In this guide
I suppose there are quite a few reasons a person might decide to build their own garage instead of having someone build it for them. In my case, it was simply that I couldn’t find anyone willing to build it for anything close to what I thought was a reasonable cost. Not even close.
This kind of thing depends on a lot of factors: what part of the country you live in, what the economy and the construction industry are like in your area, and so on. For me the decision was easy, because I solicited quotes from many builders and the quotes ranged from insane to ludicrous. If I’d lived somewhere else, or wanted my garage built in a different year, maybe things would have been different. Obviously someone out there was willing to pay those prices at that point in time — but I was not one of them.
The quotes I received
To give you an idea of what I mean: my least expensive quote was $28,000. The construction quality was absolutely minimal. It didn’t include engineered blueprints or permits (which is illegal), it didn’t include any dirt work (I would have had to find someone separate for that), and the contract was full of exclusions for problems that “may be encountered” during construction and would drive the cost up.
I knew someone in my area who had been burned by an excavating company, and I was determined not to make the same mistake. He was quoted $11,000 for site preparation and ended up paying about $40,000 after the “unforeseen problems” drove the price through the roof.
The prices only went up from that first quote. My most expensive quote was $50,000 just to build this garage — and I could see that even that quote was a sham. I contacted contractors and collected quotes for four months before finally giving up.
What those quotes looked like
| Quote | Price | What was missing |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest | $28,000 | Engineering, permit, dirt work; long list of “unforeseen problem” exclusions |
| Highest | $50,000 | Basic post-frame building; site prep and soil problems excluded |
| My DIY build | ≈ $11,000 | Everything, including an engineer, permit, concrete truck and a roofing crew |
Why I thought the prices were unreasonable
Contractors can buy materials for less than an individual can — if you’ve ever dealt with a wholesaler, you know how that works. I assumed my quotes would include low material prices plus a reasonable charge for labor, which would make it worth having professionals build it. The quotes I received didn’t reflect that way of doing business. (Besides, every contractor who came to my house drove a nicer truck than mine. I guess that was a warning sign in itself.)
So I started pricing lumber at home improvement stores and at the few lumberyards open to the public. Before long it was clear I could save many thousands of dollars by building the garage myself.
The bottom line
When all was said and done, my garage cost a total of around $11,000 to build myself. It was nice to reach the end of the project, add up all the receipts, and find that I had saved not thousands, but tens of thousands of dollars.
Keep in mind that was in 2009, and material prices have climbed a lot since then. Use the garage cost estimator to get a realistic range for your own size, region and finishes today.
Count your time, too
I started researching garages in the spring of 2006 and didn’t finish until the fall of 2009. In between I had to keep living my life and doing my actual job. Your savings are real, but they’re paid for in evenings, weekends and patience.
Why you might (or might not) build your own garage
My advice: if you decide to build your own garage or any other big construction project, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Building something of this size takes a large amount of time — especially for a novice, and a lot more time than I first predicted.
Personally, I didn’t do it because I thought it would be fun or relaxing. I lead an active life and do fun things all the time. Building this garage was a stress creator for me, not a stress reliever.
But for many of you, this kind of project could turn out to be fun. Just don’t assume it’ll be a great experience without thinking it through. If this is your first home-improvement project, do yourself a favor and try something smaller first. Remodel a bathroom or a kitchen. See how that goes before you dig up your yard.
- You have a realistic budget with a 10–20% cushion.
- You can commit most weekends for many months (or longer).
- You’re comfortable learning from plans, inspectors and the occasional mistake.
- You know which jobs you’ll hire out — concrete and roofing are the usual candidates.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a garage yourself?
It depends heavily on size, foundation, roofing and your region. As a rough guide, DIY material costs for a basic detached garage often run roughly half of a contractor’s price. My 32×24 garage cost about $11,000 in 2009; today the same building would cost considerably more. The estimator on the calculators page gives current ballpark ranges.
Is it cheaper to build a garage or buy a kit?
Kits can save design time, but most don’t include the foundation, concrete, permits, doors or finishing. Compare a kit’s full delivered price plus those extras against a stick-built materials list before deciding.
What’s the most expensive part of a garage?
Usually the foundation and the roof. Site conditions — rock, slope, poor soil — are the biggest wildcard, which is why contractor quotes often exclude them.
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