Retaining wall / garage build

[Pike2350]

I'm going to be building a garage in my backyard this year. I had 1 quote last year from where the yard is now to completion of a 26x26 garage, including site work, retaining wall, tree removal and converting my single car back to a carport for $68k ?. I'm looking for more bids but getting contractors to call back to get a bid is proving to be very difficult. If anyone has suggestions on who I can contact I am open.

If I have to do some site work I will. I had budgeted in my head around $40-50k for this....so I may do a lot myself to save $$.

Ultimate goal is to have a nice oversized 2 car garage that I can have some work space in. The size is flexible depending on what Holladay City will permit but I've been thinking 26x26 or 24x28 but need to get some site work done so I can see where that puts everything on the lot. I do have set backs of I believe 5' on back and side due to utilities. Any thoughts on the needs for a garage? I may maximize the setback and go 8' on the side to make for trailer/small car parking but I need to see how it affects my yard.

I will use this thread to document progress which ever route I go. It's still a few weeks before I can likely begin due to weather

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Any zoning requirements on building type or exterior finish? I’ve loved my metal building 33x36 iirc. Some city’s make your exterior finish match the houses, etc. what about height? Any issues there?

 

[anderson750]

I am also in the middle of planning for a garage. I need it long enough to fit my motorhome and have been going back and forth between making it a little longer verses wider. Haven't decided between 50 x 30 or 56 x 26

 

[Pike2350]

Any zoning requirements on building type or exterior finish? I’ve loved my metal building 33x36 iirc. Some city’s make your exterior finish match the houses, etc. what about height? Any issues there?

Not 100% on requirements. I want it to match the house for the most part. Im only on .18 acres so I think it will still be just a main garage. I don't love the looks of metal buildings in most neighborhoods...I think they stand out a little too much.

I believe my height is limited to 20'. ...and my house has a low slope 2/12 roof. I was thinking if a standard 4/12 roof with a little loft space for storage. I was also thinking of pouring the footings and foundation with 1' concrete above grade and building a normal 8' wall on top netting.me an 8' garage door.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I would start with the city zoning. You may have a setback off of the house for an accessory building. You can finish the exterior of a metal building to look like anything but you start defeating the low cost. I love the lack of trusses required with a steel building, more useable interior space. That said if you can engineer a loft into that space, win.

I was fortunate to be in unincorporated SL County with A1 zoning. No height restriction, no exterior requirement, no square footage vs house rules. Just a 5’ easement on back for the power lines and a 1’ on the side, I bumped the back to 7’ so I can store a vehicle back there as needed (tight) and 3’ on the side for storage and to keep or clean. If you have access to park a trailer on the side, I’d definitely push it out a few feet for that.

 

[jeeper]

I am also in the middle of planning for a garage. I need it long enough to fit my motorhome and have been going back and forth between making it a little longer verses wider. Haven't decided between 50 x 30 or 56 x 26

Obvious solution is 56x30. You're welcome

 

[Tonkaman]

As far as a great contractor, hit up @Cascadia

 

[BlackSheep]

I have a 30'x30' garage on my property. If you ask me, anything smaller just won't do. Go as big as you can.

 

[mbryson]

I have a 30'x30' garage on my property. If you ask me, anything smaller just won't do. Go as big as you can.

I’m not even in my house/garage and am THRILLED to have 700-800 more square feet than I’ve ever had before. We went as big as we could within our budget. We did leave the option of building an out building. That will have to be down the road but I can see that as a probable likelihood.

In my opinion, you will never regret going as big as you are allowed by code. If you go smaller, you’ll always regret not finding a way to make the max happen

 

[UNSTUCK]

I had grand ideas of a detached shop as well. First thing I did was take my own hand drawing to the city for an initial review. They put the brakes on it real quick. As I recall it had to be 8' from the fence of my neighbor and 8' from my house. They counted the covered patio we have as the house. I already have a ton of concrete on the side of my house and was hoping to butt the shop up against that, but to do that would mean the shop would be about 10 feet wide with those restrictions. So to do what I wanted would have put half the shop directly behind my house and further back. That means a lot more concrete and then with it being behind the house it would have made getting trailers inside difficult.
I was disappointed to say the least. I am amazed, however, at what I've been able to do in one bay of a three car garage.

 

[glockman]

I built a 25x40 in PG. I had to match the exterior to the house and the footprint couldn't be bigger than the house's. I only had a 3 ft limit on the side and 5 ft in the rear. I figured I'd need 25x25 so I pretty much doubled that and it's full now ?
I would suggest running at least 10 outlets with one on 30a 220v. I'd also do a bonus room in the trusses if you can but a 4/12 might not be possible.
Draw out how you want to place benches and shelves using Google sketch and plan outlets and lights that way. In a 25x25 I'd do at least four twin bulb fixtures.

 

[Pike2350]

I'm being realistic with my goals (I think) I am not much of a fabricator and while I do like to do projects I don't have the budget/time to have. Ton of tools. Going too large will not look good on such a small lot. I figure an oversized 2-car garage is best....but not massive. I am 90% my setbacks are 5' on back and east side for utilities otherwise it would be 3'. I have to verify size restrictions based on lot and house/building footprints....but in my rough calculations I believe I can go close to 650sf which leads me to a 26x26 or 24x28....but I will clarify with the City of Holladay in the near future.
I will have electrical and am thinking I may bring my house service to the garage and feed the house as a subpanel with 100 amps since I believe that's all I have there anyway. I plan to have a circuit large enough to house a electric car charger since I see this being more likely in the future.

The rest if the build I'm open. I had grand ideas of a small studio type apartment above to with Airbnb or rent out/have some extra game room or something...but realize the cost to get sewer ran and how the height would end up will just make that not feasable/attractive. I think storage/loft space will be nice and if it can be big enough to be standing height great...if not oh well. I want it to tie into the house looks somewhat....but right now our house isn't the way we want it to look anyway.so it could be redone later when we decide on exactly how the house will be done.

Here is my lot.

Here's a house on the next street over that has what I eventually plan to do to my house....including the bump out on the house to open up the small kitchen/dining room.

 

[mesha]

I hope your permit process is easier than mine has been.

 

[skippy]

PM incoming

send me a pm too ?

 

[anderson750]

I built a 25x40 in PG. I had to match the exterior to the house and the footprint couldn't be bigger than the house's. I only had a 3 ft limit on the side and 5 ft in the rear. I figured I'd need 25x25 so I pretty much doubled that and it's full now ?
I would suggest running at least 10 outlets with one on 30a 220v. I'd also do a bonus room in the trusses if you can but a 4/12 might not be possible.
Draw out how you want to place benches and shelves using Google sketch and plan outlets and lights that way. In a 25x25 I'd do at least four twin bulb fixtures.

That SketchUp program is pretty cool. This really helped me visualize if 56x26 would work

 

[Vonski]

I live in a rural part of Payson and have a 50’x60’ stick frame shop. Of course, the requirements/limitations you face in Holladay City are going to be very different. However, here are some features you should highly consider: 1. RV dump tied into the sewer. *This usually Is allowed. 2. Wash bay/grated drain vault. *This usually is NOT allowed, so you “could” in theory create a large gravel filled drain field ahead of the building’s construction and place the vault just before the slab is poured. Have the concrete guys prepared to put a gradual slope to the drain. You’ll need to keep it concealed or replace the grate with a thin piece of plywood and have concrete poured over it, to be broken out later. 3. Plan for a 2-post lift, assuming you can achieve adequate ceiling height. You could have extra concrete thickness and/or rebarred areas where the posts will be anchored. Lastly, I will not confirm or deny which of these (if any) I have done in my own shop. 😉

 

[Vonski]

As far as a great contractor, hit up @Cascadia

Much of mine was done by Tyson @ Cascadia and I would recommend him highly.

 

[ID Bronco]

I live in a rural part of Payson and have a 50’x60’ stick frame shop. Of course, the requirements/limitations you face in Holladay City are going to be very different. However, here are some features you should highly consider: 1. RV dump tied into the sewer. *This usually Is allowed. 2. Wash bay/grated drain vault. *This usually is NOT allowed, so you “could” in theory create a large gravel filled drain field ahead of the building’s construction and place the vault just before the slab is poured. Have the concrete guys prepared to put a gradual slope to the drain. You’ll need to keep it concealed or replace the grate with a thin piece of plywood and have concrete poured over it, to be broken out later. 3. Plan for a 2-post lift, assuming you can achieve adequate ceiling height. You could have extra concrete thickness and/or rebarred areas where the posts will be anchored. Lastly, I will not confirm or deny which of these (if any) I have done in my own shop. 😉

This is great advice, I am a while out, but I hope to implement this.

 

[Vonski]

One more thing... Not always a great option, but I’m a big fan of roll up doors. If anyone has questions, let me know.

 

[anderson750]

One more thing... Not always a great option, but I’m a big fan of roll up doors. If anyone has questions, let me know.

We need to talk. If you are around when I come to RMATV tonight come by before our meeting.