second story on top of my existing 22x21 ft detached garage, I got very informal budgetary quotes of 18K to 25K
and that was for tearing off the old roof, adding new walls and siding and roof, adding flooring and insulation unfinished walls and me doing the electrical, no plumbing and no heating and a couple of window AC units.
A couple of windows, and a double french door and external stairs.

[jessrice]

Brian,

I am hoping to use the bottom part of the loft as a start up winery, if the county gives in. They will allow me to have 600 sqft dedicated to a home business. This area is 25% cold room, 25% bathroom/utility, and 50% crushing/bottling area.

The loft, anohter 600 sqft above the winery area, will be a "bonus room for the wife/ and if i can sneak it in, a fancy tasting room. She already bought real hardwood cherry flooring, and full 1/2" pine waincoting. She has big plans, so it should double for both.

If the county will not let me get licensed then i will use the winery area for that hobby 3 months out of the year and park most of the wood tools on that side for the rest of it.

The other side with the tall walls was "designed" to store the boat and 5th wheel, or at least thats the excuse i used to make it so tall! in all reality the boat will be tucked away in the corner in the off season, and the 5th wheel I leave at the inlaws cabin, so dont tell the county.

i will actually use this space to store the christmas tree, and other wifey crap, and then put the wood shop and resto vehichles in it.

So it is being built wiht a commecial intent, but it might not make it it. Worse case i will have a cool building, and a lot of wine. Incase anyone wonders, i had to attach it to the house wiht a breezeway to beat the code so i could build it as tall as i did.

As far as neighbors, in my neighborhood you could have your pick of neighbors wiht large shops. Not that we are in a rich nieghborhood by any means, ( we are actually in a 1800 sqft modular) but the lots are 1 acre so they can be bigger. One neighbor as a 30x40, another a 40x60, and a third has a 40x80.

Ours is the only one with a full height loft so far! and my other neighbors say i suck too!

i will try to post so more pictures soon.

Jesse

[cgallery]

Garage Doors 12x7 12x12 11x14 (r17) 4900.00
Jesse

I like the baby, mama, and papa bear doors. :-)

I think the little one is j-u-s-t r-i-g-h-t.

Thanks,
Phil