What actually makes a brick garage so expensive?
Two years ago, I talked with an acquaintance who said that nothing is cheaper than having a garage built directly onto the house with masonry. However, in our previous discussions with home builders, I was always told that nothing is cheaper than a prefabricated garage.
We are planning a double or preferably a large garage that easily fits 2 cars and some storage space. Such a garage would probably cost around 15,000 euros as a prefabricated garage plus foundation.
However, when a house is planned and built, it shouldn’t really cause much extra cost to add a simple flat-roofed garage attached to the house, right? Basically, I could live with a prefabricated garage, but what bothers me is that there seems to be no way to integrate it so that you can enter the house directly from the garage.
Two years ago, I talked with an acquaintance who said that nothing is cheaper than having a garage built directly onto the house with masonry. However, in our previous discussions with home builders, I was always told that nothing is cheaper than a prefabricated garage.
We are planning a double or preferably a large garage that easily fits 2 cars and some storage space. Such a garage would probably cost around 15,000 euros as a prefabricated garage plus foundation.
However, when a house is planned and built, it shouldn’t really cause much extra cost to add a simple flat-roofed garage attached to the house, right? Basically, I could live with a prefabricated garage, but what bothers me is that there seems to be no way to integrate it so that you can enter the house directly from the garage.
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Bauexperte27 May 2014 12:06Hello,
You can install a pedestrian door (single door) at any spot on the garage wall adjoining the house, and that creates a direct connection to the single-family home.
Beyond cost—the typical sizes are standard dimensions and therefore cost-effective to produce—the wall thicknesses also favor prefabricated garages. For masonry, we’re talking about 175 mm (7 inches) plus exterior plaster; with a two-car door, space can get tight. Prefabricated garages, on the other hand, have wall thicknesses of 80–100 mm (3–4 inches), depending on the manufacturer; that’s it. Instead of a full slab foundation, strip footings are used.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Vega82 schrieb:The effort involved and the labor hours required.
What makes a masonry garage so expensive?
Vega82 schrieb:That’s always the problem with acquaintances, friends… They are usually not from the construction industry and therefore have only limited knowledge—if any at all.
I talked to an acquaintance 2 years ago who said nothing is cheaper than having a garage built as part of the house from the start.
Vega82 schrieb:No need for a foundation slab? Structural calculation, drainage, or even detailed execution drawings?
But if a house is being planned and built anyway, shouldn’t adding a simple flat-roof garage cause hardly any additional costs?
Vega82 schrieb:Who says so?
In principle, I could imagine using a prefabricated garage, but what bothers me is that there seems to be no way to integrate it so that you can get directly from the garage into the house.
You can install a pedestrian door (single door) at any spot on the garage wall adjoining the house, and that creates a direct connection to the single-family home.
Beyond cost—the typical sizes are standard dimensions and therefore cost-effective to produce—the wall thicknesses also favor prefabricated garages. For masonry, we’re talking about 175 mm (7 inches) plus exterior plaster; with a two-car door, space can get tight. Prefabricated garages, on the other hand, have wall thicknesses of 80–100 mm (3–4 inches), depending on the manufacturer; that’s it. Instead of a full slab foundation, strip footings are used.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Okay, thanks for the information.
I just don’t understand why it would be so much work to do a structural calculation and build something like that. A simple rectangular garage should be structurally engineered in advance, just like a modular house. Pouring the foundation should be done together with the house’s slab foundation, and then stacking a few bricks on top should be straightforward.
Considering that a basic shell house can be bought starting at 70,000, a masonry garage for 30,000 seems quite expensive, doesn’t it?
The idea of integrating a prefab garage sounds really good. I haven’t seen that before. Usually, these garages are just placed next to the house, and the small gap between house and garage is covered with some kind of plastic panels.
I just don’t understand why it would be so much work to do a structural calculation and build something like that. A simple rectangular garage should be structurally engineered in advance, just like a modular house. Pouring the foundation should be done together with the house’s slab foundation, and then stacking a few bricks on top should be straightforward.
Considering that a basic shell house can be bought starting at 70,000, a masonry garage for 30,000 seems quite expensive, doesn’t it?
The idea of integrating a prefab garage sounds really good. I haven’t seen that before. Usually, these garages are just placed next to the house, and the small gap between house and garage is covered with some kind of plastic panels.
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