Garage conversions
A garage becomes a home, if the lot allows it
We take a garage built for cars and make it a home: a level insulated floor, walls and a ceiling that hold heat, a window where the door was, a kitchen and bath, and its own heating. Many garages are better candidates than their owners think, and some aren't.
Included
A level, insulated floor over the slab
Insulated walls and ceiling, with the garage door closed in
A bath and kitchen, with the plumbing run to the sewer
Windows and a proper entry door
Heating and electric on their own circuits
What changes the cost
What moves the price of this job
The things that decide a garage's chances, and its price.
The slab
A sloped garage floor and a moisture problem under the slab are the common surprises. We test before we price.
Ceiling height
A low ceiling can rule a garage out, or push a plan toward lowering the floor.
Parking
Some zones require the parking the garage provides. Losing it can change the plan.
Walls and roof
An old garage may need more than insulation: new framing, a new roof, or a new foundation edge.
The sewer run
A garage far from the house means a longer trench for plumbing.
Attached or not
An attached garage shares a wall and a fire separation with the house, and the rules for that are stricter.
Not included: furniture, landscaping, and city and utility fees
How it goes
The stages
- 01
Step 1: 1. Lot check
Zoning, parking rule and the plat.
- 02
Step 2: 2. Garage survey
Slab, walls, roof and ceiling height, measured and photographed.
- 03
Step 3: 3. Drawings and permit
A plan set, submitted to the city.
- 04
Step 4: 4. Floor, walls and systems
Slab work, framing, windows, then electric, plumbing and heat.
- 05
Step 5: 5. Finishes and inspections
Cabinets, tile, paint, and the city's final inspection.
Permits and rules
Permits and rules
A garage conversion needs a building permit, and the city treats the change of use seriously. We draw to the code for a dwelling: egress, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, insulation and a separate heat source.
Zoning decides whether the garage can become a home at all, and whether the owner has to live on the property. Rules differ by city, and we confirm them for yours.
Questions
Questions about garage conversions
Can any garage be converted?
No. The zone, the lot, the garage's height and its condition all matter. The lot check and a garage survey settle it.
Do I lose my parking?
Possibly. Some zones require parking, and some allow the garage's spaces to go. We tell you what the rules say for your lot.
Can I live in the house during the work?
Yes. The work is in the garage, apart from the connections for water, power and sewer.
Is my garage built before 1978?
If it was, painted surfaces may hold lead. Federal rules cover paid work that disturbs paint, and we follow them.
Is your garage a candidate?
The lot check comes first, and it commits you to nothing.