A garage is a valuable addition to your home and for various reasons. It’s a safe haven for your vehicle, it can double as storage space, and if you really want to spend the money, you can have a custom garage built, along with a small living space section.
The cost of a garage comes down to its size, functionality, materials, and labor costs. In this guide, we’ll discuss the costs associated with building a new garage.
Benefits of Building a Garage
The benefits of building a garage are pretty self-explanatory: garages protect your vehicle, they provide ample storage space, and, perhaps most importantly, they increase the value of your home by a considerable margin. The benefits associated with having an attached garage, or even a detached garage building, are quite evident and reasonable.
Average Cost to Build a Garage
The average cost of building a garage depends on several factors. Most garage builders will tell you that the average cost of building a garage is approximately $50 per square foot when working with a professional.
However, the price range is actually broader, and a small one-car garage can cost anywhere between $7,000 and $15,000, depending on the materials and extras. Two-car garages can cost anywhere between $19,000 and $30,000, while three-car garages typically go well above that figure, sitting at $45,000 or even higher.
Attached Garage Cost
The average cost of an attached one-car garage is on the lower end of the price spectrum, though it can go up depending on the size of the garage and materials used. A single-car garage enclosed with drywall is typically much cheaper than a high-end three-car garage constructed using brick and mortar, which incurs higher construction costs.
Detached Garage Costs
Detached garages tend to be a bit pricier, especially if they have living quarters on the second level, which is a good option for some homeowners. Detached garages usually incur additional costs, such as electrical wiring, HVAC, and plumbing. You’ll likely need additional garage doors that lead from the garage itself to the house, which adds significantly to the total cost of the whole project.
Additional Costs and Considerations
Here are some additional costs worth considering:
Site-built vs. Prefabricated
The most affordable and quickest solution is to buy a prefab garage kit rather than build a full custom garage on-site. In either case, you’ll need a garage foundation to support the garage construction, and in most cases, making a concrete foundation still requires a building permit.
Window Installation
Having windows in your garage serves a dual purpose: they let in natural light and match your home exterior. However, this also adds to the overall project costs, as you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $600 per window, depending on the size, placement, and number of windows.
Insulation installation
If you plan to use the garage as more than just shielded parking for your vehicle, consider insulating your garage using spray foam. Please note that this isn’t something you can DIY. Spray foam insulation should be performed by a professional.
Garage Roofing
While asphalt shingles remain an affordable roofing material, with only approximately $4 per square footage, the costs to frame a roof and add trusses may add up, affecting the final bill.
Garage Door Opener Installation
An automatic garage door opener isn’t a necessity but an add-on. However, it’s really convenient, and we highly recommend installing one in your garage. It typically costs anywhere between $120 and $300, and you can expect to pay just as much in installation costs.
Add-ons and Accessories
A garage workspace area is certainly an option that might set you back some $300 to $600. Cabinets and storage space cost as little as $100 to $150 but might go as high as $300+ for custom-built storage.
There’s also siding to consider as well. Once your garage is done, you can add various finishers, like vinyl siding materials that look like wood or something similar.
Summary
In the end, the costs of building a custom garage may go as high as $45,000, and it’s not uncommon to go well above that price point as well. The main factors include the size of the garage and the material costs, which then, in turn, affect the labor costs. If you want to learn more about custom-built garages, contact Signature Builders and check out their free estimate tool.