The Garage Plan Shop Blog

If you need a place to store your RV and want something with all the extras, consider this RV garage plan. Begin with the handsome exterior dressed up with stonework, siding and stylish garage doors. The RV bay offers convenience with its 16’ ceiling and drive-thru feature making it easy to pull thru the garage instead of facing the hassle of backing your motor home out of the garage. While you are on the road in your RV, safely store the family cars in the oversized two-car garage area. Special features include a 10’ ceiling and extra deep bays which easily handle a boat id desired. Practical extras include a full bath and laundry area making clean-ups a snap. Upstairs, an unfinished loft provides plenty of room for storage. Carefully designed to accommodate many needs, this 2-car garage plan with RV storage and loft is a valuable addition to any piece of property.

For more designs like this one, view this collection of RV garage plans.

Tags: motor home storage, RV garage, RV storage garage

Who said you have to use a one-car garage to store a car? Think outside the box. Single-car garage plans work well for a variety of needs. Due to their small size, these detached designs often fit nicely into a backyard making them easily accessible from the house. Furthermore, with an overhead door and a service entry, one-car garage plans make it easy to store or access almost anything you wish to keep inside. Consider these nontraditional yet handy uses for a 1-car garage:

Garden shed – You’ll have plenty of room for all your gardening supplies whether you have a vegetable or flower garden or just a beautifully landscaped yard. Store flower pots, potting soil, fertilizer, seeds and bulbs, shovels, rakes, hoes and other gardening tools. Store garden hoses and sprinklers throughout the winter months. Adding cabinets improves organizational space and a potting bench or planting table provides a work surface.

Lawn equipment shed – Safely store everything from the lawn mower and leaf blower to hedge trimmer, rakes and more. Consider tall cabinets or lockers to accommodate long/tall items, and remember to install locks if small children are present.

Tool shed – Auto mechanics and tinkers will have a place to organize and store everything from car parts to power tools. Look for sturdy toolboxes or those on rollers for convenience. Heavy duty shelving units are good for storage as well. Keep everything for dirty jobs outside the house.

All-purpose storage shed – The average American family has a wide variety of things to store that might not necessarily belong in the home. Use a detached 1-car garage for outdoor equipment like storing the patio set during the winter or providing a safe place out of the elements for “outdoor toys” like bikes, skateboards, kayaks and all the gear to go with them. Cabinets and storage lockers of various sizes easily accommodate fishing poles, tennis rackets, bike helmets, life jackets, baseball bats and so on.

Workshop – Build your own work space outside the home. Add a workbench or table giving you a work surface to accommodate everything from small woodworking projects and home repairs to woodcrafts. Add task lighting when necessary. And don’t forget to add various storage cabinets and containers for all the tools and supplies a do-it-yourself homeowner requires

Garage – You might not need a place to park the car, but you might need a place to store other motorized items like a golf cart, ATV, jet ski, motorcycle or small boat. Your driveway won’t be cramped with all these extra items and they will be safe from the climate and weather when you aren’t using them.

If you need extra storage for all your belongings, browse detached 1-car garage plans. You are sure to find just the right one to accommodate all your storage needs.

Tags: 1 car garage, multi-purpose, one-car garage, storage garage

From functionality to style, there are many things to consider when choosing a garage plan for your backyard. Furthermore, there is a vast array of garage designs to choose from. These quick tips will give you the insight you need to select the best design for you.

Size

One of the first things to determine is what size garage you will need and if it will fit in the available space.  Knowing the dimensions of your lot/usable space will help you find a garage with the right width and depth. You wouldn’t want to start building only to discover the garage is much too wide and will extend over your property line. Consider a tandem garage for a long and lean lot or a two-car garage with storage loft when you are in need of extra storage but are working with limited space.

Function

How do you plan to use your garage? Parking? Storage? Workshop? Knowing how you will use the garage will help you compare various options.  If you need to park two cars, a single-car garage will not work. If you need a place for the family cars and room for the riding mower, the recycling containers and the kids’ bikes, skateboards and helmets, a three-car design will provide ample space.  Do you need a place to store tools, lawn and garden equipment, and outdoor toys? Do you need room for a workbench? Depending on how you plan to use the garage may determine what size garage you will need.

Features

Determining the function of your new garage may influence the special features that you’ll need.  Garage plans have much to offer from the drive-thru styles with front and rear overhead doors to those with finished living space. Will you need a full or half bath for easy clean-ups after dirty outdoor projects? How about laundry facilities?  A mud sink? Would a workshop satisfy woodworking and craft needs? Maybe you’d like a workbench or storage closet. Do you need a storage loft? Perhaps an office would work well for a home based business.  If you need additional living space or would like to earn extra income a garage apartment plan is a good solution. Many offer living space, compact kitchens, full baths and a sleeping area.

Style

Now think about your home. Do you want a garage that has the same architectural style or will a simple design with a gable roof do? Will the garage be visible from the roadway? Should it have decorative exterior elements that complement your home? Garage plans come in a variety of styles from a basic design to plans with all the decorative frills ensuring you’ll find one that blends seamlessly with your home.

Choosing the perfect garage plan is no easy task. So, take time to think about these elements and decide just what type of garage your family needs. A little thought and effort now will save you time and headaches later.

Tags: choosing a garage, garage plans, tips

If you are thinking of building a new garage using stock blueprints, it is important to take a time to educate yourself about building codes. Each architect or residential designer puts great care into ensuring the blueprints conform to the national building code in place at the time the garage plans are created. However, this does not ensure that they will meet all of the local building codes for your area. In addition to the nationally recognized building codes, each city, county or municipality follows its own set of building regulations and codes based upon specific qualities of that area or region. It is extremely important that you contact your building official to learn more about what is required for construction in the area where you plan to build your new garage. Furthermore, it is possible that you may need to work with a residential designer, a building official, an inspector or your builder to make modifications to your garage plans ensuring they will meet additional building codes required by your geographic location.  

In addition to your garage plans, you may need to supply a few other documents when you apply for a building permit. The building department will provide you with a list of the items you will need. The list may include the following:

·         Energy Code Compliance – A form that must be filled out verifying the materials that will be used to construct the garage are energy compliant, if you plan to lift a concrete garage, you will want to get your materials from concretecontractors.org.

·         Septic System Design – A diagram showing the details of the septic system. This is not necessary if your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system or the garage does not require plumbing. But if you do, there are professionals you can hire that can perform septic system inspections. They are also specialize in septic system installation as well as with septic tank maintenance. If you need plumbing repairs for your home in Taylors, SC or nearby areas, visit the site.

·         Site Plan – A drawing or sketch of the lot reflecting the location and positioning of your future garage as well as locations of other structures presently situated on the lot such as a house, barn, etc. Your builder will be able to help you with this.

Some areas of the United States and Canada have very strict engineering codes. Keeping this in mind, it may be necessary to hire a local engineer to review your garage plans and provide additional details, drawings and calculations required by the building department. Some examples include Northern areas with snow load and 2×6 wall framing requirements, wind load and wind strapping requirements for hurricane-risk areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the earthquake-prone areas of California that follow seismic zoning regulations and demand additional structural elements.

If you are unsure about any of the items mentioned above or have further questions about local building codes, be sure to contact your local building official for more information regarding the requirements in your area.

Tags: building codes, garage plans, local building codes

If you are planning to build a garage using stock plans, it is important to know these plans are not sealed or stamped by an architect.  Like all pre-drawn plans, stock garage plans are designed to meet the national building codes in place at the time the plans are created. However, the plans may not meet all local building codes.

Some states, cities, counties or municipalities require that stock garage plans are sealed or stamped by an architect or engineer certified in the state in which the garage will be built. This means the blueprints must be officially approved for construction.  If you are building a garage using stock plans and need them to be sealed, stamped or engineered in order to obtain building permits, you will have to find a local professional to do this for you. Often the building department or your builder can recommend someone to seal or stamp the plans before construction begins. A professional Sydney plumber will also be able to assess your current plumbing situation, if you have a drain repair that needs to be done or a clogged drain that needs to be flushed out.

Before purchasing any stock garage plans, do your homework. Check with the building department to find out if a seal or stamp is required. Then, contact someone locally and make sure they can approve the plans. Be sure to find out how long it will take. It will save you time and cause less headaches if you know what is required before you begin. It is no fun to order your garage plans thinking you’ll be able to build right away only to find out there will be delays because you must have you plans approved first.

Educating yourself about stock plans and whether or not townhouse architects Melbourne seal or stamp is required is an important part of the process when it comes to building a new, detached garage.

Tags: engineered plans, sealed blueprints, stamped plans, stock garage plans