Prefab Wood garage vs. Metal garage

[nfs4244]

I am looking to add a standalone garage in the backyard of my home, and I'm not sure if I should go with a prefab metal garage or prefab wood garage. I'm looking for any advice/experience regarding which type of garage to go with.

The prefab wood garage I'm looking at is a 14' x 28', and would probably cost around $7500 total (plus the cost of getting a solid base to set the garage on).

The metal garage I priced would be a 2 car 24' x 25'. From the online quotes I got, it would be around $6000 installed and delivered, plus the cost of a concrete pad (probably around $2500) to set the metal garage onto.

So on paper, it seems that the metal garage is a better value over the wooden garage, because I could get a 2 car instead of a 1 car garage.

From what I can tell, the advantages of going with a metal garage is the following:
*Will not rot
*Termites won't eat it away
*Better value per square foot vs. wood
*I'd have a concrete pad vs. pressure treated wood in a prefab wood garage.

Advantages of wooden garage:
*Possibly better looking than a metal garage
*Better insulation?
*Easier to run electrical wiring
Easier to hang stuff from ceiling/mount stuff on walls (versus metal)

[BRUTAL]

METAL. YOUR CONCRETE NEEDS ARE 11 YRDS@6" DEPTH(FIGURE EXTRAS FOR FOOTERS AND USE A 4/5" THINK SLAB) BUT YOULL NEED REBAR, GRAVEL, PLAST TO COMPLETE PLUS LABOR. sO YOU PRETTY CLOSE IF NOT HIGH. ALSO METAL WONT BURN AND WILL COST LESS TO INSURE AS A RESULT.
YOU CAN INSULATE BOTH. THE METAL BUILDING WILL HAVE 6-8" SHELVING ALL AROUND THAT THE SHEETING ATTACHES TOO. AND ITS NOTHING TO ATTACH ANYTHING YOU WANT WITH SELF TAPPING SHEET SCREWS. NO DIFFERANCE IN RUNNING WIRING IF NOT EASIER BECAUSE YOU RUN CHEAPER WIRING IN CONDUIT INSTEAD OF ROMEX AND YOU DONT HAVE TO DRILL THROUGH THE STUDS TO RUN. GO WITH A 12" EAVE HEIGHT OR AT LEAST A 16" GABLED HEIGHT AND YOU AN FIT A NICE $1800 CAR LIFT INSIDE TO WORK ON YOUR STUFF. RUN A SEWER LINE INSIDE FOR TOILET LATER EVEN IF YOU DONT, ITS THERE FOR THE FUTURE. WATER CAN BE PLMBED IN AND SO CAN CABLE FOR THE BIG SCREEN YOULL NEED TO WATCH WHILE IN THE GARAGE WORKING

[Suzokie]

Just my 2 cents -- Please consider your neighborhood before installing a metal building. I'm all for a guy having a shop, but I'd be ticked if a neighbor had a cheap crushed pipe building put in. Or even worse, a quonset hut. Like I say, go with whatever the neighbors have, what the neighborhood supports aesthetically. Have a homeowners association? I'm totally assuming you are in a city limits & there are city & county codes. Are permits needed? Also consider insurance like mentioned. My $3500, installed-in-concrete metal --carport-- is non-insurable. My cheap Sears $299 10x12 garden shed is insured for 10% of my homes content & structure value.

Be aware, many prefab metal & wood buildings have extras that you see that are not always included -- garage doors, windows, side entry doors, ventilation, insulation, etc. The price that lures you is often nothing more than bait & hook.

Personally I would strongly consider A) mortgage refinance if you don't already have rates under 5%, no idea where your capitol is coming from, so thats why I mention, B) opening line of equity, C) home improvement cash-out refi, D) bids from 3-4 general contractors for on-site stick building from foundation to roof.

Good luck!

[nfs4244]

Originally Posted by Suzokie

Just my 2 cents -- Please consider your neighborhood before installing a metal building. I'm all for a guy having a shop, but I'd be ticked if a neighbor had a cheap crushed pipe building put in. Or even worse, a quonset hut. Like I say, go with whatever the neighbors have, what the neighborhood supports aesthetically. Have a homeowners association? I'm totally assuming you are in a city limits & there are city & county codes. Are permits needed? Also consider insurance like mentioned. My $3500, installed-in-concrete metal --carport-- is non-insurable. My cheap Sears $299 10x12 garden shed is insured for 10% of my homes content & structure value.

Be aware, many prefab metal & wood buildings have extras that you see that are not always included -- garage doors, windows, side entry doors, ventilation, insulation, etc. The price that lures you is often nothing more than bait & hook.

Personally I would strongly consider A) mortgage refinance if you don't already have rates under 5%, no idea where your capitol is coming from, so thats why I mention, B) opening line of equity, C) home improvement cash-out refi, D) bids from 3-4 general contractors for on-site stick building from foundation to roof.

Good luck!

Thanks for the information.
Ya, some of the metal ones with vertical sides are rather ugly looking. If I do decide to go with metal, it'd probably be something like this (image attached), with the look of horizontal siding (obviously in metal though). Defintely wasn't planning on getting a quonset installed

With whatever garage I go with, I'll definitely need to get a permit from the county. There is no HOA where I live, but I'm sure there are limitations.

[dave11]

Pay attention to what Suzokie says.

I developed a self storage facility. I drove thousands of miles looked at and talked to facility owners and managers. My suggestion would be to put in a quality metal building on a concrete slab. In the ten years we owned the facility, we never had a problem with the buildings. The only problems we had were with our tennants. Don't skimp on the quality of the building. And as for the appearance, ours were (beautiful, personal observation) very attractive.

[Equator2011]

I've been looking a the same question. Do some research and I agree with the comments above. I have been looking at Morton style buildings, most can be customized quite nicely.

Morton is a brand that I have been looking at, there are MANY others, I've been searching, reading and asking LOTS of questions.

Morton Buildings - Pole Barns, Horse Barns, Steel Buildings, Metal Buildings, Storage Buildings, Farm Buildings