Cost guides / Garage build
Cost to Build a Garage (2026)
Building a detached two-car garage, 24 × 24 ft (576 sq ft), costs $30,150 to $129,680 with a concrete slab, framing, a shingle roof, vinyl siding, a garage door and basic wiring. The typical price is $63,860, about $111 per square foot. Use the calculator for your garage.
Estimate your cost
Most quotes for this job fall between Low and High. Typical $111 per sq ft.
| Materials (slab, lumber, roof, siding, doors) | $14,480 |
|---|---|
| Labor (framers, finishers, electrician) | $14,170 |
| Site prep, trench and dumpster | $2,370 |
| Permit and plans | $1,760 |
| Overhead and profit | $31,080 |
Total price in dollars for the same garage, for example 60000.
What the estimate includes
- Site prep and a 4 in concrete slab
- Wall framing, sheathing, roof trusses and a shingle roof
- Siding and trim
- Garage doors with openers, an entry door and windows
- Basic electrical: lights and outlets, with a trench from the house for a detached garage
- Permit and drawings
Not included: a driveway, plumbing, heating or cooling, a second story or loft, and special foundations for poor soil or steep lots.
Cost by size and type
Typical price with vinyl siding, national average.
| Size | Detached, unfinished | Attached, unfinished | Detached, finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (288 sq ft) | $45,310 | $39,750 | $53,000 |
| 2-car (576 sq ft) | $63,860 | $57,860 | $76,370 |
| 3-car (864 sq ft) | $82,600 | $80,450 | $101,760 |
Garage building cost by state
Detached two-car garage, unfinished inside, vinyl siding. Labor uses each state's wages for carpenters, concrete finishers and electricians (BLS, May 2025); the column shows carpenters.
| State | Low | Typical | High | Carpenter wage/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27,260 | $57,850 | $117,690 | $23.18 |
| Alaska | $34,640 | $73,520 | $149,680 | $35.51 |
| Arizona | $29,380 | $62,440 | $127,010 | $28.17 |
| Arkansas | $26,550 | $56,300 | $114,610 | $22.96 |
| California | $33,660 | $71,430 | $145,070 | $36.50 |
| Colorado | $29,910 | $63,660 | $129,490 | $30.21 |
| Connecticut | $30,760 | $65,340 | $132,820 | $30.80 |
| Delaware | $29,610 | $62,850 | $127,510 | $28.46 |
| District of Columbia | $32,580 | $68,970 | $140,640 | $29.67 |
| Florida | $28,550 | $60,670 | $123,780 | $23.98 |
| Georgia | $28,040 | $59,470 | $120,940 | $23.72 |
| Hawaii | $36,590 | $77,740 | $157,810 | $41.00 |
| Idaho | $28,420 | $60,480 | $123,060 | $25.00 |
| Illinois | $33,750 | $71,690 | $145,920 | $37.98 |
| Indiana | $29,550 | $62,710 | $127,430 | $30.23 |
| Iowa | $27,530 | $58,580 | $119,100 | $27.75 |
| Kansas | $27,660 | $58,850 | $119,570 | $27.39 |
| Kentucky | $28,010 | $59,530 | $121,170 | $25.33 |
| Louisiana | $27,160 | $57,680 | $117,180 | $24.00 |
| Maine | $30,190 | $64,200 | $130,400 | $29.88 |
| Maryland | $31,000 | $65,860 | $133,950 | $30.27 |
| Massachusetts | $32,510 | $68,900 | $139,980 | $36.16 |
| Michigan | $29,640 | $63,030 | $127,870 | $29.66 |
| Minnesota | $31,520 | $66,810 | $135,500 | $31.22 |
| Mississippi | $26,910 | $57,070 | $116,180 | $23.39 |
| Missouri | $29,200 | $61,730 | $125,500 | $29.25 |
| Montana | $29,150 | $62,050 | $125,920 | $28.28 |
| Nebraska | $27,060 | $57,510 | $116,970 | $24.19 |
| Nevada | $29,980 | $63,420 | $128,780 | $29.99 |
| New Hampshire | $30,350 | $64,430 | $131,160 | $29.42 |
| New Jersey | $32,750 | $69,530 | $141,240 | $30.77 |
| New Mexico | $28,520 | $60,530 | $123,220 | $28.71 |
| New York | $33,770 | $71,630 | $145,520 | $34.77 |
| North Carolina | $27,650 | $58,660 | $119,570 | $23.61 |
| North Dakota | $27,650 | $58,880 | $119,590 | $27.83 |
| Ohio | $29,120 | $61,760 | $125,510 | $29.24 |
| Oklahoma | $26,570 | $56,350 | $114,750 | $22.55 |
| Oregon | $32,720 | $69,440 | $141,180 | $30.23 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,130 | $63,880 | $129,780 | $28.54 |
| Rhode Island | $30,600 | $64,920 | $131,890 | $29.25 |
| South Carolina | $28,060 | $59,570 | $121,270 | $24.36 |
| South Dakota | $26,830 | $56,910 | $115,680 | $23.14 |
| Tennessee | $27,540 | $58,500 | $119,390 | $24.44 |
| Texas | $27,910 | $59,210 | $120,590 | $23.51 |
| Utah | $28,460 | $60,550 | $123,140 | $25.17 |
| Vermont | $29,770 | $63,270 | $128,730 | $30.00 |
| Virginia | $29,340 | $62,320 | $126,770 | $26.77 |
| Washington | $34,050 | $72,200 | $146,590 | $35.67 |
| West Virginia | $28,080 | $59,610 | $121,120 | $23.42 |
| Wisconsin | $29,780 | $63,160 | $128,160 | $29.65 |
| Wyoming | $28,930 | $61,570 | $125,010 | $27.33 |
What homeowners actually paid
We checked this calculator against 16 quotes and invoices for wood-framed garages that homeowners shared publicly from 2019 to 2026, in 6 states, leaving out pole barns, metal kits and two-story garages. Older prices were adjusted to 2026 with official construction cost indexes. Their median was $67,500, and 88% of them fell between our Low and High estimates for the same garage and state. The sample is small and garage prices vary a lot, which is why the range is wide.
Published cost guides we checked put a similar job at about $38,700 (median of 8 guides from 2025-2026), 39% below our typical price. Guides are estimates too, often older or for a smaller scope of work; we follow the quotes homeowners actually shared, and 88% of them fell within our range.
What affects the cost
- Size: a three-car garage typically costs $82,600 against $63,860 for two cars.
- Attached or detached: attached typically costs $57,860 for two cars, against $63,860 detached.
- Finished inside: insulation, drywall and paint raise a two-car garage to about $76,370.
- Site: slopes, poor soil and long utility runs add excavation and foundation work.
- Your state: wages and local price levels.
Common questions
How much does a 2-car garage cost per square foot?
About $111 per sq ft for a detached, unfinished 24 × 24 ft garage, national average, and about $133 per sq ft finished inside.
Is it cheaper to build an attached garage?
In our estimates an attached two-car garage typically costs $57,860 and a detached one $63,860. Attached garages save a wall and the electrical trench but need a fire-rated wall to the house and a careful roof tie-in.
Do I need a permit to build a garage?
Almost always. Cities require a building permit and often drawings for a new garage; zoning rules also set how close it can be to the property line. The estimate includes a typical permit and plan cost.
What about a pole barn or metal garage?
Those are different building types and usually cost less per square foot. This calculator prices a conventional wood-framed garage on a slab.
How much does a 20 × 20 or 24 × 36 garage cost?
A 20 × 20 ft garage (400 sq ft) falls between our one-car and two-car sizes: about $52,500 typical, detached and unfinished, national average. A 24 × 36 ft three-car garage (864 sq ft) typically costs $82,600.
Can you build a garage for $10,000?
Not a contractor-built wood-framed garage. Even a one-car garage typically costs $39,750 attached or $45,310 detached in our estimates, and low quotes start around $19,240. $10,000 may cover a metal carport or a kit, which this calculator does not price.
How we calculated this
Lumber, concrete, roofing, siding, door and window prices from suppliers and national retailers (checked October 2026), crew hours for each part of the job times local wages for carpenters, concrete finishers and electricians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), contractor margins from industry financial data, and regional price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Verified quotes ran about 50% above our line-item model, so the estimate includes a +50% market adjustment (why we adjust). Full methodology · Sources.
Estimates, not quotes. Actual prices depend on your contractor, lot and design.
Changelog
- : Published.
- : Cost model built from 16 verified homeowner quotes (2019-2026), local trade wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) and material prices checked in October 2026.
Related
Concrete driveway cost · Siding replacement cost · Roof replacement cost · Concrete calculator · Roofing calculator · All cost guides