Detached garage cost: national prices and local ranges
Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- US range (576 sq ft)
- $29,000 – $58,100
- Per sq ft
- $50 – $100
- materials and labor
- Cheapest metro
- $35,500
- Brownsville, TX
- Priciest metro
- $57,900
- Honolulu, HI
A detached garage runs $29,000 to $58,100 nationally for 576 sq ft, or $50 to $100 per sq ft for materials and labor. Where you live moves that number a lot: across 300 metros the midpoint runs from $35,500 in Brownsville, TX to $57,900 in Honolulu, HI.
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Estimated cost for 576 sq ft in the US average, standard level
$37,700 to $49,400
About $65 to $85 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $18,700 | $24,500 |
| Labor | $18,700 | $24,500 |
| Permits and fees | $260 | $400 |
| Total | $37,700 | $49,400 |
Cost breakdown for 576 sq ft in the US
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $14,400 | $21,600 | $28,800 | 50% |
| Labor | $14,400 | $21,600 | $28,800 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $330 | $500 | 1% |
| Total | $29,000 | $43,500 | $58,100 | 100% |
What basic, standard and premium mean
Basic
$29,000 to $40,600
Basic shell: slab, framing, siding, a roll-up door
Standard
$37,700 to $49,400
Finished exterior, insulated, electrical and a nicer door
Premium
$46,400 to $58,100
Insulated and drywalled, heat and cooling, upgraded finishes
Cost by size and quality level
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $12,200 – $17,100 | $15,900 – $20,800 | $19,600 – $24,500 |
| 2-car (24x24), 576 sq ft | $29,000 – $40,600 | $37,700 – $49,400 | $46,400 – $58,100 |
| 2.5-car (24x30), 720 sq ft | $36,200 – $50,700 | $47,100 – $61,600 | $58,000 – $72,500 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $45,200 – $63,300 | $58,800 – $76,900 | $72,400 – $90,500 |
How a detached garage job goes, step by step
- Zoning, setbacks, and the permit. Detached garages are bound by setback and height rules and almost always need a full permit with plans.
- Foundation and slab. Footings and a reinforced slab, with frost-depth footings where the ground freezes.
- Frame, sheathing, and roof. Walls and trusses go up, then sheathing, roofing and house wrap. A weather-tight shell is the first major milestone.
- Doors, electrical, and finish. Overhead door, entry door, lighting and outlets, then siding and paint. Electrical work is inspected separately.
What changes the price of a detached garage
Size and finish level
HomeGuide puts a 2-car detached garage at $20,000-$57,600, with the spread driven by how finished it is.
Foundation
A slab is cheapest. A frost-depth foundation in cold states costs more.
Garage apartments
A garage with living space is a different project: HomeGuide puts them at $80,000-$300,000.
Permits
You need a permit for a detached garage: $150-$500 on average, with separate electrical or plumbing permits if those are involved.
Electrical
Running power to a detached garage costs $1,000-$3,800 for a standard build and $5,000 or more for a long trench or amperage upgrade (Angi, Trusscore).
Wages behind the national estimate
Carpenters (47-2031) do the largest share of the work, about 45% of the weighting. Their national median is $29.12 an hour. Among 300 metros with a published figure, the median runs from $17.13 in Brownsville, TX to $45.34 in Honolulu, HI, and the middle metro sits at $27.19. That ratio between the high and low end is 2.65 to 1, and it feeds straight into the labor line of the estimate.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 45% | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 | $29.12 | 1.00 | US |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 15% | $22.60 | $27.41 | $32.15 | $27.41 | 1.00 | US |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 | $22.66 | 1.00 | US |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 10% | $23.76 | $30.38 | $40.36 | $30.38 | 1.00 | US |
| Roofers (47-2181) | 10% | $22.24 | $26.65 | $31.44 | $26.65 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 1.00 | |||||
Does the season matter for detached garage?
We checked NOAA 1991-2020 normals for 300 metros and counted the months with no freezing or heat problem for pouring concrete. 10 metros have all 12 months comfortable; the median metro has 6. The shortest seasons are in Anchorage, AK (3), Grand Junction, CO (3), Kennewick, WA (3) and Pueblo, CO (3). The wettest metro is Pensacola; the driest is El Centro at about 3 inches a year.
Local pages show a month-by-month table for each metro. We do not change prices by month, because there is no reliable published seasonal price series.
How much the price varies by city
Across the 300 metros we cover, the midpoint for 576 sq ft runs from $35,500 in Brownsville to $57,900 in Honolulu, a gap of 63%. The median metro is $41,700, which is −4% against the national midpoint of $43,500. 37 metros are 10% or more above the national figure, 63 are 10% or more below, and 200 sit within 10% of it.
Most expensive metros for detached garage
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $38,600 – $77,300 | $57,900 |
| Kahului, HI | $37,700 – $75,600 | $56,600 |
| San Francisco, CA | $36,700 – $73,600 | $55,200 |
| Chicago, IL | $35,500 – $71,100 | $53,300 |
| San Jose, CA | $35,000 – $70,200 | $52,600 |
| New York, NY | $34,000 – $68,300 | $51,100 |
| Seattle, WA | $34,000 – $68,200 | $51,100 |
| Anchorage, AK | $33,900 – $68,000 | $51,000 |
| Napa, CA | $33,800 – $67,900 | $50,900 |
| Bellingham, WA | $33,400 – $67,000 | $50,200 |
Least expensive metros for detached garage
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, TX | $23,600 – $47,400 | $35,500 |
| McAllen, TX | $23,900 – $48,000 | $35,900 |
| El Paso, TX | $24,000 – $48,100 | $36,100 |
| Laredo, TX | $24,200 – $48,500 | $36,400 |
| Albany, GA | $24,200 – $48,600 | $36,400 |
| Fort Smith, AR | $24,200 – $48,600 | $36,400 |
| Lubbock, TX | $24,400 – $49,000 | $36,700 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $24,400 – $49,100 | $36,800 |
| Texarkana, TX | $24,500 – $49,100 | $36,800 |
| Dothan, AL | $24,500 – $49,100 | $36,800 |
Detached garage cost by state
| State | Range (576 sq ft) | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $25,600 – $51,300 | $38,500 |
| Alaska | $34,200 – $68,600 | $51,400 |
| Arizona | $27,900 – $55,900 | $41,900 |
| Arkansas | $25,100 – $50,400 | $37,800 |
| California | $33,000 – $66,200 | $49,600 |
| Colorado | $29,100 – $58,400 | $43,700 |
| Connecticut | $30,200 – $60,600 | $45,400 |
| Delaware | $28,300 – $56,700 | $42,500 |
| District of Columbia | $30,900 – $62,000 | $46,500 |
| Florida | $26,700 – $53,600 | $40,100 |
| Georgia | $26,400 – $52,900 | $39,600 |
| Hawaii | $37,400 – $75,100 | $56,300 |
| Idaho | $27,500 – $55,200 | $41,400 |
| Illinois | $34,500 – $69,200 | $51,900 |
| Indiana | $29,100 – $58,300 | $43,700 |
| Iowa | $27,600 – $55,400 | $41,500 |
| Kansas | $27,200 – $54,600 | $40,900 |
| Kentucky | $26,900 – $53,900 | $40,400 |
| Louisiana | $25,800 – $51,800 | $38,800 |
| Maine | $28,800 – $57,700 | $43,200 |
| Maryland | $29,700 – $59,700 | $44,700 |
| Massachusetts | $32,400 – $65,100 | $48,700 |
| Michigan | $29,200 – $58,500 | $43,800 |
| Minnesota | $31,500 – $63,200 | $47,300 |
| Mississippi | $25,700 – $51,600 | $38,700 |
| Missouri | $29,100 – $58,300 | $43,700 |
| Montana | $28,900 – $58,000 | $43,500 |
| Nebraska | $26,400 – $53,000 | $39,700 |
| Nevada | $29,000 – $58,200 | $43,600 |
| New Hampshire | $29,000 – $58,200 | $43,600 |
| New Jersey | $32,400 – $65,100 | $48,700 |
| New Mexico | $27,100 – $54,400 | $40,700 |
| New York | $32,700 – $65,600 | $49,200 |
| North Carolina | $26,400 – $53,000 | $39,700 |
| North Dakota | $28,300 – $56,900 | $42,600 |
| Ohio | $28,700 – $57,600 | $43,100 |
| Oklahoma | $25,300 – $50,800 | $38,100 |
| Oregon | $31,600 – $63,400 | $47,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,100 – $58,500 | $43,800 |
| Rhode Island | $29,800 – $59,900 | $44,800 |
| South Carolina | $26,500 – $53,100 | $39,800 |
| South Dakota | $26,200 – $52,700 | $39,500 |
| Tennessee | $26,600 – $53,300 | $40,000 |
| Texas | $26,300 – $52,800 | $39,600 |
| Utah | $27,300 – $54,800 | $41,000 |
| Vermont | $29,100 – $58,400 | $43,700 |
| Virginia | $27,800 – $55,900 | $41,900 |
| Washington | $33,300 – $66,900 | $50,100 |
| West Virginia | $26,600 – $53,400 | $40,000 |
| Wisconsin | $29,500 – $59,100 | $44,300 |
| Wyoming | $27,900 – $56,000 | $41,900 |
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Detached garage cost: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a detached garage?
$29,000 to $58,100 for 576 sq ft at national prices, including a permit of $150 to $500.
+What is the average cost per sq ft?
$50 to $100 per sq ft, materials and labor. The mid-range is about $75.
+How much does the price vary by city?
A lot. The most expensive metro we cover is 63% above the cheapest for the same 576 sq ft job. The cheapest is Brownsville, TX; the priciest is Honolulu, HI.
+How much of the cost is labor?
About 50% at the national midpoint ($21,600). Materials are 50%.
+What do carpenters earn on a detached garage job?
The national BLS median is $29.12 an hour for carpenters, with the middle half earning $23.32 to $36.94. Local wages are what move this estimate from town to town.
+How much more does a premium detached garage job cost than a basic one?
At the national level, basic runs $29,000 to $40,600 and premium $46,400 to $58,100 for 576 sq ft. Basic means: basic shell: slab, framing, siding, a roll-up door. Premium means: insulated and drywalled, heat and cooling, upgraded finishes.
+Can detached garage work be done in winter?
It depends on where you are. We checked NOAA 1991-2020 normals for 300 metros and counted the months with no freezing or heat problem for pouring concrete. 10 metros have all 12 months comfortable; the median metro has 6. The shortest seasons are in Anchorage, AK (3), Grand Junction, CO (3), Kennewick, WA (3) and Pueblo, CO (3). The wettest metro is Pensacola; the driest is El Centro at about 3 inches a year.
Related projects
Largest metros: Detached garage prices
- New York, NY$51,100 midpoint
- Los Angeles, CA$49,600 midpoint
- Chicago, IL$53,300 midpoint
- Dallas, TX$41,000 midpoint
- Houston, TX$40,300 midpoint
- Washington, DC$45,300 midpoint
- Philadelphia, PA$44,600 midpoint
- Atlanta, GA$40,600 midpoint
- Miami, FL$41,800 midpoint
- Boston, MA$48,600 midpoint
- Phoenix, AZ$42,200 midpoint
- San Francisco, CA$55,200 midpoint
- Seattle, WA$51,100 midpoint
- Minneapolis, MN$50,000 midpoint
- Detroit, MI$46,300 midpoint
- Riverside, CA$47,400 midpoint
- Denver, CO$44,900 midpoint
- San Diego, CA$49,500 midpoint
- Tampa, FL$39,900 midpoint
- Orlando, FL$39,100 midpoint
- Charlotte, NC$40,200 midpoint
- Baltimore, MD$44,100 midpoint
- St. Louis, MO$47,800 midpoint
- Austin, TX$39,400 midpoint
- Portland, OR$50,100 midpoint
- Las Vegas, NV$43,400 midpoint
- San Jose, CA$52,600 midpoint
- San Antonio, TX$38,300 midpoint
- Pittsburgh, PA$44,500 midpoint
- Columbus, OH$44,600 midpoint
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Detached Garage Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Trusscore: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Garage? 2026 Price Guide (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Angi: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Detached Garage? [2026 Data] (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed range / 1.6, because Angi puts professional labor at roughly an additional 60% of the materials cost (materials about 62.5% of the total).