Thinking about a garage....

**Rich Z** · 09-10-2008, 08:27 PM

Connie has been beating up on me about getting a garage, so I'm thinking about looking into one. Trying to get a feel for cost and some "gotchas" to keep in mind, so figured I would ask any of you who had a garage built for some input.

I'm thinking of a 3 or 4 door garage, nothing real fancy, just something to put the vehicles inside. Have the two vettes under a detached carport now and both have covers on them. But we don't drive either of them very much, so I have to pop the hood every now and again and chase out any critters trying to make a home there.

I'm thinking about planning ahead a little and getting the ceiling high enough to install a lift sometime in the future. Not sure how robust I would need to make the cement pad to be able to handle such a thing.

Also not sure if a concrete block or metal building would be the better way to go with this. Obviously I want it to be sturdy in case a hurricane does happen to take a bead on us.

Will need some electricity for lights and such, as well as a sink just to wash my hand with. Certainly an A/C unit would be advisable so I could work in there without sweating to death in the summer months. Leaving the doors open to catch a breeze during a mosquito population bloom is out of the question.

The land where the garage will go will need to be cleared of trees before the pad can be put down, so that will be an additional step (expense). Our land is heavily wooded, so trees are definitely going to have to come out.

I'm hoping to get this done by the end of the year if I'm going to do it at all. I don't have a feel for the cost at all, so this might just wind up too expensive to even consider. Plus I had been hoping to get a built motor and new clutch for the C5Z as well as have it painted this year, but I can't afford to do both of them. But maybe getting a garage BEFORE getting the car painted would be a smart idea any way...

So, any thoughts out of you all?

Shadow · 09-11-2008, 07:16 AM

Our garage is/was part of the house. If I had the option (read that enough property) to build a separate one, I'd probably look into the manufactured steel buildings you hear so much about. It may be more cost effective and sure as hell would be strong

raidmagic · 09-11-2008, 08:19 AM

I did a steel building, well because I'm sort of a redneck, and I live on an acre where it sits in the back and isn't an eyesore. It's 25 x 40 with a 12' peak. It's tall enough that I have a 4 post car lift. I have about $10,000 invested in it but I did everything myself but the erection of the building. Also this was built around 2000. Here's picture from the outside and one from the inside. Oh yea, I'm kinda messy in there.

9T8Vette · 09-11-2008, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raidmagic

I did a steel building, well because I'm sort of a redneck, and I live on an acre where it sits in the back and isn't an eyesore. It's 25 x 40 with a 12' peak. It's tall enough that I have a 4 post car lift. I have about $10,000 invested in it but I did everything myself but the erection of the building. Also this was built around 2000. Here's picture from the outside and one from the inside. Oh yea, I'm kinda messy in there.

Cool steel building

What would a building like that cost? I have alittle over 3 acres .

raidmagic · 09-11-2008, 10:28 AM

In 2000 when I had it put on the property it was $5766 installed. That was just the building and install cost. I did all the concrete, electric, doors, etc.

**Rich Z** · 10-06-2008, 03:26 AM

The prices I have been getting, which include the building complete, concrete pad, and erection are hitting around the $35K mark. Doesn't include land clearing, electrical, plumbing, taxes or permits. So we're probaby talking in the $50K range when all is said and done.

Man, I dunno. With the economy reeling like it is doing, I'm thinking keeping that $50K handy might be a wiser thing for me to do right now.... A garage really isn't something you can liquidate if you need the money back out of it...

Lou G · 10-06-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

The prices I have been getting, which include the building complete, concrete pad, and erection are hitting around the $35K mark. Doesn't include land clearing, electrical, plumbing, taxes or permits. So we're probaby talking in the $50K range when all is said and done.

Man, I dunno. With the economy reeling like it is doing, I'm thinking keeping that $50K handy might be a wiser thing for me to do right now.... A garage really isn't something you can liquidate if you need the money back out of it...

That $35K seems about right. I had a carport and it was a pain keeping the car clean. Eventhough I cover it, I always had lots of sand under the cover. I live about four blocks from the ocean. It cost me $35K for the entire garage build but had to spend another $5K to take down a massive tree that was in the way. This was done 1 1/2 yrs ago.

**Rich Z** · 10-06-2008, 01:53 PM

Yeah, I have covers on the vettes under the carport as well. Never had any sand underneath of them though. Scorpions, yes, but no sand....

I always break out the leaf blower and blow off the cover before taking it off of the car. This helps to keep grit from getting on the inside when I roll it up off of the car.

I may get a slab poured for the carport, though. It's sand underneath so if I drop a microfiber towel, it's basically history.

Next time I get this sort of an idea, I'm going to go to a contractor instead of talking to the metal building manufacturers. I just couldn't get a real good feel for the final bottom line talking to them. All they want to do is to sell me the building and be done with it.

I guess I could go ahead and have that area cleared and put the slab down. Kind of do it piecemeal, having the garage then constructed on the slab when I am ready for it.

raidmagic · 10-06-2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Yeah, I have covers on the vettes under the carport as well. Never had any sand underneath of them though. Scorpions, yes, but no sand....

I always break out the leaf blower and blow off the cover before taking it off of the car. This helps to keep grit from getting on the inside when I roll it up off of the car.

I may get a slab poured for the carport, though. It's sand underneath so if I drop a microfiber towel, it's basically history.

Next time I get this sort of an idea, I'm going to go to a contractor instead of talking to the metal building manufacturers. I just couldn't get a real good feel for the final bottom line talking to them. All they want to do is to sell me the building and be done with it.

I guess I could go ahead and have that area cleared and put the slab down. Kind of do it piecemeal, having the garage then constructed on the slab when I am ready for it.

Where is Crawfordville? I have a buddy that is a contractor and he will travel. If you want to talk to him I'll pm you his number. You can even get him to price it out differently, just concrete, concrete and electric whatever.

**Rich Z** · 10-06-2008, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raidmagic

Where is Crawfordville? I have a buddy that is a contractor and he will travel. If you want to talk to him I'll pm you his number. You can even get him to price it out differently, just concrete, concrete and electric whatever.

Crawfordville is about 20 minutes south of Tallahassee. I've been pricing metal buildings, since I thought that might be the best way to go about it. But heck, maybe not.......

I've got a 42x20 foot concrete building for my animals that was built around 17 years ago and cost me somewhere near $30K back then. The size of the garage I've been getting prices on is 50x30 inside dimensions with 12 foot ceiling and two 16 foot wide doors.

Kind of like this........