Found a Dream Home Without a Garage? Here’s What To Know About Building One

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Finally! You found a home that checks all the boxes—except one.

That gorgeous two-bed, two-bath Craftsman with perfect afternoon light has it all, just no garage. Oof!

Maybe you need a garage because you can’t bear the thought of scraping ice off of your car windows in the winter or enduring a smoldering vehicle in the summer. Or maybe you want a garage for storage space.

Either way, don’t buy a home with lots of empty acreage around it, thinking you can add a garage later.

Instead, it’s critical to first determine if you’re even allowed to build a garage on the property. Here are the essential questions you should ask before making an offer on that house without a garage.

Am I permitted to build a garage?

Building a garage is not simply a matter of having the room but also of whether your local zoning board allows for one.

“You can ask the seller if a garage can be built on the property,” says Rachel J. LeFlore, a real estate agent at The Bob & Ronna Group. “The seller should have a property’s legal description, including measurements, block, lot number, and other details from their homeowner’s deed.”

And no matter what the seller says, always check with your local municipality to see what the local zoning laws are. If building a garage is legally okay, you still need to do some more homework before getting approval.

“For instance, you’ll need a land survey to establish property lines,” says Latoya Perkins, an agent at Joyner Fine Properties in Chesterfield, VA.

Property lines will reveal whether you have the room to add a building. Unfortunately, boundaries aren’t always obvious when touring a house, especially if there isn’t a privacy fence, retaining wall, row of trees, or other natural markers. So it might look like the house has tons of buildable space when it doesn’t.

What about garage size?

Maybe you want a modest one-car garage to park your car or charge your electric vehicle. Or perhaps you envision a generously sized garage for two (or more) cars, plus additional living space to create a gym or office down the road.

Either way, there are typically size, height, and foundation requirements. But one of the most significant considerations for how large your garage can be is where you plan to build it. And you can determine that once you’ve established property lines, which will, in turn, reveal property setbacks.

Property setbacks are the distance your garage must be from the property line or other designated boundaries.

“And a proposed new garage will require a determination of whether the property setbacks are within the zoning regulations,” says Vincent Colangelo, an architect in Stamford, CT, and a strategic construction advisor at Real Estate Bees.

Your proposed garage can’t conflict with any septic systems, wells, or easements.

Other restrictions to consider

Good news! Your local zoning board says you can build a garage. But what about your homeowners association (HOA)?

Building a garage can get complicated if the house is part of an HOA, which will have its own rules governing whether garage construction is permissible.

And supposing an HOA allows for a garage to be built, the association will generally have specific guidelines for the size, roofline pitch, and materials, including the type of garage doors you can install. These rules are there to ensure your garage is uniform with neighboring homes, but they could amount to more expense.

“So consider these rules, regulations, and aesthetic requirements before buying a home without a garage, in an HOA,” says Perkins.

How much does it cost to build a garage?

You’re already plunking down a considerable sum for the house, so how much more money will you have to fork over to build a new garage?

A standard, free-standing, one-car garage averages between $10,500 and $27,000; and a free-standing, two-car garage ranges from $14,500 to $40,300, according to HomeAdvisor.

Note that attached garages are generally less expensive, because you only have to build three walls, and the electrical and plumbing components from the house can easily be connected.

Don’t forget to factor building permits, surveyor fees, and land clearing into your budget. There are also the costs of creating a driveway and walkways, plus extras such as insulation and lighting.

Is the lack of a garage a dealbreaker?

If a garage is an absolute must-have on your home shopping list, remember that it could take the county a few days to determine whether you can build a garage.

Waiting a few days might not be a big deal in a favorable buyer’s market. But when it’s a seller’s market, and you are competing with other buyers, you might not have time to wait for an answer.

So, it’s a good idea to decide if a garage is a nonnegotiable before you start house shopping.

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