I'm starting to kick around the idea of adding a simple free standing garage.

What is a good rule of thumb for the price of a simple garage?

I'm thinking two car, two doors, a little attic space for storage. Unfinished walls, electric for plugging in a few tools.

Anyone have a ballpark estimate? $10K, $15K, $20K ?

 

You first need to decide on the structure of the building. Foundation/footer with a stick walls or a post building garage. The price will very, the ladder being cheeper in cost and more sparton. For a 2 car simple garage, I would plan on 24'x24' dimension.

 

It depends on your location, too. Are you building it yourself, or having it built? I live in NH, and have gotten estimates for a 24X30 detached garage, all the site work, elec., etc. included...Depending on siding choices, anywhere from 22k to 26k. Good Luck!

 

I went through this just last week. We have a country place that only has a carport and we'd like a 2 car garage. I had a set of plans of the "build it yourself" type for a 24 X 24. Since we're not in an incorporated area there's pretty much no code enforcement, so I can do some things that you may not be allowed to.
The total cost of materials was less than $5000, but that had nothing in it for the slab. In our area I could really pour a perimeter wall if I wanted to and frame on top of that. Within the city limits I figured about $7500 including grading, pouring the slab and hiring a few casual workers for a couple of days to help me with the "two man minimum" stuff.
A friend a couple of miles away built a Garage/Carport a few years ago about 28 X 24 using just 4X4 X 12 posts for vertical support, about 12 of them IIRC, then frame the roof support, decked it and roofed it. Over the years he enclosed the sides, then hung doors and ran power to it for his doors.
If you're in the city this is probably not an option.
slumlordfrank

 

Yule: Just figure a 24 x 24, materials around $4000 depending on the type of doors you get, windows etc., concrete about $3000, labor about $3500 to $5000. Electrical about $1000.
So you will be in the area of $13000 to $15000. Have fun. Good project.

 

If you do it yourself I figure around $22 per square foot is what it cost me.

 

I built a 26'x32' for right at $14,000 or $16.80 sq. ft. here in Indiana. I only had the footer and concrete done and the stick frame. All else was completed by myself and my brother-in-law. The garage is completely finished and insulated with R-13 in the walls and R-19 in the ceiling. Tyvek wrap outside. Used greenboard on the walls and 5/8 firerock on the ceiling. Also had Clopay premium insulated steel doors put up (cost a butt load). 4000 psi fiber reinforced concrete with a drain and a gravel drive. 3000 psi 15" thick by 12" wide footer. 25 yr shingles. Premium dutch lap siding, aluminum sofit. Two average single hung windows, and a plain steel man door. All electrical done with 8' strip lights inside, brass lights outside. Also I almost forgot 9' ceilings, which I highly recommend. I think thats about it, very happy with the final set of numbers.

Now I'm ready to add tools and work benches and storage. Anyone have any ideas or places I could look for ideas? Thanks.

 

I poured my concrete slab for a 24x 30 garage last wedensday, doing all the labor myself including the concrete work, I got $1200 in it. 14 yards of concrete.

 

Rubicon 1...lucky guy! The building costs in the Northeast are out of sight! I did get lucky, though...
Just did a 22X26 garage. $1550.00 for the excavation and site work. The slab and garage (all 2X6), one 16X7 door, was
$10,150.00. I am doing the siding myself (vinyl). In the end, will run me about $12,500. Add in $2200.00 for a brand new driveway (33X30 with a walkway approx. 33X3), grand total of...
$14,700.00 I have to say, I am quite happy with that! I am getting a break on the vinyl because of a family connection, but it would still be reasonable if I was not. Best of luck to everyone!

 

I just had a contractor build a garage. All I payed him for was an unfinished inside and no electric or anything. The size is 24 x 28 and it cost around $14K. Now since that I have ran all the electric and gas lines myself, and completely finished the inside (insulated & drywalled the walls and ceiling). Since the contractor left I have spent probably another 5-7K. I probably went a bit overboard with the finishing, and my friends joke that the new garage is nicer than the house.

 

My current project is a 32 by 22, 3 plus, car garage with an attached sun room and rooftop deck atop half the sturcture. I've just poured my concrete which I purcchased from a local dealer at @88. per yard.. for 26 yards. I hired a excavating & finishing crew for approx. $3000.00 not including the beer and brats after the pour. It is my intent to build the entire garage for less than 12K. Im using recycled lumber and salvaged wooden siding (so I can paint to match the house) and running the electric and everything else with the help of a friend. The finished project should look something like this.... http://www.goldenvoiceaudio.com/temp/draft1.jpg

 

I had my cement work done for about $5k for my 20x26 garage, which included removing the old slab and foundation, and due to the grade on my lot, the put 2 course of block at the back, which tapers to nothing at the front.

Construction materials cost about $3500 from a big box home improvement store, including insulated 16 ft door, 3 windows, man door, 30yr shingles, vinyl siding.

I luv my new room, uhh I mean, garage!!