Carriage houses
A garage below, a home above
A carriage house is a garage with a home on top, built on the alley so you keep your parking and add a place to live. We usually build a new garage rather than load an old one, because few old garages can carry a second story.
Included
A new garage slab and foundation, sized for a second floor
Floor, walls and roof framed to carry a home
An outside or inside stair, as the code and the lot allow
A kitchen, a bath and heat upstairs
Utilities run along the lot to the alley end
What changes the cost
What moves the price of this job
The things that set the price of a carriage house.
Height limit
The zone caps the building's height, and the second floor must fit under it.
The old garage
Taking down and rebuilding costs more than adding to a sound structure, and saves a plan from compromises.
The stair
A stair takes room. An outside stair is cheaper and takes lot area.
The alley
Setback from the alley, the turning room for cars and the width of the way decide the layout.
Utilities
The run to the alley end can be long, and every foot is in the estimate.
Fire separation
A home over a garage has fire-rated walls and a floor between. It is a line in the price.
Not included: furniture, landscaping, and city and utility fees
How it goes
The stages
- 01
Step 1: 1. Lot check
Zone, height limit and alley setback.
- 02
Step 2: 2. Garage survey
Is the old garage worth keeping, or does it come down?
- 03
Step 3: 3. Drawings and permit
Plans for the garage and the home above.
- 04
Step 4: 4. Site and structure
Foundation, slab and the frame of both floors.
- 05
Step 5: 5. Systems and finishes
Electric, plumbing, heat, then the inside.
- 06
Step 6: 6. Walk-through
Final inspection, then the keys.
Permits and rules
Permits and rules
A home over a garage is a dwelling, so it is built to the dwelling code, with a fire-rated floor between the garage and the home. The zone sets the height and the setbacks.
Some cities limit the second floor's size against the garage's footprint. We check that at the lot check.
Questions
Questions about carriage houses
Can I keep my old garage?
Sometimes. A garage in good condition on a good foundation can be reused. Most can't carry a second floor, and we say so at the garage survey.
Will I keep my parking?
Yes. That is the point of the plan, as long as the alley setback leaves room.
Is the stair outside?
It can be. The lot and the code decide, and we draw both.
Is the garage built before 1978?
If it is, and we take it down, lead-safe practices apply to the paint on it.
Could your alley take one?
The lot check comes first, and it commits you to nothing.