Discover the top 5 steps to plan and build a garage addition in Toronto
In Toronto, homeowners have multiple options when it comes to building a garage addition. From an attached 3 car garage to one with a loft, a garage addition provides great utility and can significantly increase the value of a home. The decision to add on a garage to a home in Toronto is one of the best home improvement projects a homeowner can make. Prior to actually breaking ground, however, a garage addition plan and garage addition cost estimate should be developed. With the help of this guide, you’ll be well prepared for your garage addition build.
Table of contents
1. Pre-Plan Garage Addition
Before figuring out how much a garage addition costs, you will need to create a plan. A garage addition plan starts with making initial sketches of the garage addition concept and evaluating how it will tie in with the existing home structure. Though most homeowners prefer a large garage, it is very important during this phase to consider proportions between the existing home and the new addition.
To aesthetically look appealing from the road the length of the garage should not exceed two-thirds the length of the existing home. Otherwise the garage could overwhelm the existing home structure. The depth or width of the garage addition is less critical from an aesthetic standpoint, as it is usually less visible from the road.
2. Create Garage Addition Building Plans
Once the initial sketches have been completed, detailed building plans should be generated. Depending on the complexity of the garage addition either the homeowner or an architect can develop the actual building plans. In either case, the plans will need to include scaled drawings with dimensions, and cross-sectional construction views with constructional materials specified.
The cross-sectional views should include from the concrete footings all the way to the peak of the roof. Each new transition from the footings up should be carefully drawn. Examples include: the footing/foundation transition, the foundation/sill plate transition, and the wall/roof rafter transition. The plans should also include a comprehensive bill of materials for the project. In addition, all property lines and appropriate setbacks should be clearly shown in the drawings.
3. Estimate Cost To Build Garage Addition
Estimating the garage build costs will depend on the contractor you choose for the build and the quality of their scope of work. With a comprehensive scope of work, a general contractor can provide much of the list to any home improvement store where they can fill out the pricing information for the specific items for the project.
For specialty items such as garage doors, garage door openers, and in some cases lighting and plumbing fixtures (if required for the garage addition) the contractor may need to contact specialty stores for pricing. The subcontractors may also be able to provide some unit pricing (e.g. garage doors).
5. Garage Addition Construction
It is important to note, however, that even with the best plans in place, things happen and schedules slip. To mitigate schedule slips a contractor should factor in some buffer to the schedule and always be looking ahead several weeks during the entire project. They should regularly check with suppliers to ensure building material will arrive when required and should occasionally check with subcontractors to ensure that their schedules are still in line with your garage addition project.
Conclusion
With these simple planning, budgeting and scheduling issues addressed prior to the start of the project, building a Toronto garage addition should be a positive experience both pre and post construction phase.
For more articles on building a garage, check out our Garage Tips & Trends
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