There are practical and economic reasons for building a detached garage at your home. It provides additional space for a range of different purposes: car storage, general household storage, workspace, garden storage. In addition, adding a garage to your property is likely to add extra value to the resale price. In this article, we’ll examine these reasons, as well as what you need to consider and the cost to build a garage at your home.
As you would expect, a brick built garage will cost a varying amount depending on the type.
Cost of building a garage
The average cost of building a single garage of standard-sized is likely to be somewhere in the region of £15,000 – £18,000 (don’t forget to add VAT to your figures).
On the other hand, a double garage will cost anywhere between £22,000 to £28,000 dependent on the type of roof (flat or pitch tiled) that you opt for.
Additional Building Costs
For a detached version, there are a lot of different things that you need to consider, all of which feed into a successful project. And, of course, all of which can have a significant bearing on the final cost.
Let’s first consider the different aspects to the building project that will all have a bearing on cost (based on a standard single garage):
- 1m deep trench fill foundations – average cost £2,500
- Ground floor slab, reinforced with backfill – average cost £2,700
- External walls and steelwork – average cost £4,000
- Roof build, felt and tiled – average cost £2,400
- Install facias and soffits – average cost £1,350
- Install guttering and downpipes – average cost £1,000
- Install electrics – average cost £1,000
- Main door, rear access door and window – average cost £3,000
- Decorations and shelving/storage – average cost £500
This might be the breakdown of costs you’d expect if you were to build your own to a fairly basic specification. However, additional costs are going to be incurred when you start to increase the specifications.
For instance, the above might reflect the cost for a single brick building, whereas you may want to increase the insulation qualities by using double brick and cavity wall insulation, which will increase the cost.
Additionally, are you going to create a more high-end type by installing quality lighting? Or perhaps you’re looking to install electric doors.
Of course, the other major consideration that you will have to make is: who’s going to actually build it?
If you’re building yourself then, naturally, labour costs will be minimised. However, if you’re looking to outsource the work, then getting quotes from reputable contractors will be required, with their costs factored into the overall budget.
Other Factors That Will Determine Price
These prices take into account average figures. However, these figures will be further impacted by other aspects being built.
For example, the number of windows you plan to install will have a bearing on the overall price to build. More windows will add to the cost, as will the window size and whether or not you opt for double-glazing.
Similarly, the type of roof you choose will also have a bearing on the overall cost. A flat roof is typically considerably less expensive, for example than a pitched roof with full tiling.
Why Build a Garage in Your Home?
When considering the budget, first ensure that you know why you are building a garage at your home in the first place.
The traditional reason for adding one to the home is to create a dry, secure environment to store your vehicle (or vehicles). They can ensure your cars are safe, off the road and out of view; which is good for the homeowner and a value-adding feature when it comes to selling the property at a later date.
On the other hand, you might be building a garage as you need the space for additional storage to lighten the load either from the house itself or for storing garden furniture, tools or equipment.
Other reasons that people might typically choose to build one is to utilise space for working, either as a workshop for hobbyists or for home workers.
Whatever the reason, building your own garage, either by your own hand or via the services of local tradespeople, you are looking at a fairly considerable investment and outlay.
However, as a long-term investment, this can be a truly positive addition to the home, with well-maintained additional spaces making a considerable positive impact on the resale value of the property.
What Type of Garage Will You Be Building?
From the outset, when considering the cost of building, you need to think about the type of garage you are planning.
And that will be determined by factors such as the amount of space you have upon which to build, your budget and what it is going to be used for.
The most common type of garage for British homeowners is the ‘large single’. At dimensions of 3m x 6.1m the large single offers a good amount of storage space for multiple uses, and, if you are using it for the traditional use of storing your vehicle, it will comfortably house standard size family car.
Other types that you might want to consider when planning:
- Single Brick Garage
- Single garage with a flat roof
- Single garage with a pitched roof
Planning Your Garage
You’ll need to consider the planning permission and building regulations required before you start the project.
It is quite possible, when making your garage building plans, that you won’t actually require formal permission from the local authority. This is because it may fall into the ‘permitted development’ category.
For this to be the case, then it would need to meet the following criteria:
- It is not located further forward than the front of the house.
- Needs to be a single storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m and the overall building no higher than 4m with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
- Must not have any balcony, raised platform or veranda.
- Outbuilding and garages must not take up any more than half the area of land around the “original house”.
However, you should still seek advice from your local authority to ensure that you do not require permissions, or if you do, that you go down the appropriate channels. Listed properties, or properties on designated land, then it is likely that planning permission WILL be needed.
As for building regulations, then a rule of thumb is that a garage that’s less than 15 square metres, then building regulations will probably not be needed (assuming it’s not used for accommodation).
Again, seek advice to ensure that you comply with all building regulation requirements before starting on the project.
The cost to build a garage at your home is a big outlay, and it is unlikely that you will have much change from £20,000 for your efforts. However, the advantages that it can deliver to your house in terms of additional space and added value to the price of the property means that, if you are looking to spend some money on home improvements, a garage can represent a sensible option with long-term benefits.
