Built a backyard garage

[LB0442]

We decided last winter to buy a winter home in Sun City AZ, we had been snowbirds here for the last 3 winters in our 5th wheel. I looked for one where I could put a small garage in the back. The house is a 2 bed 2 bath with a normal 2 car garage on it. Settled on a corner lot where the garage would exit onto the street. I paid to have the yard cleaned out, it was full of cactus, not a fan. It is 28 wide by 36 deep. With a 16 foot door it should have plenty of room to open a car door on the side. I did the electrical, paint and hung the side door and windows, plus a lot of cleanup. I did conduit as I have a lot of wire saved up over the years from work. We only did commercial work and 1/3 of a roll was no good so I took them home. The only thing I had to buy was boxes and conduit, plus fittings. it has 25 110v outlets, and 7 220v outlets, plus lights. I put an A/C line set in the wall for future A/C unit.

Plenty of room for the dually pickup.

We broke ground in May and the only thing I am waiting on now is the garage door. I didn't order it fast enough, thought it would take longer to get built. Once the door comes in I am outa here, way too hot for me.

It is 9 foot walls, 8 foot garage door. I possibly could have went higher but Sun City was hesitant about the permit for that. They are a retirement community with multiple clubs. They have a large machine shop and a big car shop with 11 hoists and extra bays. They are putting in a paint booth also. Most of the cars I will bring down here are ready to go anyway.

 

[Kern Dog]

You didn't run in to issues with cactus removal?
Some species of cactus are protected by law and carry a penalty for removal!

 

[Cuda416]

We decided last winter to buy a winter home in Sun City AZ, we had been snowbirds here for the last 3 winters in our 5th wheel. I looked for one where I could put a small garage in the back. The house is a 2 bed 2 bath with a normal 2 car garage on it. Settled on a corner lot where the garage would exit onto the street. I paid to have the yard cleaned out, it was full of cactus, not a fan. It is 28 wide by 36 deep. With a 16 foot door it should have plenty of room to open a car door on the side. I did the electrical, paint and hung the side door and windows, plus a lot of cleanup. I did conduit as I have a lot of wire saved up over the years from work. We only did commercial work and 1/3 of a roll was no good so I took them home. The only thing I had to buy was boxes and conduit, plus fittings. it has 25 110v outlets, and 7 220v outlets, plus lights. I put an A/C line set in the wall for future A/C unit.


View attachment 2071587



Plenty of room for the dually pickup.



We broke ground in May and the only thing I am waiting on now is the garage door. I didn't order it fast enough, thought it would take longer to get built. Once the door comes in I am outa here, way too hot for me.

It is 9 foot walls, 8 foot garage door. I possibly could have went higher but Sun City was hesitant about the permit for that. They are a retirement community with multiple clubs. They have a large machine shop and a big car shop with 11 hoists and extra bays. They are putting in a paint booth also. Most of the cars I will bring down here are ready to go anyway.

That's awesome, first look at the conduit and my head went right to "Yup, an electrician did that!". Nice job!

 

[LB0442]

You didn't run in to issues with cactus removal?
Some species of cactus are protected by law and carry a penalty for removal!

I paid to have someone come in and level everything. He never said anything about it and I didn't ask. Possibly wasn't an issue as this is a 1973 house in a development and anything planted was brought in from a nursery, not original to the lot?

 

[Kern Dog]

I have family in Scottsdale and Phoenix. They have said that the cacti in their yards were a protected class and that removal is often a big problem....
Landscapers don't care any more than a discount body shop does when they see rust and cover it with Bondo. It is the owner that finds out later that the help screwed them over.
I do hope for you that it is not a problem. I sure wouldn't tell anyone that I removed one on my own property on a forum like this one.

 

[RemCharger]

Nice shop. No crying over spilled milk now..

 

[Darter6]

I believe it's the barrel cacti you speak of.
Nice job on the garage. We are in the process of buying in Eastern Oregon. A old house sitting on 4 lots.
Like you we plan on doing the snow bird thing. Az in the winter, Oregon for the summer. 33 years ago I moved to southern Nevada and loved the heat.
Now it's too hot. So, like you we plan to set up a shop on one or two of the lots for RV and toys. Being 70, I hope I will see the day the plan is finished..

 

[Davefinan]

Good to see the electric done in conduit. Nice job

 

[MarPar]

Very tidy electrical job indeed.

@kiwigtx

 

[kiwigtx]

Very tidy electrical job indeed.

@kiwigtx

Totally agree Mario....very nice work indeed.

I foresee a nice long wraparound workbench in your future @LB0442

 

[LB0442]

I plan on doing a bench on that back wall, that's why the outlets are high up there. I also installed a switch and conduit to put lights above the bench when done. That will be a winter project, once final is done next week I'm outa the heat. It can wait till November.