Prefab Garage Overview + Buying Guide
Table of Contents
What Is A Prefab Garage?
Prefab garages are structures that house cars and have been built before being delivered to your home. Since they do not arrive intact due to their size, they are assembled on the site. Some contractors do deliver them already built (if they are not too big). You can add a second-story, dormer, or living area to your garage. Owning prefab garages will also give you multiple advantages, such as:
- The ability to customize your garage size
- Adding secondary floors
- Attaching your prefab Garage to your house for more security
- Leaving it detached to save money
Attached vs Detached Prefab Garages
Prefab garages are one of the most affordable garage styles in the market and have unlimited customization. When the prefab garage is attached to your house, it will make it appear more prominent, and you don’t have to walk out in the weather, whether it’s raining or snowing. With attached prefab garages, you also don’t have to set another utility line to the Garage for lighting or heating & cooling.
You can also get these types of garages as detached garages, meaning the garage will be completely untethered to your home. When a prefab garage is detached from your home, you have more storage space and the ability to do your loud DIY projects out of the house.
Depending on the type of garage door you want, you can have a one car garage, a two-car garage, or three car prefab garage. In the next section, we will go over an option to have an apartment combined with your garage!
Prefab Garage With Apartment
You can have your prefab garage customized to come with the above space for an apartment. That way, one floor can be for storing cars, while the other can be a space to live. This type of garage is excellent for apartments since they are affordable, built with high-quality materials, and made to last.
Most prefab garage apartments start at $50,000 in addition to the cost of the standard prefab garage. If you think about an average apartment rent is around $1,500, it would only take 34 months to pay off (with a little extra for you) your addition. Whether you are building this for in-laws, or you want to rent it out…a prefab garage makes a great structure for an apartment.
Prefab Garage Sizes
Prefab garages come in multiple designs, sizes, and styles. The best garage you can get is one that fits your needs. If you want a space to park one car and store a few things, a one-car prefab garage is the best choice since it provides you with enough space for your car and storage space for your tools.
The most common size out of all prefab garages is a 2-car garage. Keep in mind that you can get any of these garages built with extra storage room on the side for office, storage, space, and lounge.
Three-car prefab garages are good if you like working on cars and doing DIY projects. Three-car garages are an excellent investment if you have multiple cars or even want more workspace. Three-car prefab garages are generally in the 30×40 size range. With this size, you have sufficient space for an additional storage room. If you want a smaller prefab garage, you can get a 20×30 three-car garage; with this size garage, you can park your cars in the garage, but you won’t have any more space for storage and tools to store.
Below you will find more information on each size of prefab garage.
Prefab 1-Car Garage
Here are some of the specs/sizes of 1-car prefab garages.
- 12’-foot width, 20’-foot length.
- Walls and ceiling built with 2×4 lumber
- Reinforced floor built with 2×6 lumber
- Delivered intact
- Door height 8’-foot
Prefab 2-Car Garage
Here are some of the specs/sizes of 2-car garages
- 20’-foot width, 20’-foot deep
- 2×4 lumber walls and ceiling
- Delivered in halves
- Reinforced floor
- 9’-foot door opening
- There needs to be a 2-foot distance between two cars and the wall.
- It can come with two different doors or just one big door
Prefab 3-Car Garage
Here are some of the specs/sizes of a three-car garage.
- 34’foot width 20 car garage
- 2×4 lumber walls and ceiling
- Reinforced/concrete, in some cases floor
- It comes with multiple door option, or one large single door
- Three 9’-foot door openings
Prefab Garage Flooring
Prefab garage floors are built and reinforced with 2×6 floor joists. The 2×6 floor joist is commonly spaced 12’’ apart or 16’’ in the center. This type of spacing gives the floor strength. On top of that 2×6 flooring, you can add a ¾ OSB sheet. You have the option of adding any flooring you want. Most prefab garages, whether one-car garages, two-car garages, or three a car garages, will be delivered with plywood and not a finished floor. Here are some of the most commonly used prefab garage floorings and their pros and cons.
Interlocking tiles
If you want to install flooring for your prefab garage, one of the options is interlocking tiles; they are affordable and durable. Interlocking tiles are self-explanatory. They fit tightly into each other and are easy to install. The great thing about interlocking tiles is that interlocking tiles can be reused for any other project.
Interlocking tiles pros
- Affordable
- Easy DIY installation
- Reusable
- High-quality and durable material
- Easy to clean
Interlocking tiles cons
- The color of the tiles fades over time.
Linoleum
Linoleum flooring is the most common flooring since it’s easy to install and comes at an affordable price. Linoleum flooring is all vinyl flooring and comes like vinyl sheeting that is cut to the dimension of the floor.
Linoleum Pros
- Easy DIY installation
- Multiple color designs are available
- Scratch resistant
- Less maintenance required
Linoleum Cons
- Expensive
- Not moisture resistant
- Excessive exposure to the sun will change colors
Hardwood flooring
Hardwood flooring is the most sought-after flooring of any structure. Hardwood flooring is, as it implies in the name, a wood flooring that is cut, sanded, and grooved together to match perfectly. After they are grooved in together, flooring nails secure them.
Hardwood flooring pros
- Modern look
- Long-lasting flooring
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Easy to install
Hardwood flooring cons
- Expensive
- Can have watermarks
- Prone to scratch
Prefab Garage Storage
Below are two of the best ways to store items in your garage. Need more ideas? Check out our extensive list!
Shelving
Shelving in your prefab garage is ideal if you use the garage for anything that requires extra storage. Shelving helps to protect your equipment from rats and other insects that might eat away the material of your equipment or get inside your memory boxes. You can customize your prefab garage to come with shelving for your tools and keepsakes, making for easy accessibility. Shelving is fantastic in storage garages since you also won’t have to lift heavier items from the ground.
Cabinets
You also have the option of adding cabinets to the prefab garage. Cabinets in prefab garages are ideal if you use the Garage for a hobby where you want to secure your tools for your trade safely behind closed doors. Having cabinets in your garage will increase the appearance of your prefab garage and will make your garage appear modern. There are a lot of benefits to adding cabinets to your garage, and here are a few:
- Keep tools organized
- It gives you the option of locking valuable types of equipment
- They come in various sizes and styles
Is It Cheaper To Buy A Prefab Garage Or Build One?
Buying a prefab garage generally costs less than building a prefab garage because of the time and skills that it takes to construct. If you are a very experienced contractor, that may allow you to build the garage for less…but for the most part, allowing skilled professionals to do it for you will take the headaches away.
The other aspect is that when a prefab garage is built with experienced contractors, it will last a long time. There are generally warranties or guarantees for inclement weather. You can also customize it to the exact options you want. Building a prefab garage yourself will cost you more than money. It will cost you time and effort.
Prefab Garages In MA
If you are looking for customized sheds in MA, visit our site (garage page). We have prefab garages ranging from one-car, two-car, and three-car garages. We have attached and detached garages in multiple designs and styles to match your need. All you have to do is contact us for a customized shed or submit a free quote.
