# New Garage: is Bigger Better or is added storage better? Opinions please



## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

OK, i am looking to get a new garage this spring..

I was looking at a 40 * 28 3 car.. but decided to go a little smaller.. to save money.. 
The cost of the 40 *28 is around 17800$ 

so ive decided 36 * 24 still 3 cars...

Im working with a place that builds the sides and then comes to my place and erects the garage.. they are way cheaper than all the contractors ive checked with.


For a 36 * 24 garage: with insulated doors and 5 windows the cost will be 14,880$ not too bad.



Now my questions/dilemma:

The standard garage pitch is 5 * 12. with the standard garage, they use ceiling trusses.. so there is basically no storage above the garage unless i put a few boards between the trusses.. but there is no way to add a room or upper level to the garage using the standard truss and 5 * 12 pitch. 

The second option is to add Attic trusses.. and changing the pitch to 8 * 12. This on the outside looks much better, higher pitch.. lets the snow slide off.. Also this will allow a storage room above the garage.. 12' wide and the length of the garage.. 
The cost of this is an extra 4800$ 
or 3500 if i put the stairs and flooring down myself. 

But for 3500$ i could actually go with the 40 * 28 garage.. 
If i wanted to add the Attic trusses to the 40 * 28 its around 5500$ Thats just too much money for me to spend.

so my options would be:



(A) 17800 for a 40 * 28 with a 5*12 pitch no storage above.

or

(B) 14800 for a 36 * 24 garage with a 5 * 12 pitch and no storage above


or 

(C) 18200 for a 36 * 24 Garage with a 8 * 12 pitch and a potential room above the garage.. Room would be 12 * 36 worth of storage.



Im leaning towards (C) the 36 * 24 with the 8 * 12 pitch and future storage room


Added consideration: 
Either way the garage is detached, so it would never really be used as an extra room or family room just a storage room.. 
We have 3 cars, and a boat and of course a tractor so all 3 bays would most likely be used... 

Also ive always wanted to put one of those goofy Cupolas on there.. 


<img src=http://statuary-weathervane.com/media/cupola16c.jpg>

and in my opinion, a cupola looks best when its on a building with a good pitch to it.. 


So given the choice, what would you go for? the bigger garage w/no storage or the smaller garage with no storage but less $$$ or the smaller garage with future storage? 


opinions welcome...


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

C if you ask me its allways nice to have storage and 12' x36' is a lot of storage. IMO 
Jody


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## guest2 (Dec 27, 2003)

SJ
I would agree with "C" always leave future options open when possible. In years to come any money saved will long be forgotten and you'll always wish you had what you didn't get.


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## dougand3 (Sep 16, 2003)

Is pouring the slab included? If not, think about price difference of 864 sq ft vs 1120 sq ft. Also, consider if you EVER may consider it to be a guest house, stub in shower, toilet, sink now for minimal cost.


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## slipshod (Sep 19, 2003)

*Build It*

BIG or BIGGER 
" If you build it, It will fill"
That is from a baseball movie I think.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Another option you may have is a storage truss. I believe they are still available and a little cheaper. Ask your contractor about that. Go to your Home Depot and get a quote on those same size garages for material...then you'll have an idea as to what they are charging you to erect it.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

I could be wrong but that seems like a lot extra for the attic trusses. $5500!!!! Seems a lot for not that much more labor. But with what you are looking at, I would go with the bigger garage. Heck I built my 12x16 shed for a bit over a grand. Build one of those, and put the stuff you were going to stash upstairs there.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

doug: slab is included what do you mean stub? you mean put pipes through the slab just in case? i was going to run some conduit for the elctrical.. thats a good idea. not sure what id need for water/toilets ect.. 


Paul: 5500 included the plywood flooring (around 1000) and the stairs (400$) 3445 for the attic truss setup.. 

slip: im not really interested in doing it myself.. This place does it in 3 or 4 days.. 1 to pour the slab, one to erect the walls and one to do the roof & shingle.. with me doing it it would take all summer..


Ill have to see how much the storage trusses are... 


as for price, i checked with regular contractors they wanted 30-39000 for the 28*40 setup.. this place was much cheaper.. i am assuming becuase its all they do and they sort of work it like an assembly line. I went and looked at one they built last year.. it looked pretty good inside and out and the guy who had it built was very happy with them..


I may tell them to skip the windows.. save 135/window.. and i could put them in later 


and if i skip the windows ill save about 800$ plus get to get a good excuse to get a sawsall

I like the 36*26 with the 8*12 pitch.. just wanted some confirmation..


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

I would put the windows in. For that little money, and the work to add them later, just do it now. Trust me, you will thank me.


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## dougand3 (Sep 16, 2003)

Electrical conduit is good idea. I'd use 2" for 2 or 3 cables of 10ga romex.

Plumbing wise...3/4" cold line in (maybe 1") to feed sink, toilet, shower. 3" or 4" pvc sewer line ready for a closet flange. May want to run a 1.5" waste pipe from where the shower would be to the 3" pipe. And a vent stack. I'd guesstimate less than $50 in parts and some extra pour time to get them adjusted. To do after the fact....? $700 - $1000 with all the labor?

Lowe's or HD plumber people are sometimes real good about answering questions...you sketch out what want to do and they help you get the parts. Note, I say sometimes. LOL


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

I like plan C as well but would go with the 40 x 28. I realize it will cost more but you will have a lot more space to work with and you will be surprised at how fast it will fill up.


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## Ed_GT5000 (Sep 30, 2003)

Here is my take. If I wanted to build it myself (I know you don't want to) I would buy two , 2 car garage kits. Build them end to end to make a four car garage. I know a guy that did this and it turned out great. He had enough lumber left over from the two exterior walls not used to section off a paint booth and small office inside the garage. he waited till the kits were on sale and got a great deal.

on the other hand, if I was going to have it built. I would look into a small pole building. maybe with a loft. one that looks good from the outside. 

A word of advice: Don't go cheap if you plan in staying in your home long term and get a bigger garage than you need. Don't worry you will find stuff to fill it up.


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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

If you can do it without a lot of grief from the building inspectors, a floor drain in each bay is nice to have. They might require a grease trap though. Depends on your local building codes.
Attic space is always an excellant place to put the things you don't use but might need. Especially if you don't want to look at it until then.  

Mark


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

thanks i will look into putting the drains/piping in... good idea to add that stuff just in case. 

i agree Chief, i wanted the big 28*40 garage all along.. last year i had my driveway extended back and built up (350 tons of fill) 
but when i measured the 28*40 plus 2-3 feet of border.. id have to get the excavator back in to add a bunch more fill.. 

Ive considered biting the bullet and just getting the big garage and the storage.. but its a little too much money to put out right now.. so i opted for the 36*26 .. 

still, 36*26 is a decent garage size no? not as big as a 40*28 but still big...


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

*pouring my slab next week*

well my garage is scheduled for the next few weeks. 
i had to extend my driveway back another 15 feet.. translated into 300 more ton of fill added onto the already settled 300 yards of fill..

I am going with 38*26 garage.. and i wanted it far enough from the house so i needed the extra fill. The area where it is going onto is about 6'-8' deep of fill.

They were going to put the slab up this week.. but i want to compact the area 1st.. im sort of concerned because this time around.. the fill was only put down for about 1 month. The 1st 300 ton was allowed to settle for a year.. the new fill was dozered and packed but i think a compacter cant hurt.. 


i dont want the back half of the garage to drop into oblivion..


The place is going to pour the slab.. let it sit for a week then put up the already built sides/truss' ect.. they estimate it will be put up in 3-4 days not including the slab...


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

I would think you need more of a roller type compactor like they use on the highways.

Whats the building departments take on footings in disturbed soil?


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

i dont think we have a building department.. the town hall consists of a few elderly (but nice) ladys and an inspector..


the excavator dozered it down pretty compact, and it was pouring out when he did it.. im hoping that will be enough.. that and the compactor.. the guy w/the compactor has a roller i can have them roll 1st...


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

If your in a zoned community, then your building inspector comes from the county. If you don't have a permit on this building, you may be opening a Pandoras box if indeed their is a building dept.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

the garage place is pulling the permit..


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

If I remember correctly the footprint on the trackhoe is not that much, even a bulldozer spreads the weight out across the length of both treads. I don't think would compact it as much as you would need for the slab. I would ask the contractor that question about compaction under the slab and make sure his plan won't settle. That would be bad! I think even the county has a building inspector and again the contractor would be responsible to make sure it gets the appropriate inspections. You might have to pull the permits but again the contractor should work that out with you. Here in Oklahoma in some of the citys you have to have a permit to have a storage shed put in!!! 

I would ask the contractor those questions and make sure they do what they say! Send pictures once they get started, and leave that dang tractor of yours out of the picture!!!!!


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I think you made the wisest choice in selecting the 24 x 36 with 8/12 pitch. The shingles will last longer on a steeper roof, the extra storage space is nice, put the windows in now or they will never get in, and as mentioned above, make absulutely sure that your fill is properly compacted so as not to cause problems later. In my neck of the woods, we couldn't build on fill like that with out some serious supervised compaction that was witnessed and signed off on by an engineer.

Oh heck, I just checked your profile and you are in Maine where it is all rock anyway. Rock compacts against rock pretty well, it not like you actually have soil that will settle


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

the one thing i did skimp on was extra windows.. i got 3 windows on the garage doors plus 1 windows on the downstairs side and a window on the side entry door. no windows upstairs and none out the back of the garage.. when it came down to it.. i needed to cut costs somehow.. thewindows were less important than the 8*12 pitch and the extra storage - 2nd floors will be done later by me also..


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

It sounds as if you have enough windows downstairs. Any more would take away valuable wall space for shelves, tool racks, etc. A window up stairs would be nice, but as you said, you can add that latter yourself. Are you a casual customer at your local lumberyard? You might get a great deal on a window that was ordered wrong or incorrectly custom ordered and is now an orphan in their stock room.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Joe, thats a great idea about returned windows.... i have a buddy who used to put in windows for a living so i can get him to show me how regarding the upstairs.. id like to put a big window in the back wall facig the back yard.. .. and i get an excuse to get myself a tiger saw ive been awanting for a while.. 

it will definetly be nice to have a spot to put all the junk thats cluttering the cellar/yard/shed/house...


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

SJ,

I'd address the compaction issues with the contractor. Tell him your concerns and that your fully capable of holding him liable for any failure due to poor or incorrect workmanship. Make an addenedum to the contract stating just that. Believe me, you need to cover your ass.:fineprint


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Argee _
> *SJ,
> 
> I'd address the compaction issues with the contractor. Tell him your concerns and that your fully capable of holding him liable for any failure due to poor or incorrect workmanship. Make an addenedum to the contract stating just that. Believe me, you need to cover your ass.:fineprint *


Are you saying some contractors don;t do what they are suposed to??????  Naaaaaaa that would nevvvvvverrrrrrrrr happan.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by bontai Joe _
> *It sounds as if you have enough windows downstairs. Any more would take away valuable wall space for shelves, tool racks, etc. A window up stairs would be nice, but as you said, you can add that latter yourself. Are you a casual customer at your local lumberyard? You might get a great deal on a window that was ordered wrong or incorrectly custom ordered and is now an orphan in their stock room. *


I did that with my shed windows. It had seemed that one of my biggest costs were going to be the windows. I found two opening ones that were the same brand, and within an ince or two of the same size, and a third that was a fixed window or another brand, but still within a few inches. Being that they are on diferent walls, you cant eaven tell they are not the same size. I think I payed about 60-70 bucks for all three.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

problem is.. the way its set up.. Im responsible for the excavation..
the builder is doing the slab and building..

heres a pic of the drop off on the back side.. the pick does not show it well but its about 6-8 ft deep


<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=35023>


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

heres the side drop off.. im not as concerned about the side drop off as its been up for about 9 months now.. the back part is recent..


<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=35024>


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

im going to 
A. get silt fence and put it down the back stake it in and put loam on it and seed it and get some grass or weeds or whatever growing..


or 
B: and more likely: i will skip the silt fence.. put brush/sticks and pines & furs f up against the drop off.. this will be done to sort of hold the loam in place.. then im going to shovel a few yards of loam on it and seed it and get some growth there.. that should stop any erosion (according to a few folks ive spoken too)

the other alternative would be to build a retaining wall...


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I hope you realize that the trees in your photo with the soil piled up around them are dead, even if they don't know it yet. It might take a year or two, but burying the roots to that much extra depth will certainly kill them. I'm assuming you were gonna take them out anyway because they would be so close to your building.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

hi joe, old pic (well 2 weeks old) 

i dropped those trees today and yesterday.. well not me.. theres an older guy who sells firewood.. he got some other logs from me the other day and told me the 3 stumped tree was dead he asked if he could take it.. i said yes, of course.. then i realized the other one that was alive soon would be dead.. i offered to pay him to come take it down he said no need.. i can use the wood.. he dropped that one this am.. 

left me with a little mess of brush but it would have cost me some money to drop those 4 trees

i need to get him some cigars or something.. im also pissed.. he had a metal roller on his side yard.. i asked about it.. he'd sold it yesterday for 25$... a day late agian..


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

If you got left with a pile of brush, you should get one of these,


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I hit the wrong button and didn't attach the photo.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

*slab being poured tomorrow*

They are planning to pour my slab tomorrow.. 
I got the top fill compacted and hope all is ready for the slab.
i postponed the garage build by 3 weeks.. to see if i can get grass growing on the edge of my gravel cliff...


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

i shovelled 4 yeards of loam over the edges of the gravel this weekend.. 
to help keep the loam in place, i put brush and sticks against the gravel and loamed.. seeded and put a ton of hay down..

im hoping that i can get grass to grow within the next week or so to help to hold the gravel in place...


<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=35424>


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Keep us posted John...I hope everything goes well with that floor!:halo:


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