Thread: Garage Opinions

View Poll Results: Which Garage type?

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  • Garage attached to house

    28 44.44%
  • Pole Barn in yard

    35 55.56%
Results 1 to 16 of 16
  1. #1
    Member nojretlas's Avatar
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    Garage Opinions

    Looking to build some storage but I am trying to decide between pole barn and attached garage.
    Boatless

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    #2
    In before the lumber prices are to high to build group shows up.

    Depends on what you’re looking for. When I was choosing 5 years ago I was able to get a much larger pole shed vs an attached garage for less money. I’m talking almost 3x the amount of space for almost $10k less. So that is what I went with at the time. Not sure if there is a big difference in the current economy or not and I will say that to attach a garage to my current home Does require some extra work that normally may not be required. I’m now looking to put on that attached garage which is nice for the elements but I still feel like less room for the same amount of money. The only reason I would go attached garage is if you didn’t like the pole shed look or didn’t want to have to walk out in the elements.
    Last edited by bassin_man; 09-24-2020 at 10:21 AM.
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    #3
    How much useable space do you have? If the lot is tight I'd go attached, if you have the room I'd do stand-alone.

    jim

  4. Member nojretlas's Avatar
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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by bassin_man View Post
    In before the lumber prices are to high to build group shows up.

    Depends on what you’re looking for. When I was choosing 5 years ago I was able to get a much larger pole shed vs an attached garage for less money. I’m talking almost 3x the amount of space for almost $10k less. So that is what I went with at the time. Not sure if there is a big difference in the current economy or not and I will say that to attach a garage to my current home Does require some extra work that normally may not be required. I’m now looking to put on that attached garage which is nice for the elements but I still feel like less room for the same amount of money. The only reason I would go attached garage is if you didn’t like the pole shed look or didn’t want to have to walk out in the elements.
    Looking for a climate controlled solution, I don't want to give up aesthetics for space. It only needs to house my boat and a small spot for storage.
    Boatless

  5. Member MichAngler's Avatar
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    #5
    Check with your insurance company on cost

    The price of a standalone "Heated" Garage can be insane in some states
    "The handicapped angler"

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    #6
    I think "climate controlled" and pole barn are total opposites.

    First it depends on code for where you live more than anything. Here, even though it's a custom subdivision (acre and up) we're zoned RA so metal buildings and pole barns are acceptable. I put up a 24'x31' metal building, 11' high walls, with a 28'x17' lean-to on the left side with a 5'x8' rollup door on that side and 4 windows for $11K, with a 40 year warranty. That was plus the fiber reinforced slab, grading work, gravel, dirt, walls, floor drains etc., and 3 loads of concrete pouring a new drive down the hill to it. Also installed a 9'x18' jackshaft drive garage door. With 10' blades, the 9' door was mandatory! The lean-to covers an existing 3 side shed with a 8'x28' deck beside it, so the total roof coverage is 41' wide.
    Makes for a great place to park the utility trailer, store outdoor tools, ladders etc. and store firewood.

    It's certainly not climate controlled, but has power and keeps the elements out. For more money I could surely have blown insulation installed and at least a split hvac system installed. Insulating metal buildings though often ends up with condensation between the insulation and the metal. Some will put a blown in product against the metal itself sorta like a bed liner, then foam or fiberglass batting over that.
    Later,

    Dixie Chicken

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    #7
    Wow chicken thats cheap for all that. In the chicagoland area plans and permits can cost you more then that.

  8. Member nojretlas's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by SkeeterXRi View Post
    How much useable space do you have? If the lot is tight I'd go attached, if you have the room I'd do stand-alone.

    jim
    I have room....here is where it would go if I do pole barn.


    Boatless

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    #9
    Stole it!! 30 yards of concrete where I live would be over $3700.00

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    #10
    We did a detached garage, it added value to the house, can’t have a pole barn in my neighborhood. When I lived elsewhere I did a polebarn, but it did little to add appraised value to the home. That may or may not matter to you?

    PS, where I live an outbuilding has to be 10’ off the lot line.

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    #11
    Here in CO, I'd want it attached to the house. Cheaper to keep heated if it's attached. Plus it'd be nice to go out to a heated garage to tinker in winter without needing to put on boots, coat, hat, etc. just to cross the yard.
    2001 Champion 187 Yamaha 175
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    #12
    Attached if possible. Make it easier to detect an intruder if it ever happens.

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by nojretlas View Post
    I have room....here is where it would go if I do pole barn.
    Bud, I'm afraid if you even TRY to put up a pole barn in that neighborhood you'll get the yard Nazi's (aka HOA) on you in a hurry. Might check with the HOA (if you have one) but absolutely check the covenants because I'm sure there are some that were filed with the county when the subdivision was built.

    You might do better with a straight up metal building because it looks like a fancy storage shed. PROVIDING your local zoning allows for it. Chances are neither the pole barn or metal building isn't possible. Other subdivisions around here are HOA run, even though most are still zoned RA (residential agricultural). We're outside the city limits, but some now are even going for other zoning because they can get smaller than 1 acre lots.

    What you need to consider though is the building, if freestanding, will be absolutely HUGE. Minimum you'd want is 12' wide and 30' deep with a 10' wide door. At that, you'll have to fold the tongue to walk around it.

    If you have 8' Power Poles you can get away with a 8' high door. If you have 10' Power Poles (mine are 10' Blades) they're 8'3¼~8'3¾" tall depending on how the boat is sitting by themselves, which means a 9' door. My boat is 20'9" long and I can back in, motor up, and have room to keep the tongue open and walk around both ends (barely) with a 31' building. Have plenty of room to work on the outboard with it trimmed down.

    I'd seriously consider a minimum 32' x 16' minimum if you want to have room to walk around the boat, and say park your lawn mower in there as well.

    Having 24' wide is perfect and I'd been OK with a 26' wide but building the crosstie retaining wall would have been a LOT harder had I added 2' to the width. With 24' wide we have room to pull one of our small cars inside during bad hail storms and not have to move the boat over. I know there's NO WAY I could get the boat in the 3 car garage upstairs, or the basement garage, with only a 8' wide door.

    You'll also want (in a pole barn or metal building) AT LEAST 10' high walls, plus roof pitch. When I bought mine I asked what the most common complaint was from buyers after the fact. WITHOUT A DOUBT they said, "walls that are too short". Standard walls are 9' and they were offering a free 1' upgrade (making them 10'). I paid extra to get 11' walls. Honestly... I would NEVER have been happy with 10' walls! Not after being in my 'boat shed'.

    As it is, I can walk around on the deck and not worry about bumping into anything. Even work with rods and not hit the roof. (might hit a roof truss, but not the roof). If it wasn't such a pain to upload photos I'd put some here. Anyone can PM me with an e-mail and I'll be glad to send photos.
    Later,

    Dixie Chicken

  14. Member Bassman Ia.'s Avatar
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    #14
    Check with your county assessor. An attached garage here raises your taxes Significantly. A friend of mine lives in Loveland Colorado it’s just the opposite. So he build a 30 x 50 onto his house

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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by northstar View Post
    Wow chicken thats cheap for all that. In the chicagoland area plans and permits can cost you more then that.
    The $11K was just the building. I subcontracted all the grading and concrete work. Had them put a 22' trench drain w/cast iron grates in front that I bought from a foundry in OH. I also did all the retaining wall building a 6' high crosstie wall, backfilled with 76,000 lb of #57 gravel, and did the electrical myself. Garage door was just under $1500 installed. Not the cheapest, nor most expensive door, but insulated and included the jackshaft WiFi garage door opener with deadbolt and battery backup.

    Permits... heheheeeee. Just made sure it was all built to code, including upgrading the metal building to commercial rating/extra braces, bigger square tube etc. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

    I know my son was complaining when I had him driving not one, but TWO 8' ground rods in. Code requires dual rods, not less than 24" apart on a freestanding outbuilding. He got about 5' deep and was screaming "just cut them off". NOPE! I'm one of those guys that ALWAYS believes there's time to do it right the first time and NEVER enough time to do it half assed and do it twice.

    There were no corners cut, that's for sure. Even used fiber reinforced concrete in the shop floor along with drilling 12" holes through the 18" of soil with an auger on the skid steer down to the gravel to make 12 piers and putting 3 pieces of rebar in there, then bent them 90°, out 3' long to tie everything together, considering the whole thing is sitting on a grade. What KILLED me was when I went to Site One to get 12" pipe and a drain collector for the trench drain and they had these floor drains there in the showroom. They said, "You'll like these floor drains, they're Buy 2, get 1 Free" I was thinking that wasn't that bad, but I honestly didn't need three 8' drains, and didn't have room for six. Figured what the heck, I'll get 3 and put 16' on one side, 8' on the other, and when it's really cold out I can wash the boat, or maybe even wash a car in there. LITTLE DID I KNOW the freaking things were $244.00 EACH!

    We also had to rip up the last section of our old drive to reprofile the hill so I could get the boat down without the crossmember scraping as it went over the crown. Then there were 3 trucks of concrete just for the drive down the hill. The concrete guy was wanting to lay out a 9' wide drive. Then 12' wide drive MAX. Told him that wouldn't do, being as I'm backing a 8½' wide trailer (basically blind) down the hill, and I wanted the concrete 22' wide at the (24') building. Drive is closer to 14' at it's minimum.

    Have more like 26K in it all said and done. Couldn't have had someone else do it for what I have in it though, not without subbing it myself.
    Later,

    Dixie Chicken

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    #16
    I have both but my boat ain’t staying in my heated garage. That’s for my 70 Charger RT and the wifey. I built a 30x56 pole barn with 15’ ceilings with 1 center drain in the middle and I love it.