Do-It-Yourself Garage Kit

Planning

• Before you begin, you must determine a budget. Your budget will allow you to determine which style of garage or how big of a garage you can afford. You will also need to apply for local building permits.

Types of Garage Kits

• Depending on your budget, you will be able to construct a one- or two-car garage or larger. Garage kits also come in wood trims, steel garages and simple car ports. Car ports may be a cheaper option, however they do not fulfill the uses of a standard garage. Steel garages are cheaper than wooden garages and often you will be able to build a two- or three-car steel garage for less than the price of building a one-car wooden garage.
  Read all fine print when buying a garage kit from an online retailer or a local home improvement store. Some kits come with all of the materials needed, right down to the individual shingles, while other kits require you to purchase additional materials. If you chose a kit that does not come with all necessary materials, you will need to figure the additional materials into your budget.

Construction

• If you do not have an existing foundation on which to build your new garage, you will need to lay a new foundation down. Pouring cement, especially for a larger garage, can be a difficult task. You may want to enlist the help of a professional. Many contractors will work with you to cut down on the costs of laying down a concrete slab. If you choose to embark on this task alone, keep in mind that concrete slab cannot be corrected. So if you make a mistake, you will need to start over from scratch.
  A do-it-yourself garage kit should come with detailed instructions. These instructions will give you exact step-by-step guidance from the ground up on how to complete the kit. Once your foundation has fully dried and you have your building permit, you can begin.
  Start by framing out the building using the wooden studs or steel beams as provided by your kit. The frame should connect to the foundation with wooden sills or a steel-bottom plate.
  Following the frame, you can install the roofing. Steel garages come with large steel roof panels while wooden garage kits will come with roofing shingles. Next, enclose the garage with the provided panels. Again, steel garages will come with steel wall panels while a wooden garage will use plywood accompanied by waterproof panels.
  Once the building has been constructed, you can install the windows, doors and the garage door to complete the kit. If you used a wooden garage kit, you can then install siding and trim.