There are several variables you need to think about when building a garage:

• how complicated are the garage plans you selected
• are you planning on doing any of the garage building work yourself
• the cost of living in your area
• how many bays your garage plans have
• are there living quarters in your garage plans

In addition to that, garage building material prices can fluctuate quite a bit depending on seasonal influences and other variables. There’s quite a difference between building a basic one car garage with no living space and building a 3 car garage with a studio apartment. In the first case there aren’t any fixtures or utility hookups required and in the latter case there are some expensive fixtures plus finishing materials needed, such as light fixtures, trim, carpeting, etc. Trying to create a one size fits all garage building cost estimator is not an easy thing to do to ensure an accurate value of garage cost for every situation.

Garage builders charge differently in nearly every area of the country. Our research did not turn up any reliable values in the U.S. Government statistics for the cost of building a garage, but there is good data on the cost of building a new home in various regions of the country. Comparing the home building cost data gives us some relative values that can be used for comparisons. This data is from the U.S. Census Bureau for home building cost through 2008. The average cost per square foot to build a new home in 2008:

• South $79.64
• Midwest $87.99
• Northeast $117.91
• West $111.72

Since the cost of building in the South is the least, that will be the baseline for this analysis. Compared to the cost of building in the South:

• Midwest is 10% more expensive
• Northeast is 48% more expensive
• West is 40% more expensive

So right off the bat it is pretty obvious that the region you live in will have a dramatic effect on your garage cost. For example the cost to build a $10,000 garage in the South would cost you $14,800 in the Northeast. And this doesn’t take into account the differences between building a garage in a rural area versus an urban area.In surveying the other articles we could find on garage cost, the consensus seems to be that a garage should cost somewhere between $34 and $48 per square foot to build, but those numbers are pretty old. Another interesting little bit of information from the U.S. Government Census data – in the 45 years from 1965-2009, home building price increases have outpaced the Consumer Price Index in 26 of those years. Over the last 10 years:

(HPI is the Housing Price Index, CPI is the Consumer Price Index)
In 2000 the HPI increased 4.40%, the CPI increased 3.4%, the HPI increased 29.4% more than the CPI
In 2001 the HPI increased 5.00%, the CPI increased 1.6%, the HPI increased 212.5% more than the CPI
In 2002 the HPI increased 2.50%, the CPI increased 2.4%, the HPI increased 4.2% more than the CPI
In 2003 the HPI increased 5.10%, the CPI increased 1.9%, the HPI increased 168.4% more than the CPI
In 2004 the HPI increased 8.40%, the CPI increased 3.3%, the HPI increased 154.5% more than the CPI
In 2005 the HPI increased 7.40%, the CPI increased 3.4%, the HPI increased 117.6% more than the CPI
In 2006 the HPI increased 6.00%, the CPI increased 2.5%, the HPI increased 140.0% more than the CPI
In 2007 the HPI increased 0.90%, the CPI increased 4.1%, the HPI decreased -78.0% versus the CPI
In 2008 the HPI decreased 3.50%, the CPI increased 0.1%, the HPI decreased -3600.0% versus the CPI
In 2009 the HPI decreased 5.00%, the CPI increased 2.7%, the HPI decreased -285.2% versus the CPI

In the construction industry it is either feast or famine. During the boom building years of the mid-2000’s housing prices handily trounced the CPI, but when the housing market fell apart in 2007-2008 the Housing Price Index took a big hit.

The cost to build a detached garage is not going to be in perfect lock step with the Housing Price Index, and the cost per square foot to build a home isn’t going to be in perfect alignment with the Housing Price Index, but together they give us an overall feel for the relative ‘Garage Price Index’ (we just made that up).

The presumption is that the $34 – $48 per square foot garage cost is for a garage without any living quarters, just your basic garage plans. If the garage plans include living quarters then it is safe to say that the garage cost per square foot is going to approach the cost per square foot to build a home. The more your garage plans resemble a house, the closer the garage building cost per square foot will be to that of a house. Another presumption in these numbers is that a building contractor is building the garage for you. You will obviously save quite a bit on your garage cost if you do some or all of the labor yourself.

Conclusion – Using the Southern region of the U.S. as the baseline, the garage cost to have a builder construct a garage for you should be between $34/square foot for basic garage plans and $80/square foot for top of the line garage plans with living quarters and all of the amenities. On the other end of the scale is the Northeast, where it should cost you between $48/square foot and $118/square foot to build a garage. There is no substitute for getting real quotes from garage builders, but hopefully this information will give you some guidance. Always get a minimum of 3 quotes! In a future article we’ll address the garage cost of just the materials.

It is moderately uncomplicated to make your own wooden garage benches, but in order to finish it you will have to follow these straightforward directions and have good plans. To begin with, you will have to decide how high you would like your bench to be. Once you have done this, make a spot on the wall at the stature you have selected with a snap line, then go on to verify the line you have made with a level and make the needed adjustments if need be. You have got to re-adjust the height of your bench should you want to put in cabinets on your wooden bench.

After that, you must drill holes where you have made your markings for the brackets. An electric drill and heavy duty bolts work the greatest. Subsequently, you must set up the metallic brackets onto the wall studs, inserting the top brackets just below the snap line. Cut up six pieces of timber according to the size of your work bench, and position a member on top of each bracket. Using wood screws will guarantee they reside in position. You will also be required to cut longer pieces of lumber to lie on your support brackets and secure them with nails. Position the rest of the timber at the end of the crossing supports and lock them. The final piece of the frame is to be connected to the face of the bench by means of nails to hold up and secure it. Finally, you have to use a saw on your particle board and cut it to go with the size of your frame. The finest way to do this is to cut the board in half length ways. Lay the two halves on each other and then on top of your frame and secure them nails. This will give you a sturdy table top surface.

If you want a portable bench, then the most excellent alternative for you would be to get hold of a rolling bench. They are prepared with steel and are outfitted with a quantity of sliding doors, shelves and cabinets. These work benches are also fixed with wheels which come with a locking system to ensure the steel rolling bench doesn’t move when working on it. These are perfect if you favor to move around your work space or garage.

Garage work benches are idyllic to have when you are working in your garage. Whether you have steel work benches for restoring items, using it as a woodworking garage work bench to construct something or polishing tools, it is fitting to boot.

Considering a metal building to serve as the garage for your boats is definitely a convenient choice. Steel buildings are affordable and easy to maintain, which is the reason why many choose having one built especially as storage facilities for industrial purposes. A steel building offers strength and durability that should be helpful if you want a strong and secure storage for your items, including your boats, kayaks, or any other water vehicle. Moreover, if you are after a stylish look, steel buildings could also be painted and coated to suit your taste.

Metal boat garage buildings can be mostly found near marinas. As an additional note, marina is the place where you would usually use your boat. With a metal building garage, you can lock your boat inside for it to be kept secure and private. Your boat will also be free from damages caused by harmful elements outdoors. Storing your boat in an enclosed space will protect it from the harmful effects of various weather conditions. It should be common knowledge among boat enthusiasts that prolonged exposure to wind, snow, rain, and sunlight which may cause damage to your boat in the long run. If you would need to store your boat for a long time, parking it inside a metal building garage would provide a lot of advantages.

However, temperature inside a metal building is harder to regulate. Thus, if you are in a location with a colder climate and you think your boats need a storage area with a warmer temperature, you might need to install heaters.

Metal buildings offer undeniable strength and durability. It provides you with strength that cannot be offered by any other materials, even without the need for support beams. Metal buildings last longer that those that are made out of wood or synthetic plastic materials. It can also endure unfavorable weather conditions. So if you are looking to build up a boat garage, one of the best options is to go for a metal building.