subject: Information on DIY Garage Plans [print this page] Information on DIY Garage Plans Information on DIY Garage Plans
Do-It-Yourself or DIY is sometimes the way to go if you have a real go-getter attitude, can see a project through to the end, and have experience with construction. DIY garage plans are a great way to give yourself a fun project while improving the value of your property and giving yourself some extra storage space. Be mindful of your limitations and don't expect to be able to do everything yourself. Never compromise your safety or that of others for pride. Case in point, hire an electrician to take care of all your garage wiring needs because there are way too many disasters that can occur when you don't know what you're doing.
While you are still in your initial planning stages make an appointment to see your local building department to obtain all requirements, codes, laws and permits; otherwise your DIY garage plans will remain just that: plans. They will most likely require that you hire certain professionals, such as an electrician, to be involved in the construction of your garage. These mandates usually are the direct result of DIYers thinking they can wire something and instead end up burning the garage to the ground due to poor wiring or end up electrocuting themselves. Even though it may seem like a pain in the rear to have to jump through all these hoops the building department really does have your best interests in mind.
If you are not drafting your plans from scratch, then keep in mind you will need to look for DIY garage plans that meet your space requirements. Factor in not only the vehicles you expect to store, but also any extra storage requirements and functional needs. You may be adding cabinets and shelving, or saving room to install on-wall bike racks, space for a lawnmower or any number of things. Research the minimum suggested space for a garage and increase the dimensions according to your needs. Don't forget to measure your vehicle(s) to be sure you are building a garage to fit. For example, a compact car will easily fit in a standard sized garage, but a truck or SUV may not. Make accommodations for the vehicle with all doors, hoods, trunks or tailgates expanded. This way the ceiling will not be too low to open up your SUV hatch fully, or the depth too small to release the tailgate of your truck without banging into the garage door. It may seem like common sense, but it is easy to overlook this in the midst of all the other construction excitements.
Most importantly you will need a budget. This cannot be stressed enough. When budgeting, the general rule is to round up and overestimate. If you can cover unexpected costs and plan for every possible cent you will spend your won't find yourself standing in a half finished garage.
If you are using DIY garage plans, really think about how much time you will spend laboring over this project. Have a contractor give you a quote so you can compare it with your estimated DIY costs. If it turns out the contractor will only cost slightly more than if you do it yourself, you may just want to hire them to do it. It may not seem like a big deal initially, but after you've spent weeks giving up all your free time to work on this garage you may just throw in the towel.
