How Much Does a Detached Garage Cost?

By Melanie Dawn

December 24, 2025

If your home didn't come with an attached garage, you may pull into your driveway on rainy days and wish you had a secure, dry place to park. Fortunately, detached garages offer the convenience of covered parking without adding on to the size of your home.

This May Also Interest You: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Garage?

If you’re wondering how much a detached garage costs to build, this article breaks down the price of a garage project, explaining the cost of everything from the foundation to the shingles on the roof.

What Is a Detached Garage?

A detached garage is a structure separate from the main house that’s primarily used to park your vehicles. You can also use it as storage for seasonal items and lawn equipment or as a dedicated place for hobbies. Attached garages share at least one wall with the home and have a door that connects directly to the interior, making them slightly more cost-effective. Detached garages are usually built several yards behind the main house or to the side of the driveway. Because they're separate, they don’t have to follow the exact architectural elements of your house, allowing you to design a unique space that fits your specific needs.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Detached Garage?

When deciding on a detached garage, it helps to weigh the pros and cons of a separate structure.

Pros

Dedicated parking. If you don’t have existing garage space, a detached garage provides a convenient place to park, especially in inclement weather.
More room. A detached garage can be made as big as you need, providing more room for cars and extra workspace.
Easier to expand. Should you decide you need more room, it’s much easier to expand upward by adding a guest suite.
Increased property value. Adding more usable square footage to your property can increase the value of your home, which could pay off should you ever decide to sell.
Reduced sound in the main house. When your garage is a detached structure, you're less likely to be awakened by the opening and closing of the door in the morning when you’re trying to sleep. A detached garage also prevents sounds from other machinery reaching the main living spaces.
Increased safety. Carbon monoxide from your vehicles won’t leak inside your home from a detached structure.

Cons

Weather. Carrying groceries from the car to the kitchen is less convenient when you don’t have a shared point of entry.
Connecting utilities. When building a detached garage, attaching utilities can be more expensive than with an attached structure, which increases the construction costs.
Takes up space. A detached garage takes up more yard space than an attached structure. This might be a deal-breaker if you have a small lot.
Cost. Detached garages are typically more expensive to construct because you must build all four walls. An attached garage shares a wall with the home, making it cost less.

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How Much Does a Detached Garage Cost to Build on Average?

The cost of a detached garage varies depending on where you live, the size you want and the type of finishing touches you decide to add. Understanding the average cost per square foot to build the garage can help you set a realistic budget. You can expect to pay around $50 to $100 (CAD 69 to CAD 138) per square foot. The average square footage of a garage is between 400 and 576 square feet. Labor costs for a 400- to 576-square-foot garage are $20,000 to $57,600 (CAD 27,625 to CAD 79,560).

Detached Garage Installation Cost Factors

Cost of Pouring the Foundation

When calculating the cost to build a garage, it’s best to look at the project in terms of phases. During the initial stage, decide where the structure will be located and obtain estimates for excavation, grading and pouring the foundation. The total cost to pour the foundation depends on the size of the garage, the thickness of the slab and the type. A standard foundation costs between $6 and $14 (CAD 8.28 and CAD 19) per square foot. Based on the average size of a garage, the cost estimate is $2,400 to $6,900 (CAD 3,315 to CAD 9,519).

Running Utilities

At the very least, you’ll want to have electricity run to your stand-alone garage. This can cost between $10 and $25 (CAD 14 and CAD 35) per linear foot. The total cost to run and install electric lines is between $1,200 and $7,100 (CAD 1,658 and CAD 9,807). This may vary depending on whether the lines are installed underground or above ground on poles. Installing the lines above ground is half the cost of installing lines underground.

Choosing the Size

During the planning stage, you need to discuss with the builder how big a garage you need. If you’re parking a single car, consider a minimum space of 12 x 24 feet, which costs between $14,400 and $28,800 (CAD 19,890 and CAD 38,675) to install. A two-car garage should be at least 20 x 20 feet and will cost between $20,000 and $40,000 (CAD 27,625 and CAD 55,250).

Material Cost

Prefab garages are built in a factory and then shipped to the location for assembly. The average cost of a pre-built detached garage is between $7,200 and $26,000 (CAD 9,669 and CAD 35,912).

When building a detached garage, you'll also want to add in the cost of roofing materials and vinyl siding. Asphalt shingles are the most common, and they cost between $80 and $130 (CAD 111 and CAD 180) per square (100 square feet). Installed, vinyl siding costs between $4 and $12 (CAD 5.52 and CAD 17) per square foot. The total detached garage cost of materials depends on size.

Added Features

Finally, you'll want to add in any additional features to the final cost of your detached garage. A garage door costs between $800 and $1,800 (CAD 1,105 and CAD 2,486). Windows cost between $450 and $1,500 (CAD 622 and CAD 2,072), and a single exterior door costs between $300 and $1,000 (CAD 414 and CAD 1,381).

All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.

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