Garages and carriage houses
Garage estimating from the slab to the overhead door opener
A garage looks simple until the details arrive: a thickened-edge slab with a slope to the door, a 16-foot header that needs an LVL, a 60-amp circuit for an EV charger, a driveway apron that has to meet the city sidewalk. Our estimators itemize each of them. You get a clear price for one-car, two-car, three-car and two-story garage projects, whether attached, detached or built with a unit above.
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
Projects estimated
Typical turnaround
Trade categories
Takeoff accuracy
Scope of takeoff
Garage scope we quantify
Measured per element so owners can compare door options, slab specs and finish levels before they sign.
- 01
Excavation and baseCY / SF
Stripping, grading, compacted gravel base and frost-depth footings or thickened edges
Site plan and foundation section
- 02
Concrete slabCY / SF
4-inch to 6-inch slab with vapor barrier, reinforcement, control joints and a slope to the door
Slab plan with thickness and finish callouts
- 03
Wall framing and headersLF / EA
2x4 or 2x6 walls, door headers up to 18 feet, LVL beams, hold-downs and bracing
Framing plan and elevations
- 04
Roof trusses and sheathingEA / SF
Trusses or rafters, ridge, sheathing, underlayment and attic storage framing
Roof plan and truss layout
- 05
Roofing and drainageSQ / LF
Shingles, metal panels, flashing, gutters and downspouts matched to the house
Roof plan and elevations
- 06
Siding, trim and soffitSF / LF
Cladding to match the house, corner boards, fascia, soffit vents and paint
Elevations and exterior finish schedule
- 07
Overhead doors and openersEA
Sectional doors by size and R-value, windows, tracks, springs and smart openers
Door schedule and opening dimensions
- 08
Service doors and windowsEA
Man doors, side windows, hardware and flashing
Window and door schedules
- 09
Electrical and EV circuitsEA / LF
Subpanel, lighting, receptacles, GFCI protection and a dedicated 40-60 amp EV charger circuit
Electrical sketch and panel capacity check
- 10
Insulation and drywallSF
Wall and ceiling insulation, fire-rated drywall on the house-adjoining wall and paint
Wall sections and code requirements
- 11
Apron, driveway and drainageSF / LF
Concrete or asphalt apron, flares, culvert or trench drain and city sidewalk tie-in
Site plan and civil details
- 12
ADU or loft aboveSF / EA / LS
Floor system, stair, egress, kitchenette and bath rough-in, HVAC and separate metering
Upper-level plans and utility sketch
Estimate types
What type of garage estimating can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
| Estimate type | Accuracy | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Quick per-car budget A planning number by garage type with a short list of assumptions about slab, doors and finishes. | ±12-15% | Same day | Homeowners comparing attached and detached options |
Itemized builder estimate Full takeoff by trade with door, framing and electrical packages broken out. | ±5-7% | 24-48 hours | Builders preparing fixed-price contracts |
ADU-over-garage estimate Combined garage and living-unit pricing with utilities, egress, stair and separate meter requirements. | ±6-8% | 48-72 hours | Owners planning rental or family housing |
Garage conversion estimate Pricing to convert an existing garage, including slab insulation, door infill and added HVAC capacity. | ±6-8% | 24-48 hours | Remodelers converting garages to rooms |
By the numbers
Measured twice, delivered on time
Process
How our estimating process works
Four steps from upload to a bid-ready estimate, with a senior estimator signing off before anything leaves our desk.
- 1
Upload plans and scope
Send your drawings, specifications and bid invitation through the secure upload form. We confirm scope, deadline and a fixed price within two business hours.
- 2
Digital quantity takeoff
Estimators measure every item from calibrated plans in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, color-coding each layer so quantities can be traced back to the drawing.
- 3
Pricing and labor
Quantities are priced with location-adjusted material costs, crew productivity rates and equipment, then marked up to your overhead and profit targets.
- 4
Senior review and delivery
A second estimator audits quantities and pricing, documents assumptions and exclusions, and delivers your Excel workbook, PDF summary and marked-up plans.
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
Slab thickness, vapor barrier and reinforcement
Are priced from the section detail, not a generic rate per square foot.
Wide door headers up to 18 feet are sized
And priced as engineered lumber, avoiding the common undercount of beams.
Overhead doors are broken out by size
R-value, windows and opener type so owners see what upgrades cost.
EV charger circuits are checked against the
Main panel capacity and flagged if a service upgrade is required.
Driveway aprons, flares and drainage connections
Are included, which many garage budgets omit entirely.
ADU-over-garage jobs carry structural
egress, plumbing, HVAC and separate utility metering in one coordinated estimate.
Deliverables
What's included in your estimate package
Every deliverable is formatted so it can go straight into a proposal, a purchase order or an owner report.
- XLSX
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
- PDF
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
- XLSX
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
- XLSX
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
- PDF
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
- PDF
Bid summary sheet
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Clients
Who relies on our estimates
From single-trade subs to national developers, every client gets the same measured-twice standard.
General Contractors
Bid more work without adding estimating headcount. We deliver division-by-division numbers you can level against sub quotes.
Design-Build Firms
Conceptual through GMP pricing that moves as fast as your design iterations.
Home Builders & Remodelers
Lumber lists, finish schedules and allowance-based budgets homeowners understand.
CSI divisions
CSI MasterFormat divisions we cover
Estimates are organized by division so they drop straight into your cost codes and schedule of values.
Highlighted divisions are the primary scope on this page.
Where garage estimates are won or lost
Garages are priced on a per-car or per-square-foot basis in most conversations, but the actual cost swings widely on the details. Slab thickness, vapor barrier, frost depth, door size and insulation level can move a two-car garage by tens of thousands of dollars. We quantify each part from the drawings rather than applying a blended rate, which is why our numbers hold up when the framing crew and the door installer arrive. Local frost depth, soil bearing and snow load requirements are applied to footing and truss pricing, so a garage in Minnesota is not priced like one in Georgia.
The estimate starts below grade with excavation, compacted base, footings or a monolithic slab-on-grade with welded wire or fiber reinforcement.
It continues through wall framing, wide-span headers, roof trusses, sheathing, roofing, siding and finish trim. Overhead doors are priced by size, insulation value, window packages and openers, since a pair of 9-by-8 insulated doors with smart openers costs very differently from a single 16-foot door. Insulated doors, windows, belt-drive openers and keypad entry are listed individually, so an owner can trade features against budget before ordering.
Electrical and site work complete the picture: a subpanel, lighting, receptacles and a dedicated EV circuit, plus the apron, driveway tie-in and drainage. When a garage supports an accessory dwelling above, the estimate adds the structural floor, stairs, egress, plumbing and separate utilities, along with the fire separation and sound requirements that the building code applies to a dwelling over a garage. Permits, setbacks and utility trenching to the house are flagged, which prevents the late discovery that a detached garage needs its own electrical feeder or a variance.
FAQ
Garage Estimating FAQs
How do you estimate a detached garage cost?
We take off the excavation, slab, framing, roof, siding, doors, windows and electrical from your plans, then add site work such as the driveway apron and utility trench to the house. Every piece is priced to your zip code, so the total reflects local labor and material rather than a national average.
Do you include the driveway and apron in a garage estimate?
Yes, when they are shown or described. We measure the apron, flares and driveway in square feet by material, add drainage and any city permit or sidewalk work, and show it as a separate subtotal so you can compare it against the garage structure itself.
Can you estimate an EV charger in the garage?
We include the dedicated circuit, conduit, wire, breaker and receptacle or hardwired unit. We also check the existing panel for capacity and, when it is short, add a subpanel or service upgrade line. Charger hardware is carried as an allowance you can change, and conduit sizing allows a later upgrade.
What goes into an ADU-over-garage estimate?
The garage below plus a structural floor system, stair, egress windows, kitchenette and bath rough-in, HVAC, insulation, drywall and finishes. We add separate utility connections and permit fees when the ADU needs its own meter or address. Each piece is shown separately so owners can phase the finish items later. We confirm the circuit count and breaker sizes during review.
How much does the overhead door choice affect the estimate?
A lot. Door size, insulation, windows and opener features can span a three-to-one price range for the same opening. We price each door from your schedule and show an upgrade or downgrade difference, so owners can choose between standard and premium options. We also show an upgrade-versus-standard comparison.
Do you price garage conversions as well as new garages?
Yes. A conversion estimate covers slab insulation or a raised floor, infilled door framing, new siding, egress and windows, wall and ceiling insulation, drywall, flooring, electrical and added heating or cooling. We also note parking replacement rules in your jurisdiction. Final numbers include any permit or inspection fees.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Blog
Insights from the estimating desk
Practical guidance on bidding, takeoffs and protecting margin.
Ready for a garage estimating quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.