How to construct a self-build garage

This page provides a step-by-step guide on how to construct a build it yourself garage kit. If you’re considering purchasing a garage kit, then this will give you a good indication of the steps involved.

We can provide you with all the necessary information on how to build a garage to decide whether you can tackle it yourself or need some help from others. Make sure to read the whole guide before you start.

First up, before we get into the step-by-step instructions, you’ll need to make sure that you have the right tools to hand. These are:

• Self-Build Garage Kit
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Screwdriver
• Sweeping brush
• Protective thick gloves
• Square
• Spirit level
• Pliers
• Drill
• Cement mixture
• Hardcore

If you’re not a keen DIY-er, it’ll be cheaper to rent or borrow some of the items on the list either from friends, a tool library, or a hardware store.

Next, before you start building the actual garage, you’ll have to choose a location and pour a concrete foundation for the garage to stand on. This will make the floor level and also help prevent damp. The process is the same as are step-by-step guide on building a shed.

One important tip is to pour the concrete when the weather is due to be dry for a few days, which can be hard when building a garage in the UK, or to put a covering over, but not touching, it.

1. Build the side wall frames of the garage

You need three long steel struts and three shorter ones for each side on the shed. As these are all cut to size, it’s just a case of laying the struts out in the way shown here, with the three shorter pieces lining up with the pre-drilled holes in the longer ones.

Then, you just bolt them in.

2. Complete the side wall frames

Once completed, the frames should look like this.

3. Stand the first frame up and support it in place

Now, it’s time to stand the first frame up and support it with steel beams, while you affix it to the concrete base with 100mm anchor bolts.

4. Continue with the opposite side wall

Do the same with the other side wall.

5. Attach the back-wall frame

Once you’ve affixed the side walls to the base, attach the back-wall frame. Grab the two long steel beams, labelled as belonging to the back wall, and bolt them to the middle and bottom beams of the side walls. Take the shorter steel beam labelled for the back wall and place it in the middle to serve as a gable post.

6. Start assembling the back wall

Now, that everything’s in the right place, it’s time to start building the back wall.

7. Screw the purlins to the gable post

The longer horizontal beams, called purlins, should now be screwed to the gable post, as shown in the picture.

8. Attach the haunch brackets and bolt them into place

Next up, start attaching the haunch brackets, which connect the wall frames to the roof frame. Place it as shown at the top of the vertical steel beams and bolt into place.

9. Continuing doing this until complete

Then, repeat this step for all six vertical beams on the side walls. Don’t do it for the gable post because the roof comes down at a different angle at the back and it won’t fit.

10. Build the apex brackets for the roof beams

To do this as shown, bolt two roof beams to each bracket, lining them up in the pre-drilled holes.

11. Complete the roof beams

Once you’ve finished, the three beams should look like this.

12. Begin attaching the roof beams to the haunch brackets

This is done through bolting the beams on either side to the haunch brackets, again using the existing holes.

13. Finish attaching the roof beams to the haunch brackets

This should be what it looks like when you’re done.

14. Attach the roof purlins

Now it’s time to bolt in the four roof purlins.

15. Frame assembly complete

You’ve completed the frame construction. Hooray. It’s time to take a break and have a cuppa.

16. Affix drip rail and a metal sheet side wall to one of the side frames

Bolt the drip rail and side wall to the frame, as seen in the photo, making sure to line up the drilled holes and use all of them.

17. Repeat on the opposite side

It’s time to repeat yourself again.

18. Fix sheeting to back wall

It’s now time to affix the back wall in much the same way but, as you can see, the top of the wall is slightly different.

19. Trim any excess sheeting

This excess sheeting that peeks out above the roof frame can be trimmed down to fit the gabled roof.

20. Affix one side of the roof sheeting

You can now attach one side of the roof sheeting to the roof frame, lining it up with the holes in the roof purlins.

21. This is what it should look like

22. Repeat for the other side of the roof

Then, repeat this for the other side, until it looks like this. Don’t worry about the gap between the roof and the back wall. This provides ventilation without letting the rain in and prevents condensation.

23. Put up the front sheeting for the garage

It’s time to affix the front sheeting, which has the space cut out for the garage doors. Again, it’s just a case of bolting it to the frame in the assigned holes.

24. Install doors and finish

Finally, it’s time to install your doors and, if needed, cut a hole for the service door.

This guide has prepared you to create the self-build garage of your dreams. Whether you use the garage for parking, as a spare room, or for storage is entirely up to you.