Garage Addition Contractors
Garage additions: More than parking boxes
If you are fortunate enough to have the space, you may be in the company of many homeowners who are thinking about building a garage addition. A well-designed garage addition doesn´t have to be just a parking box unattractively attached to the front of your house.
Garage additions are an effective means to use your property to its best advantage. A garage addition allows you to house not only cars, but boats, hobbies, or your mother-in-law. They may be built separately with high bays for mechanic´s lifts or with space for a fully functional greenhouse, workshop, or artist´s studio. It can be  Add space for all of your family's needs with a garage addition. A garage addition or remodel allows you to gain extra space, develop a rental unit that you can easily supervise and maintain, or establish a home office out of the house. By optimizing its location, you can diminish the importance of your garage so your house becomes the focal point of your property. And a garage addition can also enhance property value.
Planning your garage addition
The following tips may help you decide how to incorporate a garage addition:
- Make a laundry list of what you want the new addition to house. If you want a workshop for your cabinetmaking hobby or a pottery studio to house a kiln, your requirements will be different than someone who needs to create a fully functional apartment for additional rental income.
- Find out what the local building restrictions are by calling your city or county zoning office. They can tell you what you can and can´t put up.
- Match the details of the existing home. Match siding, roof pitch, trim and gable style.
- To minimize some cost, you may be able to salvage an existing foundation and add to it for more space. Your contractor can explain the design constraints depending on its condition and load bearing capacity.
- Location matters. If you want the garage visible from the street, do you want it to look like a garage? Can you move the garage elsewhere to better effect?
- Keep the proportions and scale of the new garage from overwhelming the house. If your house is small and cottagy, consider building a garage far enough from the house that it looks more like a barn than a garage. Otherwise, it will look funny.
- Plan for water and electrical if you´re adding a potting shed. An apartment will require complete plumbing and electrical circuitry.
- Plan for good access to the house. A breezeway or mud room can provide great access and a place to stow wet jackets, backpacks, and boots. A breezeway can also be designed to function as a greenhouse for tender plants.
- How many vehicles and what type do you want to house? Two cars and a boat? Plan for adequate room to get in and out of vehicles and to get them in and out of the garage easily.
- Consider adding pull-down stairs for additional storage. It´s a good place to store anything that doesn´t require air conditioning or heating.
- And on the subject of storage: add a workbench and heavy duty shelving and storage for yard tools, bicycles, or other bulky hard to store items.
Selecting a contractor to build your garage addition
A qualified contractor can help you design and plan your new garage space with all the features you desire. They will navigate local codes, work with subcontractors, and build is safe, functional structure. A fully licensed and insured contractor can design and build a structure that provides years of enjoyment and convenience.
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