Planning a garage properly: What to look out for

People often focus far too little on the garage when making elaborate plans for their home. But there are a number of considerations regarding the garage that house builders need to factor in, so as not to face unpleasant surprises later on. We summarise the key tips and decisions in six categories: space requirements; location on the property; budget; planning consent/regulations; the garage door; and the roof shape.

Space requirements

Firstly, you should consider whether you need a single or double garage. If you have two cars, the decision is easy. But double garages also offer many advantages for people with only one car. A garage is often used not just to keep the car in, but also for bicycles and other vehicles, or as a storage space for food, tools, and many other items. That’s why we advise you to take your time – even in the stressful planning stage – to think through how you’re going to be actually using your garage. Because a common mistake when building a house is to make the garage too small. So we recommend measuring your vehicle (or vehicles) with the doors wide open to ensure it will fit in. Also bear in mind that you might swap to a larger car in future, and would need enough room for that too. Double garages are usually at least five metres – but ideally closer to six metres – wide, and single garages about three metres. Both types are usually around six metres long and three metres high. But those are only guideline figures, of course, almost anything is possible! So be sure to consider carefully what you actually need.

Location

There are a number of options when it comes to a garage’s location on a given property site. The most popular is built on to the house, with a passage-way between the garage and the house, or a garage that is integrated directly into the house. If this is not possible for reasons of space or due to building regulations, there is also the option of a detached garage. This also offers some advantages, such as keeping engine noise and unpleasant exhaust smells away from the house for example. A key element, whatever the type of garage build, is the driveway. Nothing is more annoying than a garage that is difficult to access from the street or hazardous to emerge from.

Budget

There are a number of different options for a garage build in terms of cost too. A solid construction is significantly more expensive than a prefabricated garage made of concrete, wood or steel, for example. Prefabricated garages naturally offer the advantage of saving you the time-consuming and cost-intensive process of building a garage, but they will usually only last twenty to thirty years. A solid construction garage, on the other hand, will last a lifetime. Prefabricated garages made of wood can be had from about € 1,500 (single garages); concrete ones from about € 6,000. Brick-built garages – depending on whether detached or attached/integrated – are significantly more expensive, starting at around €15,000.

Consent/regulations

Complying with the relevant planning laws and regulations is of course essential when building a garage. They vary widely depending on which country – or even area – you live in. So we are unable to provide any generally applicable information here. We do, however, strongly recommend that you address the following questions prior to the planning phase: Is my garage allowed to stand on the property line? Are there any restrictions in terms of size or wall height? Does my garage build fundamentally require planning permission in my area?

Garage door

Building on the factors you have already considered, you then need to decide what garage door you want, with what kind of operator system. For domestic garages, we generally distinguish between four options:

Overhead sectional door: Our best-selling doors are overhead sectional doors in all possible variants, colours and styles. Overhead sectional doors are space-saving, and particularly suitable if there is a road or pavement directly in front of the garage. The overhead sectional door slides under the garage ceiling when opened, and so does not take up any space at the side of the garage. Another advantage of a sectional door is that it can be opened even when a car is parked directly in front of it.
Side sectional door: Side sectional doors offer almost the same advantages as overhead sectional doors. They additionally incorporate the option of a wicket door. And side sectional doors are the better choice if you want to utilise the full clearance height inside the garage. Bear in mind, however, that a side sectional door cannot have a window frontage or a door on the side along which the door will slide when opening.
One-piece door: One-piece doors – also called hinged or up-and-over garage doors – are the timeless classic among garage doors. However, they are only suitable where there is enough room in front of the garage for it to swing open and closed.
Roller door: Roller doors are the most space-saving solution, consisting of single panels that roll up into a housing when the door is opened. This leaves both the area in front of the garage and the garage ceiling free.

Each door variant comes with its own advantages. When choosing, as with other considerations, it all depends on what you need, and on the site circumstances.

For us as a garage door manufacturer, it is particularly important that the garage is measured correctly before the door is ordered. That’s the only way to ensure a perfect fit, and trouble-free opening and closing of the door. We therefore recommend that all our customers leave the measuring to a professional (such as a Normstahl dealer), so that there are no unpleasant surprises later. Our dimensioning form indicates what specific measurements we need to be able to manufacture your garage door to fit precisely.

Saving tip: Even though our garage doors can be made in custom sizes, we do offer standard sizes at lower cost in ongoing promotions. For information on standard sizes and current promotions, please visit our website or contact your Normstahl dealer.

Roof shape

The last point you should consider when planning your garage is the roof. A garage could actually have any form of roof – from flat, to monopitch (lean-to), to pitched. The flat roof is the classic garage roof form, and is particularly popular in regions subject to less snow. Flat roofs can also be greened and – if the static strength allows, and relevant planning consent is obtained – used as roof terraces. A monopitch roof is particularly striking visually, and very good in rainy and snowy conditions, as any precipitation can easily run or slide off the roof. Depending on the orientation and inclination, solar or photovoltaic panels can even be installed on monopitch roofs. Pitched roofs are particularly popular with houses that also have a pitched roof, as they preserve a uniform look.

Still need inspiration for the look of your garage and door? Browse through our impressions and references!

Planning a garage properly: What to look out for