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i'm wondering if anyone knows about building codes for brookhaven as far as finishing or semi-finishing a garage. not trying to set up an apt, so kitchen and plumbing isn't entirely necessary, but more of office space, art studio, workshop, etc. the garage is brand new, foundation seems well done, huge space, not sure of the dimensions though.
are there rules against doing a simple framing out of some space and sheetrocking so there are a few separate areas.
It would be considered a garage conversion (Converting it from storage to living space) and would require a permit.
I created a great room by breaking through the bedroom wall into the garage. Electrical was done, heat brought into the space, a new window where the garage door was. Sheetrock, spackle, floor, trim, paint...new room!
Some people will do this without a permit. When they go to open a permit for a large project, go to sell, etc., it is usually picked up. The town will require that you draw plans and describe the work done. Make sure you have pictures of all as you move along if you go that route.
thanks for the reply. it's something i'm considering while shopping for houses, have come across several, one in particular with a huge garage, well built, complete blank slate.
it's actually a detached garage, probably room to make a nice sized office/studio, more room for smaller sort of semi-finished living area and a bit more space for workshop, non-finished garage. i actually think the garage may be too big for BH standards, i read somewhere 20x30, i think this might be a bit bigger.
assuming i get proper permits, submit plans accordingly and be ready to pay more taxes for the increased living space, seems like it's not completely a pipedream and could technically be done.
Instead of going through the permit hassle and higher taxes, what if you just tossed up a temporary wall/partition? If you're only talking about semi-finishing for office space and/or studio, you should be able to have a partition and a desk in your garage, it wouldn't really be living space per say. I havea desk in my garage, granted it's under a stack of boxes but technically i could clear it out and have an office in my garage. Then if you sell your home, you can just take them down and it's back to an empty garage.
I think he said he wasn't looking to make an apt, just studio/office space, which for me, I wouldn't need completely finished, just a desk maybe a rug, a light or two. Plus, who would rent an apartment with no kitchen or plumbing? Actually now that I think about it, probably quite a few in these parts, lol.
def no apt, i can barely stand neighbors as it is, forget about having a tenant in my garage, no way.
the temp thing sounds interesting tho usually i'd go the by the book route with permits and such, would rather do it right from the start then run into issues later. thanks for the idea tho, something to consider,
I think of that work as the same as finishing a basement, not that big of a deal when you aren't adding a kitchen or bathroom. I would guess that as long as you do the work properly and up to code now you could do without the permit and it will get dealt with when you sell the house.
thanks for the reply. it's something i'm considering while shopping for houses, have come across several, one in particular with a huge garage, well built, complete blank slate.
it's actually a detached garage, probably room to make a nice sized office/studio, more room for smaller sort of semi-finished living area and a bit more space for workshop, non-finished garage. i actually think the garage may be too big for BH standards, i read somewhere 20x30, i think this might be a bit bigger.
assuming i get proper permits, submit plans accordingly and be ready to pay more taxes for the increased living space, seems like it's not completely a pipedream and could technically be done.
I have a heated, oversized, 2 story garage. 1st floor all garage space, 2nd floor is finished with storage, a hobby room and an office. There is no plumbing, no kitchen, no cable, no phone. The town OK'd the garage when built with the provision that the collar ties be a certain height (in other words, preventing an apartment upstairs because the height was too low.) The framing was put in for cathedral ceilings, collar ties installed for inspection purposes, and later removed when the CO was in hand. If ever the time comes to sell, the collar ties will be put back up. The new owner will be told how to remove them.
I just purchased a house in Islip that has heat in one of the 2 garages. What I did was put some carpet on the floor, it already has vinyl panels separating it from the other garage. There is a window too. The doors are operational. The owner had added it to the house and got all the CO's before the sale. Its not considered living area and the taxes went up by Zero dollars !!
I plan to kinda semi-finish it just like you, but use it more like a recreational area for the kids/toys etc, maybe put a daybed or something. I plan to keep the garage intact, in case I need to use it as a garage later !!
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