Undergoing a major renovation on any manufactured home can be a daunting task for any homeowner.
All in all, with the quality and craftsmanship that goes into manufactured homes today, there are countless ways homeowners can customize their homes, enhancing the exterior feel and look of such homes.
(In this regard) Can You Add A Garage To A Mobile Home?
Absolutely YES. Garages are popular add-ons for mobile homes. Adding a garage to your mobile home is a fantastic idea as it can improve your property’s convenience and enhance the security of the vehicles and tools that you will choose to store in it. Importantly, some types of garages can only be added to a home that is designed and approved to accommodate the load and stress of the garage.
If you are a first-time homeowner and are considering additions, a well-constructed mobile home garage should take priority.
With a garage, you get extra square footage where you can store your belongings and protect them from the potentially harsh weather conditions.
Read on to learn more about the idea of adding a garage to a mobile home.
Three Mobile Home Garage Options
A garage adds usable square footage to your mobile home but choosing the appropriate way to add the structure to your home can present a significant challenge.
For the most part, you need to understand your options and settle on a design that will ultimately complement the exterior look and feel of your home.
That’s why the best time to make the decision whether or not to add a garage to your mobile home is before selecting and purchasing the mobile home.
Making the decision early enough ensures that you buy a home that is designed to withstand the load and stress of a garage.
Further, it allows you ample time to check with the local building department so that you can familiarize yourself with local codes and building regulations that you may need to adhere to when adding your garage.
That said, if you have made the decision to add a garage, here are the types of garages you build next to a mobile home:
1. Detached
There are free-standing and utterly independent structures that can be constructed next to your house.
Because they are separate structures, they are fairly easy to build and require less planning upfront. However, you will most likely need a permit to erect one, depending on where you live.
A detached garage can also be added long after you have purchased your mobile home.
2. Adjacent (attached)
As the name suggests, these are garages that will be attached to your home but with four completely separate walls to support their stuff.
They provide an entrance to the home, making them ideal and convenient in regions experiencing cold climates as they eliminate the need for drivers to walk outdoors to get into or from their cars.
The added convenience, however, requires considerable planning. In most cases, attached garages will be designed to aesthetically blend into the entire home.
3. Integrated
First and foremost, these types of garages should only be installed in homes that have been approved to support the load of a garage.
With that in mind, integrated garages are a type of attached garages that share their foundation and fourth wall with your house.
They can be structurally complicated to build. As such, it is safe to say that you can add integrated garages only to the most recent manufactured homes.
No matter what type of garage you want to install, you will need a reputable contractor to complete the job.
Some contractors handle the necessary legwork on your behalf, which can be advantageous if you’re on a busy schedule.
How To Go About Adding The Mobile Home Garage
Ever thought how nice it would be to have a roof over your car?
As a mobile homeowner, you might be looking for the same convenience, and security garages make available to owners of site-built homes.
Thankfully, adding a garage to a mobile home is not the hardest thing you can do.
If you are a savvy DIYer with sufficient carpentry skills, you can follow these tips when building a garage. Keep in mind that building a garage is a labor-intensive job that may require assistance.
1. Check If Your Home Is Capable Of Syncing With A Garage
Prior to building your garage, you want to make sure that your mobile home is sturdy enough to accommodate the load of a garage.
This will help ensure you maintain the appropriate structural integrity, especially if you are planning to build an integrated garage.
If you are buying a new home, consider informing the manufacturer about your plans to install a garage.
2. Obtain A Permit
You will almost certainly need a permit from local municipalities before you can venture on any major renovation project like adding a garage.
To avoid facing the complicated legal system, make sure to obtain necessary permits upfront.
3. Check With The Local Building Department For Any Restrictions
Some states set building regulations for any structure. For this reason, make sure to check what local codes you need to follow.
4. Consider A Detached Garage
If your mobile home is not structurally sound to sync with another structure, a detached garage might be an appropriate choice.
With a standalone garage, you can always leave a breezeway between your house and the garage.
5. Prepare The Garage Foundation
Garages usually get a lot of abuse and bear a considerable load.
To ensure that you build a lasting structure, it is a good idea to have a permanent foundation for your garage.
Further, it is advisable to make the floor of your garage and that of your home the same level.
If the two structures have different elevations, you will need to build several steps inside the garage for convenience when entering the house.
6. Install It
In most cases, the manufacturer of your garage will help with installation; otherwise, you will need a professional contractor to take charge.
7. Roof
When roofing your garage, you want to make sure that the roofline of your garage is in line with that of the house.
That way, you will have an easy time matching other aspects relating to the overall look and aesthetics. The idea here is to continue or enhance the current appearance of your home.
Adding a garage to your mobile is a good idea. All in all, it requires a level of planning and preparation.
No matter what type of garage you are installing, it is always a good idea to go with an option that doesn’t interfere with the structural integrity of your home.
Further, make sure you choose materials and features that help your garage complement the style and existing décor of your home.
Above everything, keep in mind that adding an attached garage to your mobile home might increase your taxes.
Further, adding an attached garage to mobile homes built on specific HUD codes might violate the warranties and wreak havoc on the home’s stability.
Conclusion
Whether you’re craving your dream garage or want to create extra storage space, you can add a garage to your mobile home.
Installing a garage next to a mobile home is one of the easy ways to customize your manufactured home to enhance its curb appeal while creating extra usable square footage.
Even better, adding a garage to a mobile home might add value.
