The Complete Guide to Buying a Metal Garage: Everything to Know

While the American Dream doesn’t look exactly the same as it used to, one thing hasn’t changed. People want to own their own homes. Case in point, over five million houses sold in 2022.

Of course, buying a house is just the first step in building a home. Once you have the house, you need to make it into something that’s yours.

For some, that means new kitchens. For others, that means buying a metal garage to put your car or a little home workshop.

Are you considering adding a metal garage to your home? Keep reading for your guide that will walk you through the essentials that you need to know.

Location

Before you even look at garage buildings for sale, you need to look around at your property. The first question you must answer is:

“Where will this garage go?

It might sound like a simple question, but you can’t just slap a garage anywhere. You need a space with relatively level ground to build on.

If you don’t have that level space anywhere, it means bringing in someone to create that level ground. This can add some time and a substantial amount of cost to the project.

Local Ordinances

Depending on where you live, you can also bump up against local ordinances. For example, you may only want the building shell as a kind of protection for your vehicles. In cases like this, you may have thought about just putting down gravel to help prevent plant growth in the garage.

Local ordinances may require a building like that to get a full slab foundation where you live. Beyond that, you may need a building permit to put the garage up at all.

Electricity and Plumbing

Some people want electricity and plumbing in their metal garages. Electricity can make heating the space easier and offer light for when you must work on a vehicle. You may want plumbing so you can clean up before you go back inside your home.

If you do want electricity and plumbing, they’ll need to meet national and local code requirements. That means calling in a professional electrician and plumber to install the supply, wiring, and pipes.

Ignoring local ordinances can get you fined or create problems if you sell the house down the road.

Size

You should give a lot of thought to just how big of a garage you want. Many homeowners fall into the trap of adding on with a mind to what they need right now.

So, let’s say that you have a pickup truck. You may think that you should get a metal garage design that accommodates a pickup truck. While that solves today’s problem, it may neglect tomorrow’s problem.

What if you get married and suddenly there are two vehicles on the property? What if you decide that you do want that hobby woodshop?

Considering what you may seriously need within the next five years can often change the equation with things like garages. While it probably won’t change the height of the garage you pick, you may well decide that you want something longer and wider than you originally planned.

Frame Options

When it comes to options for metal garages, always start with the frame. Most metal garages use either 12-gauge or 14-gauge steel framing material.

What’s the difference? The 12-gauge framing material is thicker and stronger.

This difference doesn’t automatically mean that you need or want the 12-gauge framing material. That heavier gauge matters if you live somewhere where heavy snows or high winds are a regular problem. The heavier gauge will stand up better to those kinds of pressures.

If you’re building somewhere where the weather is generally mild, the 14-gauge framing material will probably serve you just fine.

Roof Design

One of the metal garage features that you should also give some thought to is the roof design. Metal garage roofs come in three main styles:

• Regular
• Boxed eave
• Vertical

Mind you, all of these designs will suffice to keep the weather out of the garage. If you’re looking to maximize the roof’s performance and lifespan, though, you’ll probably want a vertical-style roof.

This style does the best job of shedding rainwater and allowing snow to slide off the roof. If you live in a particularly dry part of the country, you can probably use the boxed eave or regular roof design without any real trouble.

Cost

There really isn’t an average cost for this kind of building. Differences in height, width, and length will change the costs. The materials you pick will change the costs. The roof style you pick will change the cost.

That doesn’t make saving money on the garage impossible. As with most things, you should spend some time and shop around. You will want true accuracy when comparing metal garage costs, though.

That means you must select the exact same features, materials, and sizes as with every seller.

Building

In some cases, people buy the actual garage parts from a seller and then hire someone to do the work. Your other option is to work with a garage builder. These businesses generally operate as an all-in-one service.

You buy the garage through them. They secure permits and prep the site. They build the structure.

This approach can save you time and some headaches, but may cost a little more in the end.

Buying a Metal Garage and You

It’s a rare thing to buy a home and have it tick every box. Most people modify their new homes with renovations or additions like buying a metal garage. If you go with the garage, don’t neglect the important things.

Pick the location. Understand the local ordinances. Think through the size of the garage you want.

Decide if you need heavier gauge framing for where you live. Consider the different roof designs. Compare costs to keep the price down.

Are you looking for more home improvement ideas and tips? Head over to our Home Improvement section for more helpful posts.