The economy is in a weird spot right now, but the trend seems to be upward, meaning homeowners are starting to shell out the money for bigger remodeling projects.
Take garages. Dave Pedersen of Quality Garage Inc. said business “has started to come back to life a little bit.”
“Right now I think people are looking for a basic structure at a low price,” Pedersen said. “They can justify keeping their car out of the weather and off the street, away from the thieves and the parking police.”
Pedersen’s been in the business for more than 25 years, building garages and home additions. In that time, he’d say at least half of his customers are calling for a teardown of an original garage that doesn’t fit today’s needs.
“They have a small garage or one you can’t fit a normal car in,” Pedersen said. “So 50 percent of the time these are demo jobs of the garage, because they are just not usable for whatever reason.”
Mark Goode, the owner and operator of Northwest Garages, also has adapted to these changing times.
Homeowners may be willing to spend the money for a ground-up, custom-built project, from concrete floors to light fixtures. Or the homeowner may just want Goode to build a frame. Goode will work with the homeowner either way.
“It’s about a 50-50 deal with our customers between whether they want an all-finished product or whether they want to finish it themselves,” Goode said. “But we can take it from start to finish.”
Northwest Garages, based in Lake Stevens, started in 1980. Besides specializing in custom garages, the company does room additions, RV garages, workshops, storage buildings and business expansions.
What Goode has learned over the years is that customers want to know the basics up front: How much will a garage cost and how long will it take?
He charges between $10,000 and $50,000 as an average range for a garage project. An average price for a two-car garage is $20,000, Goode said.
A standard two-car garage can go up in about two weeks. Where the time is consumed is generally in the permit process, which can take up to two months, Goode said.
In some cities, such as Everett, the rules are that the new or rebuilt garage must attempt to match whatever siding is on the house.
“The whole idea was to get away from metal buildings and metal sidings,” said Pedersen, who also does the design work on his projects. “Now they want the roof pitch to be similar to the house and siding.”
Goode said he just finished a garage for a 1950s-style home on Rucker Hill, which he demolished down to the wallboard and built back up, complete with sidewalks.
“So we match to people’s homes whether they are newer or older homes,” Goode said. “We’re able to do whatever people want me to do or what people can afford. It’s still tough times.”
Pedersen would agree with that, adding, “Right now, I’d say what the trends are, I’m kind of seeing it slowly come back.”
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Garage upgrades
Maybe you can’t afford a new garage, but here are some budget-conscious upgrades to improve your garage space:
Install a more comfortable floor: Craftsman, in partnership with Sport Court International, makes “diamond plate” plastic floor tiles, made from high-impact interlocking pieces that have reinforced support legs, according to Truck Test Digest.
An automatic garage door opener: You can upgrade from those clanky, loud, chain-driven overhead garage door openers to a softer-sounding state-of-the-art belt-driven model.
Tool storage: Chuck that old particleboard pegboard and invest in a galvanized steel pegboard that’s sturdy, shiny and stronger, which translates to more storage ability.
Resources
Northwest Garages
11313 60th St. NE, Lake Stevens; 425-334-9262; www.northwestgarages.com/
Office hours by appointment only
Quality Garage Inc.
3702 Rucker Ave., Everett; 425-259-7250; www.qualitygarage.net
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