Pros and Cons of a Detached Garage

December 11, 2017

Although garages are most commonly used to store cars, they can also be used for just about anything! When you’re thinking about your custom home, you’ll have to decide which type of garage you want – attached, detached, or both? Attached garages tend to be more common, but what about detached garages? Here are some pros and cons of a detached garage to help you decide:

3 Pros of a Detached Garage

Detached garages can offer several benefits. Here are some pros of a detached garage:

1. They Offer More Options for Customization

Because they are separate from the house and have their own space, detached garages allow for more flexibility and opportunities for customization. Attached garages tend to be limited in shape and size by the homes they are connected to.

Without the limitation of being attached to the home, you are free to make a detached garage as big as you wish and as big as your lot allows. You can even make it multiple rooms or floors! More rooms and more space mean less need to search for storage places; all of which are important garage considerations for your custom home.

2. Detached Garages Are Easier to Modify

As your needs change, you may need to change or update how you use a garage. Detached garages are easier to modify later on if needed. If you want to add a porch, an apartment, or a different room, you have more freedom and ability to do that with a detached garage than an attached one. With enough space being one of the biggest garage must-haves, this flexibility for expansion is a big plus.

In an open space that is not already attached to another building, the potential for growth or expansion or an update will always be available. Turning an upper floor of a detached garage or turning a detached garage into an apartment or an in-law suite can provide a valuable function to your home. The only real limitations you have are the size and shape of your lot, local building codes and regulations, etc.

3. There is Less Noise Flowing Into the House

A garage can be the perfect place to set up a workshop. It tends to be spacious and cool, so you can design your own workshop, store your tools, and work in comfort. Having a detached garage puts some distance between the work you’re doing and the rest of the home, so you don’t have to worry as much about the noise disrupting what’s going on in the rest of the home and vice versa.

With that freedom, you can work on whatever you want, whenever you want. It also opens up the potential for the detached garage to be used for other uses, like a practice room or recording studio.

3 Cons of a Detached Garage

Although there are advantages to detached garages, they also have some potential drawbacks. Here are some cons of a detached garage:

1. A Detached Garage Can be Less Convenient

One of the biggest cons of a detached garage can be that it is often less convenient than an attached garage. Being separate from the home, you have to traverse outside to access it and you lose the convenience of staying indoors and having that weather protection.

Not having to go outside to reach your car, storage space, or workshop is a serious plus that attached garages offer. In warmer weather, it’s probably not much of a drawback. But, when it’s raining, snowing, or hailing, a detached garage can be inconvenient. With an attached garage, there is no need to worry about the weather and you can easily access it, even at night.

2. There Are Extra Considerations During Construction

A detached garage can also be slightly less convenient during the construction process as well. Instead of expanding the foundation of a custom home to include an attached garage, you’re constructing a separate second building.

Depending on your area, local associations, and building regulations, this may require more licensing and specific standards to meet building codes and local laws. There may also be extra permits required. A good custom home builder will manage and handle these tasks, but it does add extra steps and considerations to the process.

3. Detached Garages Will Need Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling become an entirely separate consideration for a detached garage. Proper insulation, quality construction, and other tips for a more energy-efficient garage go a long way in helping prevent energy loss, reduce drafts, and maintain a consistent temperature.

But, those things alone will not get your detached garage safely through intense summer heat or winter cold. Your detached garage will need a heating and cooling system all its own in order to prevent the door from freezing, appliances from getting damaged, and a ton of other issues. This becomes even more important if you are adding a room on top of your detached garage.

Planning your home is an exciting process. It’s your chance to get the home of your dreams. When it comes to your garage, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons of a detached garage as well as the pros and cons of an attached garage to determine which one will be best suited to you.

An experienced, reputable custom home builder can help walk you through the process and the options to make sure you get what you want and need from your custom home. If you’re ready to get started on your own custom home, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090!