Building A Two Car Garage

AHS

I'm building a garage for a customer of mine. I've never built one before & my customer is aware of that. I'm looking for a little guidence for you guys to assure my project goes well. It seems like a fairly easy straight forward project. A 20x24 2 car dettached garage w/ electrical. No heat, no inside finish work.

A few questions I have:

Is buying a set of garage plans online the way to go or would I be better off buying a design program & figuring it out myself?

Does the city come out to mark the lot lines for me so I can make sure I'm setback far enough (5 ft here)?

liltrainerboy

uh ya.... ulll need a permit and they should trust u to mark ur set backs and shi t . but make sure thereyr right.... i doesnt get any simpler than a square box with a roof on it. thats bout it. plans if u ask me would be a waste of 200 dollars unless u go to lowes it may be cheap... its pretty easy though.. make sure its not taller than the house though.. ran into that last year..

Tom R

AHS, - - I don't wanna sound cruel, - - but if you are considering buying plans to build a garage, - - I'm not sure if you should be tackling building it. It's four walls.

As far as the 'lot lines', - - not sure about where you live, - - but around my way, - - you would have to pay for a new survey if you don't have the original and know where the lines are, - - and then you would simply have to build it within your local side and rear set-backs.

AHS

WOW, Tom R you are Cruel Man!
Just Joking.

I mostly do exterior home improvements like roofing, siding, gutters, painting. I already know guys in the trade that do framing, concrete, electrical.....I've just never had to submit plans to the city for a project & therefore I'm not sure how to draw up the plans satisfy the city. Does anyone have a sample of a plan so I can get an idea of what I need to submit

Tom R

Here's the way it works around here (I don't know the rules out your way, - - I'm in Jersey).

The 'contractor' is not allowed to draw a plan. It has to be done by an architect.

The only other person allowed to draw a plan is the 'homeowner'.

And the 'plan' drawn by the homeowner is allowed a lot more leeway than one drawn by an architect.

Tom R

I know this isn't near you, - - and it's not a drawing, - - but maybe it'll help a little, - - most areas are similar in their requirements . . .


http://www.cityofnormandy.com/resdentialdrawings.htm

Tom R

Here's another


http://stlouis.missouri.org/governme...ing/garage.pdf

AHS

Thanks for the info Tom R!

woodmagman

Holy heck, St.Louis needs that much foundation for a detached garage. You are not allowed to build on a reinforced floating slab with built up perimiters? I know our frost cycle is more extreme then yours and we have no issues without the foudation under the walls. Now attached would be different, the footing would need to be below four feet due to frost level...Your forfathers must have had a slow day when they did the drawings.

Same Old

You are not qualified to do this work AHS. You should refer your client to someone that is.

Spectatorz

I have to Agree with Same Old.

The qualifications for drawing a 2 car garage are totally Minimal, IMHO.

When I had Woodshop in the 7th grade, we all learned enough Basic Drafting Skills to get this done.

For Cryin Out Loud, if you insist on trying to complete this project, buy a Drawing Program and Get Freakin Crackin at It !!!

I have seen some pathetic drawings that Have Been Submitted and Permitted in the Past, Here in California.

You Should Be Able to Draw These Simple Plans At The Least.

Good Luck

__________________
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Without Losing Your ENTHUSIASM.
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AHS

Hi Same Old,

I don't see this job being very difficult. Of course there will be a learning curve the first time you do anything but I will have proffesional trades man performing the work.Its not like I will be laying the slab down myself or framing the garage myself. If I get the plans from an architect even if that is overkill it will provide a road map & I can submit it to the city for the permit. If I were building condos or something I would be in over my head but this is within my comfort level & it is a fairly basic project 4 walls & a gable roof.

AHS

I know the framing & trusses I plan on using .I know the measurments of all the rough openings, I know how thick the slab needs to be. I've just never drawn up plans before but it sounds like it must be easy.

747

Ok here is what i would do. Go to one of those places who specializes in building only garages. Act like a customer and say can i see that garage on paper. Do you mind if i take it home for a hour so i can show my wife. Then go to kinko's and have them copy it submit to building department.

Tom R

AHS,

Here are a few of my own drawings of wall elevations, - - first a real easy one, - - and then a much tougher one.

The first one is of an already existing attached garage that's getting converted to a sunken den, - - and the second one is of a sunroom addition.

I don't happen to have any drawings laying around of a garage, - - but if you can read and understand these two, - - you can just simply 'plug in' your own specs and circumstances for any job you're doing.

It's better to figure your drawings out on your own then to copy them anyway, - - rarely are circumstances ever the same as some 'non-specific' drawing.

To 'draw' the job is to understand every aspect of it, - - an obvious necessity to run a job efficiently and to make money on it anyway . . .

(hope you can make these out) . . .

Tom R

Maybe somebody knows how to darken that second one up some, - - I'm kind of a self-declared comp-tard . . .

Tom R

Ok, here's a real simple one of a basic addition.

The only nuances on this one from the norm are the 2 X 6 walls and the fact that the slab was a pre-existing patio . . .

Same Old

You'd think, eh?

But you're asking questions about the city marking lot corners for you.

Here's the deal.
-Get a surveyor to mark the corners for you. $400-600
-Get plans drawn (put an ad on craigslist looking for a draftsperson. You'll have 20 responses in 24 hours. You should pay them about $25-35/hr. This should take no more than 2 hours. No need whatsoever for an Arch in MN for residential.
-The city will need:
Site plan
Plan view
typical cross section
typical side elevations(not 100% neccessary)

If you run into trouble PM me. I'm in Minneapolis and I admire that you at least asked for help.

Kgmz

Here are is one I have drawn.

http://www.zenitram-inc.com/Files/702garage1.pdf

http://www.zenitram-inc.com/Files/702garage2.pdf

This is a 24' x 24' garage, 6/12 pitch, 16' garage door, 1 36" walk-in door, one 4030 window, and meets current IRC code. I have built this garage several times with different door and window arangements, and with or without shear panels depending on the jurisdiction. Also have not had a red note put on them with the building departments remarks or requirements, I know what they want to see and require around here and adjust accordingly.

This plan has hold-downs and shear panels for the 4' end walls on the sides of the garage door, some locals will not require them with a 4' wall.

A 20' wide garage with a 16' door will have 2' end walls which will require shear panels and probably a engineers stamp since it is less than the code spec of 2'6" walls. So I would recommend a 24' wide garage because of this.

AHS

Thanks for all the help & the sample plans guys. This thread has yielded all the answers that I was looking for, even if I had to ask ignorant questions to get them. I will keep you posted on how things are going.