We’ve had a recent spur of recent garage enquiries and we’re booked out to Spring 2023 so I thought I’d do a quick ABCs of garages.
Most garage enquiries are for laneways for newer homes that have the space but no garage. The other is for outside Calgary areas – Springbank for example – lots of land and need of a garage or additional one. Whatever your need, we’ve seen it and we have all the designs to suit your needs.
I’ll do an article on “Carriage Homes” sometime in the future as these are becoming more common.
The minimum size for any new garage is a double 20ft x 20ft but more commonly 22ft x 22ft and up – a nice double car size to comfortably house two cars and extra storage.
Garage doors can be 7 to 9 height – the higher being good for bigger vehicles such as large SUVs and pickups and boats – all customizable and limited only by your lot size.
Several things to keep in mind. Know the available size of your lot – length and width – rough rule of thumb is subtract 4ft from the sides and how much yard space you want to sacrifice. Most Calgary lots will take a 22 x 22ft garage and up.
Basic garages will run about $28,000 for a 22ft x 22ft size and can be optioned up with features such as drywall and insulation, power, etc.
Our garages are premium design with a sloped concrete pad (standard 2% grade) and a perimeter foundation pony wall 12” at the door end to keep the elements out and provide a level foundation wall for the garage walls.
Many garage companies pour a sloped pad with no perimeter wall – it’s cheaper – and erect your garage on the 2% slope so your whole garage ends up sloped toward the front. And the surrounding earth, water, snow and ice creep into your garage after a few years causing damage to your framing and the obvious problems associated with rot and water in your garage.
Storage solutions abound with creative shelving to maximize storage of tires, bicycles and lawnmowers and can be added to the overall design.
A garage should be as sound as your home and the difference in cost for quality is minimal and your garage will be your castle for your car and tools and storage trouble-free for a lifetime.
Renovations add value and enjoyment. See our other articles all about renovations for your home.
