Are you looking to add garage space to your property? Traditional garages can be expensive to build and maintain, making them cost-prohibitive for some homeowners. The good news is that you can turn a prefab metal building into a multi-car garage that will protect your vehicles for years to come. Let's take a look at how you can turn a metal building into a durable, low-maintenance garage.
1. Determine How Much Garage Space You Need
How many vehicles do you have, and what do you plan to store in your new metal garage? Most homeowners have multiple cars, lawn care equipment, and tools. If you like repairing things or woodworking, you may have a few more tools than the average homeowner. If you have an RV, boat, motorcycle, moped, or electric bike or scooter, you should also consider those items when calculating the amount of space you need.
2. Consider Your Electrical and Plumbing Needs
Do you plan to have your new metal garage climate-controlled? How many lights do you need? How many standard outlets do you need for your power tools, and how many vehicle charging ports do you need? If you plan to use part of your garage as a workshop or for repairing small and large appliances, do you need a half-bath or a large sink for washing parts and your hands? Do you plan to put a freezer or refrigerator in your garage, and do you think you'll need more outlets in the future? To help you with this task, you might list every electric tool, appliance, and vehicle that you have on a piece of paper or in an electronic document.
3. Determine if You Need Permits to Build a Metal Structure
Once you have all the details worked out, it's time to determine if you need a building permit. Most cities, counties, and states require homeowners to submit plans and get a building permit before they start building their metal garage.
4. Choose Your Metal Building Kit
If you don't already have a large metal shed or building on your property, you'll need to choose a kit. Depending on the size you need and how much you want to customize, you want to do, you could choose either a metal barn kit or a metal garage kit. Prefab metal kits typically contain everything you need to build the metal building. This includes the framing, roof panels, wall panels, and the hardware. These kits do not include the foundation, insulation, electrical, or plumbing.
5. Prepare Your Property for the New Metal Garage
Preparing your property involves ensuring that you have enough space cleared for the building and that the ground has been properly leveled and graded. You'll also need to have the foundation poured. If you're not qualified to install the electrical systems or the plumbing, you'll need to make sure that you have contractors lined up to perform that work.
6. Construct the Metal Garage
Once your foundation has cured and the metal garage kit has arrived, it's time to construct the garage. Homeowners can build the garage themselves by following the directions, or they can hire a professional company to put the kit together.
Turning a metal building into a garage or buying a metal garage kit can save you money while ensuring that all of your vehicles are out of the weather and securely put away when not in use. Not to mention, metal garages are also low maintenance, durable, quick to construct, and pest-resistant.
