What will it cost to build a 24×40 (4) four car garage with two 16×7 ft overhead doors, 36 inch pass door and 3×3 window?
Can you afford it? This is an important question you have to answer before you make a commitment to start building.
Cost areas
For more information on the costs other than the shell please visit my overall cost estimating webpage.
Cost of shell
This materials list is for a 24×40 (4) car garage.
This materials list and cost estimate doesn’t include sales tax, cost to paint, or any other necessary items or tools you might need but don’t already have.
Print this cost estimate worksheet out and take it down to your local building supply store to calculate the cost to build a 24×40 four (4) car garage using my garage plans.
The garage is big enough for two 16 ft overhead doors making it a true for 4 car garage.
24×40 (4) Four Car Garage Plans Cost Estimate Worksheet
| Notes | Item | Quantity | Price | Sub Total |
| 1 | 2x4x12ft pressure treated | 5 | 1 | 2x4x20ft pressure treated | 2 |
| 3 | 2x4x8ft | 121 | ||
| 3 | 2x4x12ft | 8 | ||
| 3 | 2x4x16ft | 8 | 3 | 2x4x20ft | 16 |
| 8 | 2x6x8ft | 8 | ||
| 6 | 2x10x20ft | 4 | ||
| 5 | Siding, 4ftx8ft | 30 | ||
| 16 | 1/2inx4ftx8ft OSB | 36 | ||
| 17 | 2 1/2inx8ft trim | 22 | ||
| 17 | 6inx8ft trim | 25 | ||
| 11 | 36in Pass door | 1 | ||
| 12 | Door lock set | 1 | ||
| 21 | 36in Window | 1 | ||
| 9 | 16ftx7ft Overhead door | 2 | ||
| 13 | Trusses, 24ft | 21 | ||
| 14 | Hurricane ties H2.5 | 38 | ||
| 15 | Gable end vents | 2 | ||
| 18 | Drip edge | 15 | ||
| 19 | Felt paper, rolls, 30# | 12 | ||
| 20 | Shingles | 36 | ||
| 22 | Assorted fasteners | |||
| Grand total | ||||
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This materials list assumes you put the pass door and window on the same wall. Which ever wall you put them on the total materials will be the same.
You can of course add more doors and windows. They are cheap compared to the overall cost of the garage.
24×40 Garage Plans Materials List Breakdown
| Notes | Description | Size | Quantity |
| Blank wall, 24ft | 1 | Bottom plate, pressure treated | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, lower | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, upper | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 3 | Studs | 2x4x8ft | 19 |
| 4 | Studs, double corner | 2x4x8ft | 2 |
| 5 | Wall sheeting | 4ftx8ft | 6 |
| Blank wall, 40ft | |||
| 1 | Bottom plate, pressure treated | 2x4x20ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, lower | 2x4x20ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, upper | 2x4x20ft | 2 |
| 3 | Studs | 2x4x8ft | 31 |
| 4 | Studs, double corner | 2x4x8ft | 2 |
| 5 | Wall sheeting | 4ftx8ft | 10 | Overhead door wall, 40ft |
| 1 | Bottom plate, pressure treated | 2x4x12ft | 1 |
| 2 | Top plate, lower | 2x4x20ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, upper | 2x4x20ft | 2 |
| 3 | Studs | 2x4x8ft | 12 |
| 5 | Wall sheeting | 4ftx8ft | 4 |
| 6 | Door header, 16ft opening | 2x10x20ft | 4 |
| 7 | Door frames | 2x4x8ft | 8 |
| 8 | Overhead door backing | 2x6x8ft | 8 |
| 9 | Overhead door | 16ftx7ft | 2 | Door and window wall, 24ft |
| 1 | Bottom plate, pressure treated | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, lower | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 2 | Top plate, upper | 2x4x12ft | 2 |
| 3 | Studs | 2x4x8ft | 19 |
| 5 | Wall sheeting | 4ftx8ft | 6 |
| 10 | Door header | 2x4x8ft | 1 |
| Door frame | 2x4x8ft | 2 | |
| 11 | Pass door | 36in | 1 |
| 12 | Door lock set | Single or double | 1 |
| 10 | Window header | 2x4x8ft | 1 |
| Window frame | 2x4x8ft | 3 | |
| 21 | Window | 36in | 1 | Roof structure |
| 13 | Trusses, 24ft | 24ft | 21 |
| 14 | Hurricane ties | H2.5 | 38 |
| 15 | Gable end vents | Sized for trusses | 2 |
| Sheeting for gable ends | 4ftx8ft | 4 | |
| Blocking between trusses | 2x4x8ft | 10 | |
| Truss end framing, 42ft | 2x4x16ft | 2 | |
| Truss end framing | 2x4x20ft | 4 | Flying rafter supports | 2x4x8ft | 6 | 3 | Flying rafters, 13.5ft | 2x4x16ft | 4 |
| Truss “rat runs” | 2x4x20ft | 6 | Truss “X” bracing | 2x4x8ft | 5 | 16 | Roof sheeting, 1155 sq.ft. | 1/2x4ftx8ft OSB | 36 | Trim |
| 17 | Corners | 2 1/2x8ft | 8 |
| 17 | Pass door | 2 1/2x8ft | 3 |
| 17 | Window | 2 1/2x8ft | 2 |
| 17 | Overhead door | 2 1/2x8ft | 9 |
| 17 | Overhead door | 6x8ft | 8 |
| 17 | Facia | 6x8ft | 17 | Roofing materials |
| 18 | Drip edge | 10ft lengths | 15 |
| 19 | Felt paper | 30# rolls | 12 |
| 20 | Shingles | Bundles | 36 |
| 22 | Assorted fasteners | ||
Materials Notes
1. Use pressure treated wood for your bottom plates, per most building codes.
2. Sometimes lumber need to be graded and stamped. Check with your building department before you buy your materials.
3. Top plates can be almost any length as long as their splice is no closer than 48 inches.
4. Use double corner studs if you plan on installing drywall later. This will give you some blocking to nail into.
5. I suggest using 1/2-5/8 in x 4ft x 8ft sheeting because it’s the easiest and most economical option. 4×8 sheets of composite siding that comes with a factory primer will allow you to build with the least cost and in the shortest amount of time. Composite siding holds paint better than real wood siding and speeds construction over using a plywood or OSB base and covering with strips of siding. It comes in various grades and thicknesses depending on your budget. The top of the line if you can afford it is called “Duratemp”. It is 1/2 to 5/8 inch plywood covered with a veneer of composite hard board. This offers the best of both worlds, strength and durability. Also “Smart Panel” offers a 1/2 – 5/8 inch thick OSB siding with a veneer of composite hard board which might be more readily available. Regular composite siding will still give you a long service life as long as you keep it painted properly. Most of them are rated for 20 or 25 years. And it’s a good choice for budget reasons. The only downside is that it’s not available in high humidity areas like Florida and Hawaii.
6. Overhead door headers up to 16 ft wide on non load bearing (gable end) walls are usually sandwiched 2×10’s. If they are on a load bearing wall (not the gable end) they might need to be engineered. Check with your building department. If you buy a manufactured header the engineering paperwork will be part of the price.
7. Overhead door frame should have 2 or 3 jack studs on either side.
8. You will need to line the back of the overhead door frame with 2×6’s to give the door the proper spacing and something to nail the door tract onto.
9. A 7 ft tall overhead door needs 1 foot of clearance above to install the track. If you need a taller door opening you’ll need to make a garage with taller side walls. If you want to install an electric opener you will need some extra framing for the motor.
10. Use sandwiched 2×4 headers up to 36 inch opening width. Use sandwiched 2×6 headers for opening greater than 36 inches.
11. 36 inch pre-hung insulated steel doors are ideal. Make sure it’s pre-drilled for a double lock set.
12. Get double lock set and have it keyed to match your house door if possible.
13. Trusses will have to be made by a lumber company and have engineering in most cases. Typically they will be located at 24 inch on center. You’ll have 2 gable end trusses and the rest regular interior trusses. Make sure to specify the size of the gable end vent opening.
14. Hurricane ties (or h2.5’s) tie the trusses to the top plates. They use special nails. Install one at the end of each truss, except the gable end trusses.
15. Gable end vents installed in the gable end trusses for ventilation.
16. 1/2 inch OSB is a less expensive option compared to plywood. But you might want to use plywood around the perimeter where it will be painted on the underside because plywood holds paint better. OSB tends to chip and flake over time. The stated quantity is based on the square footage and doesn’t account for waste. There will be 10-20% waste depending on how you make your cuts. So buy a few extra sheets.
17. I suggest making your own trim by ripping it out of composite siding. Buy solid sheets without grooves if possible to minimize waste. Otherwise just cut around the grooves in normal siding. No groove siding is siding without the normal grooves in it. You could use regular grooved siding but then you will have no control over where the grooves fall on your cuts. Or else you will have a lot of waste if you try to plan your cuts around the existing grooves in the normal siding. The no groove siding doesn’t need to closely match the main siding. It just needs to match the texture so that it looks good when painted. If necessary you can buy one brand of grooved siding and another brand of no groove siding. Or you can buy ready made trim boards but they are very expensive. As a last alternative you can use real wood for the trim. But I strongly recommend against this because real wood will take lots of extra prep time and effort and still will not give you as nice a finish product as composite hard board trim.
18. Metal drip edge comes in 10 ft lengths. Either painted or galvanized.
19. Building codes might specify what weight and how many layers of felt paper, depending on the slope of the roof and the weather in your area. A roll of 30# felt covers 100 sq.ft. The stated quantity is based on the square footage and doesn’t account overlapping and waste.
20. I suggest using 30 year architectural shingles in the highest quality you can buy. A little extra money spent here on quality will pay off in an extended lifespan and less maintenance. The stated quantity is based on the square footage and doesn’t account waste. You will need another few bundles of normal 3 tab shingles for the starter strips and to cut for ridge caps.
21. Window can be single or double pane.
22. Ask your building supply store for their estimate on the amount fasteners you’ll need. Just buy more then you think you need because they’re cheap and you can always use them on other projects.