Attached vs Detached Garage: All You Need to Know

An attached or detached garage? This is the question you are probably asking. Maybe you are a new homeowner and are wondering if it is wisest to build a garage onto your house or if you should invest in a detached portable garage for your car instead.

To some extent, this is an investment that will probably affect how you live for the next several years of your life. And everyone knows that garages are truly an investment.

So how do you decide what the best decision is for you? Well, let’s talk about attached vs detached garages first and see how they are different.

Attached Vs Detached Garages: What is the Difference?

 

If you haven’t come to this conclusion yet, the difference between these two types of garages is quite simple. An attached garage is a garage that is built as a part of your home, connected to the house by a wall and a door.

A detached garage is a garage that is completely separate from the house and usually stands a few feet or yards away from the main building. Both can be great for storing your vehicle, but let’s look at all you need to know to make an informed decision on the right garage.

Attached vs Detached Garage: Attached Garages

Attached garages often come with a house when purchasing or renting a property, but there are times when you may want to add a garage to your home area. Let’s look at some advantages and disadvantages of an attached garage.

 

Pros of Attached Garages

There are quite a few pros of investing in an attached garage, so let’s take a look at some of the main ones.

Convenience

Probably the most obvious advantage of an attached garage, and the reason people may invest in them, is convenience. Attached garages are only a door away from the house and are very easy to access.

Not only are they easily accessible, but they are also convenient in the aspect that they can create extra storage space for items that don’t fit in the house and convenient access to those items. This is a large advantage of attached garages vs detached garages.

Often Cheaper

The second advantage of attached garages is a generally lower cost than detached garages. Because you only have to build a partial structure to connect a garage to a house, there can be lower building costs and usually no need for extra utility lines or walls.

Keep in mind that only some detached garages are going to cost more than attached garages. Portable garages that are prefabricated are generally going to be cheaper than building an attached garage onto your house.

Building an attached garage will usually cost less money than building a detached garage, but not cheaper than buying a prefab one (that is detached, of course)

Creates a Larger House

If you have a small house and property and want to expand the appearance of your house, then an attached garage can help to give your house a larger layout. If your house is exceptionally small, a two-car garage can appear to double your house in size.

There are even ways you can utilize garage space that is attached to your house; moving your washer and dryer into your garage, creating a small garage gym, and such.

Extra Yard Space

Sometimes on a small property, you may not have much additional space for a detached garage. An attached garage can save you from building on the lawn or taking up extra yard space that could be used for other things.

Protection from Elements

Another big advantage of an attached garage is protection from the outdoors. On rainy days or snowy days, it can be very inconvenient to rush outside from the garage to the house.

If you had an attached garage, then traveling to and fro outdoors would not be a problem. You wouldn’t even need to set foot outside to unload groceries or pick up something from the car.

Cons of Attached Garages

 

Though the list of advantages may have been enough to convince you to invest in an attached garage, there are a few important disadvantages to consider when you think of attached garages.

Security Risks

While you may still have locks and security features installed on your garage doors, there is still security risks involved with having an attached garage, especially if you live in a shady neighborhood.

If someone finds a way to compromise either your sliding automatic garage door or the walk-in door, then they already have easier access to your house.

Odors and Fire Hazards

Another disadvantage of having an attached garage is the increased risk of fires and other hazardous gases. Because many people store flammable materials in their garage, it can be dangerous to have your garage attached to the house.

Additionally, garages can carry a bad odor from various materials that are stored in garages, like paint thinners, gasoline, and exhaust from your car. Having your garage attached to your house can cause those foul scents to carry into your house.

Can Take Away From Exterior Appearance

Sometimes adding an attached garage to your house can destroy the look of the house or not match the style of the house, especially if it’s an older style.

It can be extra work to get a garage that matches the color and make of the house, and it can be difficult to make the appearance coordinate with the house make.

Hard to Build In Small Areas

If you live in a crowded area or a small development, it can be difficult to have enough space by your house to build an additional garage partition. In some ways, a detached garage can be a wiser decision in this area, especially if you invest in a small one.

Attached vs Detached Garages: Detached Garages

 

Detached garages, garages that are built separate from the main house, can come in a variety of styles and builds. You can have a garage built on your property, or you can have a prefab garage delivered to your house.

If you want a garage that can be moved when necessary, you can choose from various styles of portable garages. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of attached vs detached garages, focusing on detached garages this time.

Pros of Detached Garages

Detached garages have their benefits as well and could be the choice for you if you want a garage area separate from the main building. Let’s look at some reasons why you might want a detached garage over an attached garage.

Flexibility in Build

Firstly, detached garages are generally more flexible in their design options, considering that you won’t have to worry about attaching them to your main building. Add additions to your garage and customize it how you want to make it perfectly fit for your needs.

Detached garages can be modified into workshops and small gyms, basically into anything you want them to be.

Better Security for Home

Because these garages are detached from your home, there is less security threat to your home if there were to be a break-in.

A thief could not rob the house and vehicle in one break-in if they were in separate areas, and generally, a detached garage can be more securely locked up than an attached garage.

Flexibility in Use

Are you thinking of creating a workshop for your projects? Or a small Airbnb for the inlaws? A garage that is detached can be easily modified into a small home, gym, she-shed, or backyard utility shed.

A double-wide garage or one similar could be used as half garage-half other and a perfect private area to work or host guests.

Less Noise and Odor

If you are tired of the loud noise coming from your husband or son’s construction projects in the garage, then consider how a detached garage could change things for you.

Working on projects and storing flammable materials and chemicals in your detached garage would not only be safer, but it would also eliminate foul odors in the house and help reduce loud noises from bothering the occupants in the house.

Prefab Garages Could Lower Costs

There are many types of detached garages, but portable prefab garages are one of the cheapest and most efficient detached garages available. All you need to do is prepare the right spot for your garage and have it delivered to your location.

Prefab garages are also considerably cheaper than other garages built on-site and can still be constructed with quality materials that are designed to withstand the elements.

Timberline Barns specializes in prefab garages that can be customized to your needs and delivered efficiently to your home.

We offer utility garages and lofted garages that provide plenty of extra storage space. Choose the size of garage you want and even have some additional room to add on a small workshop!

 

Cons of Detached Garages

 

Though the list of pros seems long, there are a few cons to owning a detached garage over an attached garage. Let’s take a look at a few disadvantages.

Less Convenient

The largest and most obvious disadvantage of a detached garage is less convenience in a variety of ways. For starters, a detached garage is going to mean that you will have a bit of a walk from your garage to your house every time you get home, depending on how far it is from the house.

Tools and equipment will be further from the house and a little less accessible, though they may be more convenient to access when working outside. Rain and snow may be a bit annoying to carry groceries through and could be another disadvantage of detached garages.

Costs More to Heat and Cool

Because a detached garage is separate from the main building, all the plumbing, electrical wiring, and suchlike will have to be as well.

If you are interested in converting the garage into something like an Airbnb, then you will want to consider the costs of heating and cooling your detached garage.

If you are not too concerned about the garage getting a little warmer or cooler than normal in the more extreme months, then this should not be as big of a concern. For some additional information on how to hear your garage in the winter, check out this article.

Potentially Higher Costs

In a lot of cases, building a garage separate from your home can be costly. You will have to build a completely different structure with a completely different foundation, roof, utilities, and wiring.

Not only that but there might be extra costs in preparing the site for construction and even getting the permits and approvals needed.

Of course, this is not so in the case of getting a prefab garage for your property. A prefab garage will not need to be constructed on-site, though it might still be necessary to get the appropriate permits and permissions to have a garage on your property.

 

 

So Attached or Detached?

 

There are clearly pros and cons to each type of garage, so the answer is not a simple one. It really is up to you to decide what type of garage suits you best. If you are concerned about convenience and having your vehicle close to your house, then an attached garage might be right for you.

On the other hand, if you have the additional space for it, and are thinking about adding an additional workshop to your garage, then a detached garage might be right for you.

Think through what you need your garage for, and use the information you learned to make an informed decision on what type of garage you would like.

Garages from Timberline Barns

 

If you are considering investing in a detached garage, then consider one from Timberline Barns. Our prefab garages are constructed ahead of time and delivered to the specified location. Take a look at our garages below. 

 

• Metal roof or shingles 
• Thick-coated galvanized nails
• Metal entry door and metal roll-up door
• Treated Plywood floor 
• And more

Plus, free delivery within 50 miles of our location!

For some additional information on how to select the right size garage for your needs, check out this blog.

Utility Garage

 

The utility garage is a single-car garage with additional space to store your other equipment and ATVs. Use your utility garage for storage space and choose from our list of sizes ranging from 12×16 to 14×40 and get the one that best fits your needs.

Not sure what size garage you need for your car? Check out this article to learn more about popular garage sizes and the right one for you.

Lofted Garage

 

Our wooden and metal lofted garages are designed to have overhead storage space for your storage needs. Choose the right size for you and customize the color and features of your lofted garage with our 3D builder!