Garage Build Question, cost of concrete work

[RangerGuy]

Hi All,

 

If you have built a garage close to my size 24' X 34' or know this kind of work. What would you expect the full concrete job to cost roughly, this would include excavation, footings and foundation wall & floor to cost?

 

I can't believe the issues were having finding a contractor!! I've called between 5-10 companies..no body is willing to do the entire job if at all UGH!

Edited June 23, 2017 by RangerGuy

[Dara]

First off, where are you

 

What kind of ground

 

I can't see needing actual footings, just thickened slab around the edges with a couple runs of rebar

 

Lay out your pad. Make sure it is high enough that water does not flow in after its poured

 

Hire somebody to excavate

 

Hire somebody to form pour and finish

 

decide if you want drains...drains are nice. Here we are allowed to let them just flow out onto ground in our yard but not towards neighbors

 

Rough guess for a pad that size with decent access for trucks 20-25 thousand

 

I built a 24x26 a few years ago...cost me 25 all in with heat insul power and drywall

Edited June 23, 2017 by Dara

[RangerGuy]

Hi Dara,

 

We are in Richmond Hill, I do believe we need footings and foundation wall because of the grade of the location of the "Shed", and it's the only place

on the property we are allowed to build it. Access is not an issues as we have no fencing and it's at the end of our drive way

[G.mech]

If you plan to get a permit and adhere to the Ontario Building Code, floating slabs are only permitted on buildings under 50 sq m (538 sq. ft), you will need a full foundation for your building. Drains in garages in this province are also a no-no in many cases depending on local by-laws. Not too many contractors want to do design/builds anymore so you may have to get somebody to do some drawings & apply for permit then you may have more luck.

 

Here is a link to a garage design guide that may help, most of the cities have a similar thingy on their building department websites:

 

https://www.oshawa.ca/residents/resources/shed_and_garage_construction_guide.pdf

Edited June 23, 2017 by G.mech

[RangerGuy]

hi G.mech,

 

I have drawings and an approved Grading Permit. I'm trying to get the concrete lined up for when my building permit is issued

[G.mech]

hi G.mech,

 

I have drawings and an approved Grading Permit. I'm trying to get the concrete lined up for when my building permit is issued

 

Sorry, there I go assuming again...my bad. I'm thinking you're looking at $12-15k for excavation, footings, foundation wall, backfill, & floor. Of course there are lots of factors to consider that may affect that especially when all the contractors are busy...

Edited June 23, 2017 by G.mech

[manitoubass2]

My friend just had one built (same dimensions) 2 years back and it was $18,000 all together.

 

She was able to save by hiring a friend that was a carpenter though

 

I think g mechs #s are pretty spot on

[Sinker]

 

Sorry, there I go assuming again...my bad. I'm thinking you're looking at $12-15k for excavation, footings, foundation wall, backfill, & floor. Of course there are lots of factors to consider that may affect that especially when all the contractors are busy...

I would say more right now. Probably in the 15-20K range.

 

S.

[RangerGuy]

I should be able to save some money, as I'm doing all the carpentry work, just need someone in the know to do the concrete, excavating, grading etc.

[Sinker]

I should be able to save some money, as I'm doing all the carpentry work, just need someone in the know to do the concrete, excavating, grading etc.

If you can do the carpentry, you should be able to do the rest. Rent a bobcat and have atter. We did our own. Nothing to it if you know how to build.

 

S.

[ch312]

I should be able to save some money, as I'm doing all the carpentry work, just need someone in the know to do the concrete, excavating, grading etc.

 

If you're a carpenter you could easily handle pouring the footings and foundation (rent wall forms) to save a big chunk there. Pay someone to excavate, you form and pour the footings and walls, rent a skid steer and diesel plate tamper to back fill and prep base, pay someone to pour the slab. This is a very simple process and the majority of the cost is labor. Send me a PM if you want to attempt this and I can guide you step by step.

 

 

Rough estimate for material:

 

5' x 8" wall = 11 m

20" x 6" footing = 3 m

34' x 24' 5" slab = 10 m or 11.5 m for 6" depth

 

24 m concrete x $180/m = $4300

 

Everyone pays a different price depending on who you are. Homeowners can pay up to $220/m while high volume contractors pay as little as $130/m.

 

Gravel = $750-1500 with many factors coming into play

 

Rebar/heavy gauge mesh = $5-600

 

 

 

Material cost really isn't what you're paying for and you can save thousands doing some of the work yourself. If I were to do this for myself or family I would only be looking at roughly $6k, including machine rental. There's a reason many contractors have nice trucks and equipment.

[ch312]

If you can do the carpentry, you should be able to do the rest. Rent a bobcat and have atter. We did our own. Nothing to it if you know how to build.

 

S.

 

Exactly. Rent a rotary laser to prep and pour the footings then it's as simple as building a rectangle with the wall forms, bracing, adding a couple pieces of lumber for the door cutouts, floating it all level, and adding anchors. Forming the footings and walls is a one man job and pouring them is a two man (or husband and wife) job.

 

Just leave the slab to the professionals.

[Sinker]

 

Exactly. Rent a rotary laser to prep and pour the footings then it's as simple as building a rectangle with the wall forms, bracing, adding a couple pieces of lumber for the door cutouts, floating it all level, and adding anchors. Forming the footings and walls is a one man job and pouring them is a two man (or husband and wife) job.

 

Just leave the slab to the professionals.

We did the whole shebang ourselves. Nothin to it. 24x32 shop with a second story loft. Start to finish.

 

I'm not handsome, but pretty handy!

 

S.

[ketchenany]

We did the whole shebang ourselves. Nothin to it. 24x32 shop with a second story loft. Start to finish.

I'm not handsome, but pretty handy!

S.

I set up a form 12x12 with help (shed pad, with a slope never done this in my life) dug down by hand and built the form, levelled it . .. used crush run and tamped it down by hand.

6+inches on one side and levelled it off at 12 inches. I used wire mesh and poured it.

Hasn't moved on 15 years!

 

I will never do it again, they said it was 10 yards!!!!

[Sinker]

I set up a form 12x12 with help (shed pad, with a slope never done this in my life) dug down by hand and built the form, levelled it . .. used crush run and tamped it down by hand.

6+inches on one side and levelled it off at 12 inches. I used wire mesh and poured it.

Hasn't moved on 15 years!

 

I will never do it again, they said it was 10 yards!!!!

Yeah, its not hard work until you start moving concrete around LOL....

 

S.

[Pigeontroller]

I built my own 17'x24' 13 years ago. Can't help you with price but I have two regrets.

 

Curbs. Have the pad poured with a 4-6'' curb and build your walls on them. Then the wood/drywall or panelling will never be wet.

 

Build in a horizontal beam or two (three 2x12s? or better yet steel) capable of carrying some weight, simple to do and good for ? Engine hoisting, boat hoisting...etc.

Edited June 24, 2017 by Pigeontroller

[wallyboss]

I built a 24 x 28 in 2012 and it cost me $12,000.00 just for the floor and I paid separately for the excavating and engineers floor plans( there is a special name for that but I can't remember what it is called).

 

 

And I agree with with pigeontroller for this ""Curbs. Have the pad poured with a 4-6'' curb and build your walls on them. Then the wood/drywall or panelling will never be wet."" I didn't and i've regretted since. Not sure why this is highlighted now??

 

 

 

[ch312]

I built my own 17'x24' 13 years ago. Can't help you with price but I have two regrets.

 

Curbs. Have the pad poured with a 4-6'' curb and build your walls on them. Then the wood/drywall or panelling will never be wet.

 

Build in a horizontal beam or two (three 2x12s? or better yet steel) capable of carrying some weight, simple to do and good for ? Engine hoisting, boat hoisting...etc.

 

The foundation will (should) be his "curbs" as the slab will be poured independently from the walls. Whoever does the work will simply take the existing grading into account along with what the home owner wants to determine what height the foundation needs to be. It's best to pour the walls so the highest surrounding soil grading is at least 12" below the top of the foundation, much like you typically see on houses where the foundation is 12-24" above grade. This protects your exterior cladding (siding, brick, board and batten, etc) from splashing rain, drifting/melting snow, etc and results in the slab (floor) being well below the top of the foundation.

 

The taller foundation does cost more, but you'll also be using less lumber, insulation, drywall, exterior cladding, etc so it can actually be cheaper in the long run, along with being an overall better idea, to go with the taller foundation.

[Pigeontroller]

Mine is a slab on grade, 16" reinforced perimeter, 6'' pad.

[ch312]

Mine is a slab on grade, 16" reinforced perimeter, 6'' pad.

 

A monolithic floating slab, which is often poured flat without curbing. Expect to pay considerably more for a floating slab with curbing due to the labor and time involved. The OP's structure requires footings and foundation due to it's size, which allows him to determine how high above grade the foundation or "curbing" will be.

[Sinker]

We did our foundation with Blocks. 2 courses above grade.

 

S.

[ch312]

We did our foundation with Blocks. 2 courses above grade.

 

S.

 

That's an easier/cheaper alternative for homeowners looking to do the work themselves. I believe code calls for the top course to be filled solid, but it's a good idea to fill all cores with core fill/grout or concrete.

 

For someone with no masonry experience, it'll be much quicker to rent wall forms and pour the walls. I have even seen people use 5/8" plywood and 2x4's to build forms, spray with form oil/release to ensure plywood is not damaged while stripping forms, and use that same plywood and lumber for framing and sheeting their garage. Just be sure to use screws. Use the 2x6's from forming the footings during the framing process too.

[RangerGuy]

Hi All,

 

Thank you so much for the info! I would love to do the concrete myself, but I'm not confident I will get the foundations walls correct. With the restrictions on our property, I'm not allowed to change the grade, so that means

the foundation wall at the back & one side will be exposed where the pad meets it. I've been told by the only person I could get to come out and look I should do 10" walls with rebar because of the force these 2 walls

will be holding. They will be about 2' above grade where the floor will be.

 

With that said..I may end up having to do myself as I am having a terrible time getting anybody to do it!

[Sinker]

Try Raymar, Wuis Brothers, or Corcan.

 

S.

[Sinker]

 

That's an easier/cheaper alternative for homeowners looking to do the work themselves. I believe code calls for the top course to be filled solid, but it's a good idea to fill all cores with core fill/grout or concrete.

 

For someone with no masonry experience, it'll be much quicker to rent wall forms and pour the walls. I have even seen people use 5/8" plywood and 2x4's to build forms, spray with form oil/release to ensure plywood is not damaged while stripping forms, and use that same plywood and lumber for framing and sheeting their garage. Just be sure to use screws. Use the 2x6's from forming the footings during the framing process too.

Yes, solid blocks for the top 2 courses.

 

S.