The million-dollar question is, can you expand your existing garage? The simple answer is: Yes, you can. You can extend the width of your existing garage from the side or extend its depth or length with a bump-out extension from the front or back.
The not-so-simple part about it is that you may need to obtain your HOA’s approval, a building permit, and have to follow your local zoning rules. If you have a rather overzealous HOA, good luck with that.
That being said, we thought it would be a good idea to share the different ways you can make your garage bigger so you can find an option that works best for you. After all, with 14+ years in the garage improvement industry, we know a thing or two about how to do this fast and in a hassle-free way.
BEFORE You Consider Extending Your Garage In Lake Forest
There are a lot of factors that come into play when you decide to expand your garage space for larger parking space or bigger storage cabinets for garage. That’s because making structural changes to your house can be either very complicated or simple, depending on where you live. Here are some of those factors.
#Available Lot Size
The first thing you need to think about is the available space in your plot. Is there enough free space in the front, back, or side of your garage? Will it be enough to park your car? How many feet of extra space will you get when extending your garage?
Go outside and take a look at the available lot size around the garage. We recommend taking measurements of the available lot size on the back, front, and sides of the garage, and then comparing it to the extra space you want.
To figure all this out properly, you need to know the local zoning guidelines in your area. For example, in many cities, you must have a permanent structure on your plot a few feet (usually 3-5 feet) away from your property line. This will obviously impact how deep or wide you can expand the garage.
The space you have on your plot will determine how you can extend the garage. We will discuss the different ways you can extend it later in the article.
#Cost
Cost is obviously an important factor to consider when you’re planning to make your garage larger. This kind of project can be expensive, depending on the structural changes that have to be made.
For example, if you’ll need to install a new garage door, or a new roof, or lay a new concrete slab or a new foundation for the garage, or install custom garage cabinet systems, it will be more expensive.
Since garage extensions can come with many hiccups compared to building a room from scratch, your contractor may also charge higher than their normal rate. Keep in mind that enlarging the garage without causing any damage to the rest of the house takes a lot of planning and effort.
You’ll also need to pay for obtaining the building permit; this amount varies from city to city so call your local building department to get an accurate idea.
#Permits
The building department of your city is responsible for making sure every structure and building in the area is safe to inhabit and complies with the local building codes. So, before you can extend your Mission Viejo garage, you are going to need a permit. Since this is considered a significant renovation project, it has to be overseen by the building department.
Now they may require you to submit a site plan depending on how elaborate the extension may be. This will include your choice of garage flooring and roofing after the expansion, the structural changes you’ll like to make, and more. You may even need to submit drawings of your proposed design.
Unless you know all about building codes or you’re going the DIY route, consider working with a trusted contractor. They will come and inspect your garage and property, and recommend the best way to move forward so it complies with building codes. Our garage storage cabinets designers can work with your contractor to develop a site plan and architectural drawings for the garage extension.
3 Ways You Can Extend Your Garage In Orange County
As we mentioned earlier, there are different ways to expand the garage area. The option you choose will depend on the available lot size and why you are extending it.
#Garage Bump-out Addition
Bump-out additions are the most popular way to add space to an existing room because it tends to be highly cost-effective. Essentially, you attach a smaller room to the existing room – it could be your garage, your kitchen, or anywhere else really – to extend the square footage. This smaller room is called the “bump-out”. These additions are shorter in height and typically, not as full-width as the garage they are attached to.
If you want to extend your garage just enough so you can fit your car inside and have a little bit more garage storage space, this is a salient option. For example, if your car’s hood is 6’ wide, and your car is 4’ longer than the depth of your garage, a good bump-out size for the garage can be 8’x6’.
This means you’re increasing the garage width by 8 feet so you can fit your 6 feet wide car, and extending the area 6 feet deeper to make space for the extra 4 feet length of your car. Does this make sense?
Bump-outs don’t require much structural change to the garage so getting permits is easy and the building process is cheaper and faster.
#Extend the Depth or Length of the Garage
Extending the depth or length of the garage is a good idea if you have enough plot size at the back of the space. For example, if your garage’s dimension is 10’x18’, you can extend the depth by 15’ to fit another car in there. As a result, you’ll have a 12’ wide and 33’ deep garage.
This option is not like a bump-out; it will have the same height and full-width as your Mission Viejo garage. In other words, you’ll need to tear down the rear wall and then extend it. The concrete and roof will also need to be redone. The good news is: you won’t have to invest in a bigger garage door unless you decide to extend from the front.
#Extend the Width of the Garage
Want to turn your single car garage into a double car garage? Then this is the option for you. To extend the width of your existing garage, you’ll need at least 12 feet o available plot size on the side because you’ll have to extend the space by at least 10 feet.
This process sometimes requires excavation, laying a new concrete slab, and creating a new foundation for the new walls. The roof may also need to be redone. If you currently have a single garage door, you may also need to upgrade it to a double garage door so you can move the two vehicles simultaneously. Or, you can just add another single door so each vehicle has its own.
Want To Talk To A Garage Improvement Expert For Free? Contact Us Today!
If you don’t know where to start and need help to determine the best way to transform your garage, we can help. At Garage Excell, we have helped thousands of homeowners in Seal Beach and surrounding areas to convert their garages into bigger, functional, and stylish spaces on a budget they can afford.
In addition to building custom garage cabinets and installing exclusive garage epoxy flooring, our experts also provide a number of garage improvement services that include adding plumbing, lighting, insulation, electrical outlets, and more.
That’s not all. We understand that garage upgrades are exciting but first, you have to clear out the space – which, let’s be honest, can be HARD work!
Garage Excell can help sort, store, and eliminate the clutter before the contractors move in for renovation. We will handle all the moving, organizing, and storing of your belongings until the installation is done. For more information, call us at 877-573-6637 or schedule a free, no-obligation consultation online.
