| Even if you don't have the skill to do it yourself, | | | | materials that will be necessary for the project along |
| obtaining a good set of garage building plans is the | | | | with the cost. |
| best way to start. You may want to hire a | | | | 2. Again, if you are using a contractor, plan to do a |
| contractor to build your garage, but you can save a | | | | portion of the work yourself. Perhaps you can paint |
| good deal of cash by getting your own garage | | | | or do some electrical wiring. Maybe you and a friend |
| building plans. | | | | can install drywall. Just make sure your contractor |
| There are a few other ways for you to save money | | | | knows in advance what is required of him and what |
| or time on this project. | | | | you will be doing yourself. |
| 1. If you are planning to use a contractor, arrange to | | | | 3. If you are planning to build the garage yourself, |
| purchase your own building supplies. Generally, the | | | | consider hiring an out-of-work carpenter to work |
| contractor will add about 10% (maybe more) for all | | | | along side of you. This may not be a money savings, |
| materials he purchases. This one step can save you | | | | but it will make the job go more than twice as fast. |
| quite a bit. Just take your plans to the local lumber | | | | 4. Subcontract the parts of the job that you are not |
| supply and ask them for an estimate on the | | | | able to complete yourself, such as pouring a concrete |
| materials. Usually they will give you an itemized list of | | | | slab or doing the roofing. |