Before you hire someone to build a garage for you, you will need to have proper plans drawn up by an architect or chartered surveyor. A builder will want to work from professionally drawn plans, which will show exactly where the building is going to go. If you are planning to build a garage that becomes part of your property, perhaps with an additional room on the top of it, you will need to be sure that you maintain the structural integrity of your house, and that you meet all building, electrical and fire regulations. The best thing to do is to speak to two or three architects and see how much, if anything, they will charge to come to your house, look at what you want to do and provide you with basic drawings. When you have decided on the plans you want to follow, the architect will provide an exact drawing that can then be submitted to your local planning office.

Planning approval

You will need to gain approval from your local planning office in order to build a garage. Whilst some alterations do not require full planning permission, a garage almost certainly will, and you will need to take this into account when you are planning your project. It can take several weeks to complete the planning process and when you are choosing your builder you will need to make sure that they are available to start work once your plans have been approved.

Budget

You must decide how much money you have available to spend before you decide to build a garage or other extension to your property. Include in your budget enough money to cover the entire building process, including any electrical and plumbing work that needs to be done. You will need to budget for garage doors if they are not included in the builder’s quote and for any fixtures and fittings that you plan to put inside your garage. You should also put aside a contingency budget, so that you have money to draw on should the project overrun, or you incur additional costs.

Estimates

It is not cheap to build a garage, so you need to speak to at least three builders to make sure you get a competitive quote for your project. Make sure the builders have all the information they need in order to give you an accurate quote. That way, you shouldn’t be faced with any surprises during the project or when the bill comes in at the end. It also allows you to compare the quotes on a fair basis. Make sure you ask about insurance and guarantees; your builder should have insurance that covers them and the materials they are using whilst they are on your premises, and they should offer some level of guarantee for their work.

Payment

Once you have chosen your builder, make sure you agree how to handle payment. Many builders will want you to pay for materials as they are ordered, or as they arrive on site, with the balance for labour and any additional work payable at the end of the project. However you agree to pay, make sure the agreement is in writing. This provides a level of comfort for you and for the builder.

Deciding to build a garage may seem like a small project, but in order to be successful, it needs to be as well-managed as a full-blown extension.

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.