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I have been looking at houses in Atlanta this past week, and found most to have great square footage and good size lots/acreage, but have been disappointed with the garage space. I also need more than a 2 car garge.
However trying to keep the house prices where we want, getting a 3 car garage has been hard to come by, understandably.
Most houses I looked at had side entry (attached) garages, which was a main requirement/preference, but my problem was that they were not big enough for the many cars I have, my tools and storage needs (shelves/ air compressor/welders/power tools etc). I want to keep the garage attached to the house for the everyday cars (mine and the Mrs) and have something in the back for the other cars.
This leads me to the following questions:
1. What would it cost me to build a stand alone garage, to fit 3 cars? I am estimating maybe 36x36. I need to recalculate, but that's an idea/estimate.
2. I would want it to either have ceiling fans or A/C. I know having A/C is going to raise the price, but still an idea.
3. I dont care for anything extravagant. It would more than likely have to look like the house (i.e. 3 sided brick, as most houses I have looked at have a three sided brick layout). So no steel erectable units.
4. I would need it to have running water, electricity, and of course ventilation (some sort of Fan or A/C ).
Does anyone have any ideas what the cost would be? I would really need to have the structure, the foundation, plumbing and electrical work done. I have a few friends that would help me with things I can do like paint, drywall, floors, windows, etc. Those are easy, as I have done them before and am pretty handy in those areas.
36x36 is almost 1,300 sf, and will likely cost you somewhere around $25-30/sf at a minimum- especially with brick on three sides. Add another $5-6k or so for AC if you want it done right.
I hope you're looking at some big lots- most areas have maximum lot coverage percentages, and putting an extra 1,300 sf of coverage on the lot (plus driveways, which some areas include if they've got total impervious coverage percentages) may be tough.
Hmm , I was trying to keep my budget at around $20k for the garage. I will be checking out the by laws of some of these communities for standalone garage additions. Most lots were around 1/2 acre, give or take.
If I could show you a grid of the layouts, I would. The standalone would more or less be on the same driveway as the side garage. I would probably have to add more concrete/paving to the driveway to extend it to the standalone garge. I will try to find examples to show you what I am talking about.
Hmm , I was trying to keep my budget at around $20k for the garage. I will be checking out the by laws of some of these communities for standalone garage additions. Most lots were around 1/2 acre, give or take.
If I could show you a grid of the layouts, I would. The standalone would more or less be on the same driveway as the side garage. I would probably have to add more concrete/paving to the driveway to extend it to the standalone garge. I will try to find examples to show you what I am talking about.
Thanks again Bob.
$20k might get you a basic, 2 car garage, but a standard 2-car garage is only about 20-24' in each direction. Not only are you going 50% wider for the 3rd car, but you're also going 50% deeper for the whole width the create shop space. Add in the AC and the brick, and you're not going to get near $20k.
BTW- I'd kill to have a shop that size- my current garage isn't even close to big enough to work in.
$20k might get you a basic, 2 car garage, but a standard 2-car garage is only about 20-24' in each direction. Not only are you going 50% wider for the 3rd car, but you're also going 50% deeper for the whole width the create shop space. Add in the AC and the brick, and you're not going to get near $20k.
BTW- I'd kill to have a shop that size- my current garage isn't even close to big enough to work in.
Bob,
Thanks for the advice. I was just watching DIY where are a couple built their garage for about $36k. Their initial budget was $25K, but with the pavers, having to pay labor for roofing, and some other minor things the price crept up.
I don't want to go crazy on house price just to have a 3 car garage, hence the idea of a standalone that could be built over time.
By the way, I noticed they used ceiling fans, which is something I was initially considering and will definitely consider to save on A/C installation and additional power bills.
A friend of mine told me some local company said they can build one by him North of Atlanta/Bartow county for around $16k. !!
I'm not sure what work I'd be getting or what size it would be. I'm curious, but not one to cut corners. I like it done right the first time. I'm still at the planning phase. Anymore info, bring it this way. I appreciate and value your opinions.
I don't want to go crazy on house price just to have a 3 car garage, hence the idea of a standalone that could be built over time.
By the way, I noticed they used ceiling fans, which is something I was initially considering and will definitely consider to save on A/C installation and additional power bills.
You may want to consider going with an attic fan, rather than a ceiling fan; I personally hate ceiling fans, they just blow the air all around and mess with my allergies, they don't really make a significant cooling difference, in my opinion... I would think ceiling fans would be especially bothersome in a garage environment - you want a way to draw harmful odors up and outta there, not a way to spread the toxins 'round and 'round.
An attic fan sucks the hot air up and outta there! They are so efficient, I don't know why they are not used in more homes. You can sometimes find them in old 1920s era bungalows in the Atlanta area.
To really save on electric bills, and get coolness points for going green, power your attic fan with solar panels!
Actually, the idea of having a three car garage, and presumably more than three cars, since you will already have an attached garage, is so anti-green... adding solar panels to your attic fan is NOT going to be enough to pull you out of the anti-green hole you are digging for yourself here... LOL!
But getting away from energy-hogging A/C is a step in the right direction!
Last edited by StPaulEastSider; 05-02-2009 at 12:22 AM..
To really save on electric bills, and get coolness points for going green, power your attic fan with solar panels!
Actually, the idea of having a three car garage, and presumably more than three cars, since you will already have an attached garage, is so anti-green... adding solar panels to your attic fan is NOT going to be enough to pull you out of the anti-green hole you are digging for yourself here... LOL!
But getting away from energy-hogging A/C is a step in the right direction!
Thank you StPaulEastSider,
I read up on them, and with more research will definitely put them on my list.
Lol, about being anti-green . I try my best not to waste and pollute. The good thing about the cars is that they're not driven often, and are projects/hobbies more than anything. I can only drive one car at a time .
I considered solar panels too.
Does anyone know if there are any cash incentives or rebates for going solar in GA? I know Florida and FPL (Florida Power and Light) offer incentives for going solar (In forms of financing, rebates etc).
I'm in the planning stages, so there are many things to consider. I'm open to ideas from everyone.
I am considering building in concrete blocks w/rebar, instead of wood (saving trees ), strongly considering alternative forms of cooling (attic fan is one, thanks to you, and whatever else I can think of).
I'm in the planning stages, so there are many things to consider. I'm open to ideas from everyone.
I am considering building in concrete blocks w/rebar, instead of wood (saving trees ), strongly considering alternative forms of cooling (attic fan is one, thanks to you, and whatever else I can think of).
I'd also suggest you look into ICFs, "insulated concrete forms", which are a step up from concrete blocks. ICFs are disaster-resistant (http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=45034 - broken link), termite-resistant, and energy efficient. You could partially DIY by setting up the forms, they go together like like legos, and then getting a concrete truck in to do the pour.
YouTube has a ton of ICF videos to show you what they look like and how they work.
If ICFs initially seem to be too expensive, at least more expensive than straight concrete blocks, but you don't actually get your garage built for a few years, look into them again at that time... ICFs are being used more and more in new construction, therefore they are sure to come down in price. In fact they have already come down in price significantly from when they were first introduced nearly 10 years ago.
There is an entire town in Kansas, Greensburg, being re-built "green" after they were completely leveled by a Cat5 Tornado in May of 2007... ICFs are the primarily construction material being utilized in the rebuilding of Greensburg.
I actually don't have a lot of knowledge regarding the different types of radiant heat systems, so I guess you are on your own to research that one. I did a quick google hack job just now and came up with a site where all kids of car/garage guys discuss everything that has to do with garages... garagejournal dot com Have fun with that link!
[For homes where you plan to live long-term, geothermal heating/cooling is the premeire "green" solution, but I think it's still much too expensive to do the drilling required for geothermal heating for a garage. ]
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Another "green" consideration is "indoor air quality" and this is even more important in an airtight, well-insulated, building... installing an air exchanger is really quite inexpensive, about $200. By exchanging all the air inside your building 8x a day, you will have a healthy environment to work in desipite the fumes from toxins which can build up in a garage environment.
However, I am not sure how air-exchangers are integrated into a radiant heating system, I think I have seen them used with central heating/air systems... that's something else which needs to be looked into further.
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When it comes to lighting, florescent lighting is an obvious choice. Consider using LED lighting instead of florescent lights - compared to florescent, LEDS are more energy efficient, have less of an environmental impact because they do not use mercury, and can easily be dimmed. There are other advantages as well, but you get my point.
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Incentives to go solar??
1. There is a 30% Federal tax credit plus in GA there is a 35% state tax credit. With these credits, there are $4500 or more in potential savings on the upfront cost of the system.
2. With these credits the typical system pays for itself in 2-7 years.
3. The good news is that over the life of the system you could have $15,000 or more in energy savings.
I pulled these fact from this website (http://www.spiveysellsgreen.com/Go_Solar/page_2197643.html - broken link).
If you plan the orientation of your garage to maximize solar collection, you could also use the solar energy from your garage to supplement your home's energy use.
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Don't forget to consider the possiblity of harvesting rain waterfrom your roof to use for landscaping...
The use of styrofoam of styrofoam in garage doors and ICFs may not seem like a "green" solution, but they are considered green because the increase energy efficiency and they are not disposable items which will end up in a landfill after one use. ICF-built structures are expected to last hundreds of years.
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I'm interested in making a career move to becoming a "green consultant, therefore I have been doing A LOT of reading up on green building practices. And I am also addicted to the "Green Planet" cable network and "Renovation Nation" with Steve Thomas.
I'm glad to have someone with whom I can finally share all the information I have been gathering in my head.
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Don't think "going green" is unaffordable... this is a mis-conception we need to get past. Going green is all about saving green! I want to see an end to the "eco-elite" mentality and instead make "eco-everyone" the norm. As in Van Jones' slogan "Green for All"; I am a huge fan of Van Jones and his book "Green-Collar Economy".
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I actually think you are very forward-thinking in your desire to maintain and preserve gas-guzzling, Neanderthal, vehicles for future inclusion in natural museums exhibits- we wouldn't want future generations to repeat the error of our ways.
Best of luck to you and your future museum-relics preservation building!
Last edited by StPaulEastSider; 05-02-2009 at 03:01 PM..
Thank you so much for the information. I have my saturday night planned out behind this computer, lol.
I considered ICFs as well. The reason why I was thinking concrete block was to save money over poured concrete (after watching the DIY garage project last night (the show is called Sweat Equity btw).
ICF is still in my mind, but knowing that GA is not well known for Concrete residential construction, I was thinking it would be expensive and sourcing masons that know concrete block laying over ICFs would be easier.
I met a small builder in Newnan last year that builds houses with poured concrete, and I was impressed. He's all for green building. He uses foam spray injection for insulation versus fiberglass insulation in his attic, he uses electricity versus gas for cooking. (I dont like gas stoves/ovens, Im used to seeing gas leaks explosions on the news when in NYC. It hasn't happened to me, but I just dont like the idea of gas in my house)
He also uses tankless water heaters vs tank units.
He impressed me. He seems to build efficiently. I was ready and willing to buy one of his houses. (each property is on 1-1.5 acres).
Two things that stopped me from buying from him:
1. Home sizes. The biggest model was a 4/2, single story from what I remember. The square footage was a bit small for our needs. The prices were great though, all under $190k.
2. Distance from Metro Atlanta (not me, but my wife does not like long drives, hence "our" desire to be closer to Metro Atlanta . I could live on a farm away from the city, for all I care ). Im easy going.
You supplied me with a great deal of information which I'm greatful for.
I wanted to see the Greenburg, Kansas documentary. I missed it. It was months ago. I'm thinking about going to the library to see if they have the DVD.
Don't think "going green" is unaffordable... this is a mis-conception we need to get past. Going green is all about saving green! I want to see an end to the "eco-elite" mentality and instead make "eco-everyone" the norm. As in Van Jones' slogan "Green for All"; I am a huge fan of Van Jones and his book "Green-Collar Economy".
I totally agree with you. I am all for "going green". The idea that it's unaffordable is for those who think about "now", and not for the long run, imho.
I can also email you or DM you some pics of the houses in Neunan if you want.
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Hmm , I was trying to keep my budget at around $20k for the garage. I will be checking out the by laws of some of these communities for standalone garage additions. Most lots were around 1/2 acre, give or take. 
!! 
. I try my best not to waste and pollute. The good thing about the cars is that they're not driven often, and are projects/hobbies more than anything. I can only drive one car at a time 
. I could live on a farm away from the city, for all I care 
