A couple months ago, we highlighted our unique Chalet Garage. A shed that’s far more than a shed, the Chalet Garage provides two-story storage with the potential for lots of upstairs room for storage, hanging out—or even moving in!
With the things we accumulate these days, we could all use more space. And, with vehicles costing so much right now, the thought of protecting them indoors is appealing. But not everyone is willing or able to cover the costs of a site-built garage.
Can you imagine getting a double-bay garage for well under $20,000? That’s what our Modular Garage can do.
How is that possible?
We used a design that was compact enough to haul on a trailer and combined it with the cost efficiencies of modular construction.
Today, we’re going to tell you about the Modular Garage, the affordable way to quickly and significantly increase your space. If you need 2-car storage but want to keep your costs below the price of a new car, this could well be your answer.
The details – how the Modular Garage works
Dimensions
A vital part of making the garage affordable was building it off-site. This meant that whatever we built, we had to make sure we could haul it on a trailer.
To do this, we use 7’ external walls and a fairly low roof pitch. This may make the ceiling lower than a standard garage, but it still gives adequate clearance for walking around inside.
Just as we are conscious of the garage height, we’re also aware of its width. We can haul up to a 12’-wide load without needing an escort vehicle service. So, by keeping the garage to 24’ or narrower, we don’t incur that expense. (Remember, the garage comes in two pieces, so each half of a 24’ garage is 12’.)
The garage is available in three sizes, but we’ve found that nearly everyone opts for the 24 x 24 model.
- 20 x 24
- 24 x 24
- 24 x 30
Design
The Modular Garage is built off site in two sections, with each section resembling a large, rectangular shed. One significant difference from a shed is that only three of the four sides have solid walls.
The fourth side of each half has a partial wall that extends about 3’ from either corner. These two sections are then held together by a long overhead beam. This way, when we join these fourth walls to each other, the center of the garage will have strength and support while allowing you to walk between the two sides. (Due to the roof pitch, the center of the garage has about 8’ of overhead clearance.)
The design of these fourth walls gives strength to the two halves while allowing them to be connected. The center of a 24’-long garage has about 16-18’ of open space.
The floor of the garage is built of sturdy, pressure-treated plywood to hold the extra weight of vehicles–and endure the dirt and moisture they can bring.
A good foundation is the key
With all our sheds, we recommend a foundation of gravel at least 4” thick. While this foundation is important for any shed, it is especially critical for the modular garage, because we will be joining the two sections together.
If your foundation isn’t built thick enough, it could settle, causing the floor to shift over time. If it isn’t level, we will have trouble aligning the two sides. We will do our best, but so much depends on the foundation.
If building a perfectly level foundation is beyond your interest or skill set, please let us know, and we will recommend a contractor for you to call.
Putting the pieces together
Almost all of the garage is completed off site. This includes the roof, siding, and doors. When it’s delivery day, we’ll load the garage onto our trailer. (It might be hard to imagine, but we can fit both halves of the 24 x 24 garage onto one trailer load!) We’ll make sure it is securely anchored to our trailer, and then we’ll head down the road to your home.
Once we arrive, we’ll unload the two halves of the garage and set them on your foundation. (Here’s where that perfectly level foundation is so important.) We’ll align them and then screw them together with large 8” timber screws.
On the outside, we only have a few steps before we’re complete. Both roof halves will already be shingled, so we will only need to add the ridge cap shingles to tie the roofing material together. How we address the vertical seams on the gable ends will depend on the kind of siding.
- If you’ve opted for our vinyl siding upgrade, we will side the front and back on site so that there are no seams.
- If you have gone with the standard LP SmartSide, we will add a wooden strip on the front and back of the shed to conceal the vertical seam.
After that, it’s just a matter of installing the included wooden ramps and handing you the key!
Features & options
Each Modular Garage comes standard with the following features:
- 2 roll-up garage doors
- 3 sizes
- 1 side door
- 2 side windows
- Plywood floor
- Gable vents
- Ramps
In addition to the standard features, we have a few extra things you can add:
- Loft (12 x 4 above-head storage)
- Workbench
- More windows and doors
Is the Modular Garage right for you?
So is the Modular Garage right for you? It all depends on what you need and what you’re looking for. If, like some, you must have higher walls, a steeper roof, or more customization, you’ll be better served with a different option – like our site-built Statesman garage.
Remember, this is designed to be an affordable option. We recognize that affordability comes with some trade-offs. (Since we don’t cut corners on construction, we think trade-off is a better term than compromise.) By keeping the garage to specific dimensions, we can keep your costs low.
If you want the looks and features of a pole barn or site-built garage on a concrete slab, then the Modular Garage may not be for you. But if you want quality, expansive storage at a price that doesn’t crash your checkbook, then we believe you’ll find real value here.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed this personal tour of our Modular Garage. What do you think? If you’re curious to learn more, we have more pictures on our website.
Looking for something else? Our single-bay Cape Garage and Dutch Barn Garage are two other ways to keep your stuff dry.
As always, we’re here for your questions. We look forward to serving you in the future.