Attached vs. Detached Garages

Posted December 8, 2019

Regardless of where it is placed, a garage can be a huge asset to your home & lifestyle. If you’re trying to decide between an attached vs detached garage, it’s important to know the pros and cons of both. Once you determine its main intended use, then you can decide what works best for your needs as a homeowner.

Attached Garages

Attached garages are literally built into your home’s structure, and are typically attached to the living space or entryway with a doorway. There are pros & cons to this option.

Pros

These are some of the benefits of having a garage that’s attached to your home:

Convenient – Quickly access your garage right from your home without ever having to go outside
Cost-Efficient – Because the walls already exist, attaching a garage to one of the walls saves you money

Cons

Below you’ll find a couple of cons in relation to attached garages:

Zoning Issues – It’s harder and costlier to obtain permits for structures that are already built
Security Risks – If someone breaks into your garage, they have a direct connection to get inside your home as well

Detached Garages

Pros

Building a garage that’s detached from your home allows you to customize a unique structure designed for your specific needs. Here are some benefits of having a detached garage:

Easier Expansion – As long as you’re able to get the permit, it’s much simpler to expand a garage that’s detached than one attached to your home
Keeps Noise Outside – If you plan to use your garage to work on cars, as a recording studio or to use noisy machinery, a detached space keeps the noise out of the house

Cons

Detached garages also come with a list of cons. You should consider this, and more:

Bad Weather – When your garage is detached, that means walking through the rain, snow or blistering heat and dealing with other outside elements to access it
Distance – Transporting groceries and other items from your car to the house may be a bit further than with an attached garage

Benefits of Having Any Type of Garage

Here are some of the pros of having a garage for your home, whether it’s attached or detached:

Extra Storage Space – If you have very limited storage space in your home, add customized closets, shelves and drawers in your garage
Extra Outdoor Living Space – Add a deck, patio or large porch over your garage for an awesome place to hang out or entertain family and friends

Do you need a new garage or are you looking for ways to make yours more functional? Not sure whether you should go with a detached or an attached garage? Driscoll Contracting is happy to meet & go over your existing structure, as well as your personal needs to determine which option will be your best fit. Give us a call today at 781-405-5584