If you don't need space for your car, why not make space for your family?
Converting a garage into living space requires following local building codes for ceiling height, heating, and square footage to ensure your conversion is legal and livable.
Expect to pay $16,400 on average to convert your garage into a living space, with costs varying based on how much plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC installation you need.
You'll need to remove the garage door and add drywall, windows, flooring, and temperature control to turn your garage into a comfortable, functional room for your home.
Hiring a local home remodeling professional keeps your garage conversion on track with proper permits, building code compliance, and expert installation of electrical and plumbing systems.
Maybe your home was perfect when you bought it, but your household needs have changed as the years passed. Converting a garage into a living space could solve your extra space needs. Before you embark on this home remodeling project, learn everything there is to know about turning a garage into a living space.
Local regulations determine what your garage needs to be considered "liveable." Building codes often require the ceiling to be a certain height, a heating source, and a minimum square footage. Before you start your project, research local codes for garage conversions.
You will likely need a building permit from your municipality before you begin work on a garage conversion. If you hire a local home remodeling company for the project, they will likely pull the permit for you. Otherwise, be prepared to show your municipality your building plans and to request the license yourself. Keep in mind that you may also need permits for individual components, such as installing electricity and plumbing.
What should you do with your garage conversion? You have plenty of options:
In-law suite: An in-law suite addition gives you space to house your loved ones when they can no longer live alone. It also gives older kids, or children who have come back after graduating college, additional privacy.
Home office: Carve out a quiet place to work by turning all or part of your garage into an office space.
Workshop: Similarly, you can convert your garage into a workshop, where you can pursue your creative endeavors, such as painting or woodworking.
Extra bedrooms: If your home is bursting at the seams, converting your garage into an extra bedroom or two makes sense.
Recreation or entertainment area: Another option is to turn your garage into a play area, such as a home movie theater or a rec room.
Home gym: Give your treadmill and weights a home by transforming your garage into a personal gym.
What you need to do to your garage to make it a usable area depends on the condition of the space before you start.
Most likely, you'll want to remove the garage door and replace it with a wall, so that the space looks more like the rest of your home. You may also need to add the following:
Drywall: Depending on the condition of your garage, you may need to finish the walls by installing drywall. If you plan on dividing the space, you'll also need to install non-load-bearing walls.
Electrical outlets: Your garage most likely already has a few outlets and light switches. However, if it doesn’t have enough, you’ll have to install more.
Plumbing: If you plan on converting your garage into an apartment or bedroom, you'll need to install a bathroom and perhaps a kitchen, too, both of which will require plumbing.
Windows: Adding windows to the garage will add light and turn it into a more comfortable space.
Heating or HVAC system: Garages typically lack heat or cooling when used for car storage. To make the space livable, you must install a heating source or HVAC system to control the temperature.
Flooring: Your garage's existing floor may be lower than the floor in the rest of the house. Consider installing subflooring to raise it, then installing more attractive floor material, such as carpet, hardwood, or laminate, on top.
Once you convert your garage into a living space, you won't be able to store your car there. Consider installing a carport near the garage to protect your vehicle from the elements. If you aren't worried about shielding your vehicles from the elements, you can park in the driveway. If your driveway is tight, consider expanding it to accommodate your cars.
You may also want to redo your driveway so it doesn't lead directly into the garage. Consider adding a row of shrubbery or a flowerbed between the driveway and the garage's wall.
Post-pandemic, many people do appreciate the idea of having visitors and the flexibility to work from home in a separate area of the house. A private location near your primary residence for quiet time or remote work is ideal for work-life balance.
Jason has helped me with multiple household projects, with the most recent being new door installation. He has always showed up on time and organized and has done an incredible job! Jason is very professional and he's now my go-to for anything around my house that needs to be fixed or...
Huff Garage Rescue, LLCCole has been handling plumbing and general contracting for our four properties over the past three years, and he’s always done a great job. Most recently, he installed a sink and countertop in our retail store where none existed before, and it turned out exactly how we needed. He’s...
ANB Renovations LLC1st Choice Renew is simply the best! We hired them for a complete home renovation, and they transformed our space into something truly amazing. The team attention to detail and commitment to quality were evident throughout the project. They were easy to work with, very responsive, and always...
Save A DimeThis company went above and beyond with their work, chimney sweeps are usually pretty messy, but the clean up was spot on.!! Josh explained every thing that he was doing, and the things that he was checking to make sure the chimney was safe for me and my family. He was very professional,...
Supreme brick & chimneyCustom Paint Jobs LLC turned our outdated bathroom into a modern masterpiece.
Custom Paint Jobs, LLCExcellent customer service and knowledge. I was recommend to him from my neighbour. My front door and window came in great and were installed beautifully perfectly, I m very satisfied with their excellent work, so decided to order one more big bow window for my living room. I cant wait for...
Window Depot USA of Central OhioIf I could give 10 stars for Kitchen Tune Up, I would. I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Kitchen Tune Up and the entire team involved in the process of my kitchen project. They went above and beyond as far as service and quality with my cabinets, paint, countertops, and...
It was wonderful working with Yordy and his team. They were very professional and are experts in what they do. They have completed the work on time, with better quality and with in fairly reasonable price. We just started with backsplash work , but liking his work, we went on to provide...
Flooring SolutionsWe were having 2”x 2” tile installed . There was a small installation error and the new additional replacement tile was from a different lot and the colors didn’t match. Joe assured us that he would rectify everything , which he did without hesitation. We decided to go with the 18” x 36” tile...
CarifaTileThey work that 360 did on my kitchen cabinets is nothing short of amazing. I still cannot believe the difference from before and after. Jon and Jeff were both so incredibly professional throughout the whole process and their communications with me were constant and consistent. These guys...
360 Painting ColumbusFrom average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Want to add value and living space to your home? Use this guide to figure out the cost to convert your garage into living space to see if it’s worth it.
The cost to convert a garage to an ADU varies widely depending on many factors, from its size to the features you want to include.
Considering enclosing your carport to turn it into a more protective garage? Find out about the cost to convert a carport into a garage in this handy guide.
When looking at the square footage of a home, you may wonder: is a garage considered living space? It all depends on a few factors.
Converting your garage into a room gives your family room to grow while upping the value of your home. For the best garage conversion tips, follow this guide.
If you need to build extra living space at your home, this guide on how to convert a garage into a bedroom shows you all the steps.
