2 1/2 car garage w/hoist build suggestions - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Russell James · 08-13-2014, 11:31 AM

Going to start planning for a backyard garage build. It's in a subdivision where the lots are a bit under 1/2 acre. So it can't be a monstrosity. I'm thinking along the size of a pretty deep 2 1/2 car garage.

My township regulations are outbuildings can't exceed the house sq footage. Pretty small ranch house about 1300 sq ft.

The spot Im putting it in could roughly accomodate a 24' wide by 30' deep.

I'd like the door on the 24' end, as that would give me a straight shot from the driveway.

I'd like to put in something like a Challenger 2 post lift on one side. Walls and ceilings don't need to be finished.

I'm thinking at least a 12' ceiling.

Any suggestions and tips to get the basic plans started? With a 2 post lift on one side, is 24' wide going to be wide enough to get two cars in?
One on the hoist, one next to it.

Havent decide yet between pole barn or 2x4 framing. In that size of a garge, any big advantage to either? I'm leaning toward pole barn.

RAP2011RSRAGTOP · 08-13-2014, 06:43 PM

here is my shop, i am in florida so i dont need to close it in.

30' wide x 40' deep, 12' high walls with a 10' apron. CAROLINA CARPORTS

i had the concrete poured with extra thick pads for the lift to go on top of

i will put in ATLAS PV10 2 POST LIFT from GREG SMITH EQUIP. THIS FALL

motorhead · 08-13-2014, 06:48 PM

24' is pretty narrow. My house garage is 30'x 30' and I wouldn't want it any narrower for two cars. Remember, you have to have room to get out and open doors. Also 12' would be the min for a two post lift. make sure you get 10ft doors if you do a 12' ceiling.

Scrappy Doo · 08-14-2014, 04:59 PM

Have you ever met someone who said they built too much garage/shop????

My attached is 1000 sq ft, no room for a shop as the wife wanted the walkout lot near the water.... LOL.

Being in Michigan, don't you want it heated? I would at least insulate and sheetrock so you could heat it. Remeber your gas and thermostat lines also.

But as motorhead said, remember your ceiling height. I would just do pole barn and then spray foam it. Pole Barn would be cheaper to get to 14' ceilings etc.

The main thing is what do you plan on using it for?

CamaroCracka · 08-15-2014, 04:00 PM

My garage is 28 feet wide and with a 16' door there is 6' of space on each side for benches, shelves and walking space. If I parked anything besides the riding mower beside the Camaro, there would be a good chance of dinging the passenger door. That is if anyone was actually allowed to open the passenger door in the garage. With 24', you would only get 4' of space on each side which does not leave any room for both open Camaro doors and work benches. Car bays are generally 18' deep so you have plenty of room at the back for work benches, tool boxes, compressor, etc., but I would still go 28' wide instead of 24.

My garage is 28 x 36 with a 10' door on the side for the truck. That gives me an 18 x 28 foot bay with vaulted trusses for the dirty work, but I still have to pull the Camaro out if things get too nasty. There is even a loft over the two bays at the front for storage. I thought that would be enough and my wife said I was crazy and was building a house for my Camaro. It took about 12 seconds to fill it up.

flyer08 · 08-28-2014, 10:13 PM

Bigger is better. I have a three car garage but it's not deep enough and current truck barely fits, new truck will have about 1" in front and back so have to find another solution. Also if you have a truck check door heights

vatechguy3 · 10-03-2014, 02:53 AM

Its cheaper to keep the dimensions on 4' centers.
My old garage (ex wife got it) was 28' deep. I liked that alot. Plenty of room for the cars and my roll aways in front.

Tony

jc615 · 10-05-2014, 06:23 PM

Thats something i learned to take into account. ~20ft deep garage means truck wont fit. Luckily this is t a place ill. E living rest my life.

Fish-man · 10-06-2014, 07:27 PM

2x4 might make it easier to drywall. ..which you should plan on doing right away. It's so easy to wait and not spend the extra money at first...but your place will fill up and you're going to kick yourself for not doing it (and insulation) at first.
Go as big as you can get away with.

If you don't put in heat... plan/plumb for it now.

Put in tons of lights and outlets.

Floor drain if twp allows.

Wish my subdivision let me put in an outbuilding

Dr. Evil · 10-08-2014, 12:10 PM

I did 32' width and 28' depth. My brother in law made his 40' x 26' and he has a 3 bay vs my 2 bay. I have more useable space IMO. The extra 2' of depth makes all the difference in the world.

I have a 2 post lift and 14' ceilings on one half of the garage and a bonus room up top on the other half.
Figure that you'll need a minimum of 3 feet from the endwall to the edge of the garage door opening.
You'll have to have at least a 9 foot wide door.
Plan to have another 3 foot minimum for the other post on the lift to sit.

That's 15 feet minimum width.

That leaves you with 9 feet to play with for your other garage bay. In other words, you can do it but the bay without the lift will have the garage door all the way to the other wall nearly. You wont be able to open the door much on the side facing the wall.
You really need 26' width as a minimum and that will be very cramped. As for depth 26 can work but having that extra 2' makes all the difference in the world. I keep my bench and tool box on the back wall. My brother in law does the same thing but his is only 26' deep. He brings his ext cab 1500 to my garage to work on it if he needs to be in out of the weather. He has to turn sideways to fit between the front bumper and his workbench if his garage door is closed with the truck inside.
28'x28' is about your minimum sizes before you really have to start making serious compromises in your storage and ability to work with any kind of comfort.

For reference, my lift is in the left bay in this picture.

A better picture

If you look you'll see that there is not much room to the left where the lift post is close to the wall. I can walk between it but have to turn sideways a bit. That's where you need the 3 feet from the wall to the edge of the garage door opening. Unless you put the lift right against the wall which would be a nightmare. You have to be able to get out of the car. Even if it were switched around to the other side you still need to be able to maneuver over there to put the arms under the car. I really tried to maximize my room and planned for a lift when I built this garage. It worked out pretty much exactly like I planned and it works for me just fine.

RAP2011RSRAGTOP · 10-12-2014, 10:54 AM

Nice shop Dr. Evil.

looks like you have plenty of room to play

my Atlas PV10 lift came this week, hope to have it up in a week or two.

08-13-2014, 11:31 AM	#1
Russell James Drives: '15 SS 1LE, '69 Z28 drag car Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 4,483	2 1/2 car garage w/hoist build suggestions Going to start planning for a backyard garage build. It's in a subdivision where the lots are a bit under 1/2 acre. So it can't be a monstrosity. I'm thinking along the size of a pretty deep 2 1/2 car garage. My township regulations are outbuildings can't exceed the house sq footage. Pretty small ranch house about 1300 sq ft. The spot Im putting it in could roughly accomodate a 24' wide by 30' deep. I'd like the door on the 24' end, as that would give me a straight shot from the driveway. I'd like to put in something like a Challenger 2 post lift on one side. Walls and ceilings don't need to be finished. I'm thinking at least a 12' ceiling. Any suggestions and tips to get the basic plans started? With a 2 post lift on one side, is 24' wide going to be wide enough to get two cars in? One on the hoist, one next to it. Havent decide yet between pole barn or 2x4 framing. In that size of a garge, any big advantage to either? I'm leaning toward pole barn.

08-13-2014, 06:43 PM	#2
RAP2011RSRAGTOP Drives: 2018 ZL1 CONV. & 2011 2LT RS CONV. Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: LECANTO, FL. Posts: 67	here is my shop, i am in florida so i dont need to close it in. 30' wide x 40' deep, 12' high walls with a 10' apron. CAROLINA CARPORTS i had the concrete poured with extra thick pads for the lift to go on top of i will put in ATLAS PV10 2 POST LIFT from GREG SMITH EQUIP. THIS FALL Attached Images

08-15-2014, 04:00 PM	#5
CamaroCracka Drives: 2010 Turbo LS3 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Palm Bay, FL Posts: 2,729	My garage is 28 feet wide and with a 16' door there is 6' of space on each side for benches, shelves and walking space. If I parked anything besides the riding mower beside the Camaro, there would be a good chance of dinging the passenger door. That is if anyone was actually allowed to open the passenger door in the garage. With 24', you would only get 4' of space on each side which does not leave any room for both open Camaro doors and work benches. Car bays are generally 18' deep so you have plenty of room at the back for work benches, tool boxes, compressor, etc., but I would still go 28' wide instead of 24. My garage is 28 x 36 with a 10' door on the side for the truck. That gives me an 18 x 28 foot bay with vaulted trusses for the dirty work, but I still have to pull the Camaro out if things get too nasty. There is even a loft over the two bays at the front for storage. I thought that would be enough and my wife said I was crazy and was building a house for my Camaro. It took about 12 seconds to fill it up. __________________ 2010 SS - On3 kit with downpipe cutout, CTR 78/80, CompCam 239/251 620/632 122+4, E85, Z28 suspension and ZL1 diff with Outlaw axles. Gen6 ZL1/1LE brakes. 2011 Vert - 416/w 230/236 .612/.602 115lsa, 1LE suspension w/32mm rear bar. Z28 diff. ZL1 brakes.

10-03-2014, 02:53 AM	#7
vatechguy3 Drives: 2014 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Virginia Posts: 493	Its cheaper to keep the dimensions on 4' centers. My old garage (ex wife got it) was 28' deep. I liked that alot. Plenty of room for the cars and my roll aways in front. Tony __________________ 2014 ZL1 M6 Bone stock, for now! 2001 Z28 M6 !cags, !air, FTP 85mm Lid, Z06 85mm MAF, P&P TB !4x4, Strano Springs, Strano Sways, Koni 4/4s, Watts Link ARH LTs, ARH catted Y, SLP catback with Dual/Dual Muffler, SLP CME and Valance OE Wheels Machined Face C5 DDs, 18x10.5s, with 295/35-18s on all 4 corners! 352rwhp and 366rwtq

10-08-2014, 12:10 PM	#10
Dr. Evil Drives: 2013 SS Join Date: May 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 350	I did 32' width and 28' depth. My brother in law made his 40' x 26' and he has a 3 bay vs my 2 bay. I have more useable space IMO. The extra 2' of depth makes all the difference in the world. I have a 2 post lift and 14' ceilings on one half of the garage and a bonus room up top on the other half. Figure that you'll need a minimum of 3 feet from the endwall to the edge of the garage door opening. You'll have to have at least a 9 foot wide door. Plan to have another 3 foot minimum for the other post on the lift to sit. That's 15 feet minimum width. That leaves you with 9 feet to play with for your other garage bay. In other words, you can do it but the bay without the lift will have the garage door all the way to the other wall nearly. You wont be able to open the door much on the side facing the wall. You really need 26' width as a minimum and that will be very cramped. As for depth 26 can work but having that extra 2' makes all the difference in the world. I keep my bench and tool box on the back wall. My brother in law does the same thing but his is only 26' deep. He brings his ext cab 1500 to my garage to work on it if he needs to be in out of the weather. He has to turn sideways to fit between the front bumper and his workbench if his garage door is closed with the truck inside. 28'x28' is about your minimum sizes before you really have to start making serious compromises in your storage and ability to work with any kind of comfort. For reference, my lift is in the left bay in this picture. A better picture If you look you'll see that there is not much room to the left where the lift post is close to the wall. I can walk between it but have to turn sideways a bit. That's where you need the 3 feet from the wall to the edge of the garage door opening. Unless you put the lift right against the wall which would be a nightmare. You have to be able to get out of the car. Even if it were switched around to the other side you still need to be able to maneuver over there to put the arms under the car. I really tried to maximize my room and planned for a lift when I built this garage. It worked out pretty much exactly like I planned and it works for me just fine. __________________ 2013 model 2SS LS3 1969 model wife. Factory stock, no mods. Redhead package. 2005 model son. Special ordered with the hell on wheels package.

08-13-2014, 06:48 PM	#3
motorhead Drives: Love the one you're with Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Downtown Charlie Brown Posts: 11,850	24' is pretty narrow. My house garage is 30'x 30' and I wouldn't want it any narrower for two cars. Remember, you have to have room to get out and open doors. Also 12' would be the min for a two post lift. make sure you get 10ft doors if you do a 12' ceiling.

08-14-2014, 04:59 PM	#4
Scrappy Doo Drives: Callaway Rogue Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: W8n 4 Snow, Minnesota Posts: 4,738	Have you ever met someone who said they built too much garage/shop???? My attached is 1000 sq ft, no room for a shop as the wife wanted the walkout lot near the water.... LOL. Being in Michigan, don't you want it heated? I would at least insulate and sheetrock so you could heat it. Remeber your gas and thermostat lines also. But as motorhead said, remember your ceiling height. I would just do pole barn and then spray foam it. Pole Barn would be cheaper to get to 14' ceilings etc. The main thing is what do you plan on using it for?

08-28-2014, 10:13 PM	#6
flyer08 Account Suspended Drives: 2010 2SS/RS Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 3,418	Bigger is better. I have a three car garage but it's not deep enough and current truck barely fits, new truck will have about 1" in front and back so have to find another solution. Also if you have a truck check door heights

10-05-2014, 06:23 PM	#8
jc615 Account Suspended Drives: Camaro and Sierra Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Virginia Posts: 795	Thats something i learned to take into account. ~20ft deep garage means truck wont fit. Luckily this is t a place ill. E living rest my life.

10-06-2014, 07:27 PM	#9
Fish-man Drives: too many to say! Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: S.E. Michigan Posts: 1,013	2x4 might make it easier to drywall. ..which you should plan on doing right away. It's so easy to wait and not spend the extra money at first...but your place will fill up and you're going to kick yourself for not doing it (and insulation) at first. Go as big as you can get away with. If you don't put in heat... plan/plumb for it now. Put in tons of lights and outlets. Floor drain if twp allows. Wish my subdivision let me put in an outbuilding

10-12-2014, 10:54 AM	#11
RAP2011RSRAGTOP Drives: 2018 ZL1 CONV. & 2011 2LT RS CONV. Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: LECANTO, FL. Posts: 67	Nice shop Dr. Evil. looks like you have plenty of room to play my Atlas PV10 lift came this week, hope to have it up in a week or two.