Detached garage cost in Omaha, NE
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (576 sq ft)
- $26,800 – $53,800
- Per sq ft
- $46.50 – $92.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $43,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #182
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a detached garage in the Omaha area: $26,800 to $53,800 for 576 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 7% lower than the US figure. Carpenters earn a median of $25.39 an hour in the Omaha area, 13% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 576 sq ft in Omaha, NE, standard level
$34,900 to $45,700
About $60 to $78.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $17,600 | $23,000 |
| Labor | $17,100 | $22,300 |
| Permits and fees | $230 | $360 |
| Total | $34,900 | $45,700 |
Cost breakdown for 576 sq ft in Omaha, NE
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $13,500 | $20,300 | $27,100 | 50% |
| Labor | $13,100 | $19,700 | $26,300 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $300 | $460 | 1% |
| Total | $26,800 | $40,300 | $53,800 | 100% |
Why Omaha prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 45% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $25.39 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Omaha is 0.91 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 49% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Omaha is at 94.1 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $21,600 nationally becomes $20,300 here (midpoint, 576 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.9: $140 to $460.
What nearby projects cost in Omaha
Jobs that often go together with detached garage are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Omaha wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete slab comes out highest (−6%) and home addition lowest (−9%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,300 – $4,850 | −6% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $660 – $3,450 | −6% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,400 – $8,600 | −6% |
| Home addition | 300 sq ft | $34,700 – $70,400 | −9% |
The best months for detached garage in Omaha
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Omaha Eppley Airfield (10 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For pouring concrete, the comfortable months in Omaha are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below.
The 40°F line is a deliberately cautious stand-in. The American Concrete Institute's cold-weather guide (ACI 306R-16) defines cold-weather concreting around an average daily air temperature below 40°F, which is colder than our test of an average overnight low at or below 40°F, so we flag a few extra shoulder months. In cold weather crews may need heated enclosures, insulating blankets or accelerated mixes, and those measures can raise a quote.
Omaha gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 27 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.7 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.0 and 2.3 inches. The station averages about 33 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 15 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Feb | 39 | 19 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Mar | 52 | 30 | 1.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 64 | 41 | 3.2 | Workable |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 66 | 43 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 50 | 30 | 1.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 38 | 20 | 1.2 | Cold |
Omaha: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Omaha. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft to 3-car (900 sq ft).
Basic
$26,800 to $37,600
Basic shell: slab, framing, siding, a roll-up door
Standard
$34,900 to $45,700
Finished exterior, insulated, electrical and a nicer door
Premium
$43,000 to $53,800
Insulated and drywalled, heat and cooling, upgraded finishes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $11,300 – $15,800 | $14,700 – $19,300 | $18,100 – $22,700 |
| 2-car (24x24), 576 sq ft | $26,800 – $37,600 | $34,900 – $45,700 | $43,000 – $53,800 |
| 2.5-car (24x30), 720 sq ft | $33,500 – $47,000 | $43,600 – $57,100 | $53,700 – $67,200 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $41,800 – $58,600 | $54,400 – $71,200 | $67,000 – $83,800 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Omaha bid
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).
How Omaha compares
Same job, same size (576 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Des Moines is the priciest of the group at $42,400. Lincoln is the cheapest at $39,700.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NEthis page | $26,800 – $53,800 | $40,300 | |
| Lincoln, NE55 miles | $26,400 – $53,000 | $39,700 | −2% |
| Sioux City, IA85 miles | $27,200 – $54,500 | $40,900 | +1% |
| Des Moines, IA120 miles | $28,200 – $56,600 | $42,400 | +5% |
| Topeka, KS155 miles | $26,700 – $53,600 | $40,200 | level |
| Sioux Falls, SD160 miles | $26,500 – $53,200 | $39,900 | −1% |
| Nebraska (statewide) | $26,400 – $53,000 | $39,700 | −1% |
| United States | $29,000 – $58,100 | $43,500 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Omaha ranks #182 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Omaha is 1% above the Nebraska figure.
Elsewhere in Nebraska
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | 182,620 jobs | $26,400 – $53,000 | $39,700 | −2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Omaha against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 520,290 jobs | $26,000 – $52,200 | $39,100 | −3% |
| Rochester, NY | 494,280 jobs | $29,600 – $59,400 | $44,500 | +10% |
| Buffalo, NY | 534,550 jobs | $30,200 – $60,500 | $45,300 | +12% |
| Fresno, CA | 476,890 jobs | $30,900 – $62,000 | $46,400 | +15% |
Who does the work: Omaha trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 5 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Omaha the blend is 0.91.
Carpenters (47-2031), 45% of the weighting: a median of $25.39 an hour, 13% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.36 and $31.06 an hour. About 3,230 work in the metro. That is 64.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.22 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.00 and $27.58 an hour. BLS counts 3,990 of them working in the area, 80.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 15% of the weighting: a median of $24.16 an hour, 12% below the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $23.08 and $29.26 an hour. About 1,390 work in the metro. That is 27.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For electricians (47-2111, weighted 10%) the local median is $30.02 an hour, which is in line with the national $30.38. The middle half of them earn between $23.50 and $38.68 an hour. BLS counts 3,530 of them working in the area, 70.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 48.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Roofers (47-2181), 10% of the weighting: a median of $22.34 an hour, 16% below the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $21.11 and $27.33 an hour. About 870 work in the metro. That is 17.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $1,900 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,000. That is a swing of roughly 2.5% to 4.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Omaha has 498,100 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 51st by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 45% | $22.36 | $25.39 | $31.06 | $29.12 | 0.87 | metro |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 15% | $23.08 | $24.16 | $29.26 | $27.41 | 0.88 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $20.00 | $23.22 | $27.58 | $22.66 | 1.02 | metro |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 10% | $23.50 | $30.02 | $38.68 | $30.38 | 0.99 | metro |
| Roofers (47-2181) | 10% | $21.11 | $22.34 | $27.33 | $26.65 | 0.84 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
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Detached garage in Omaha: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a detached garage in Omaha?
For 576 sq ft, expect $26,800 to $53,800 in the Omaha area. A standard-spec job lands at $34,900 to $45,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for detached garage in Omaha?
About $46.50 to $92.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $140 to $460 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $50 to $100.
+Is detached garage cheaper in Omaha or Lincoln?
Lincoln is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 576 sq ft there is $39,700, which is 2% less than Omaha ($40,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Omaha?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $19,700 out of $40,300. Materials are 50% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 2.5-car (24x30), 720 sq ft cost in Omaha?
$33,500 to $67,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does detached garage need a permit in Omaha?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $140 to $460 for fees in the Omaha area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Omaha expensive for detached garage compared with the rest of Nebraska?
Omaha is 1% above the Nebraska statewide estimate ($39,700 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in Nebraska; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Omaha?
The BLS median is $25.39 an hour in the Omaha area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.36 to $31.06.
+What do basic and premium detached garage work cost in Omaha?
For 576 sq ft, basic work runs $26,800 to $37,600 and premium work $43,000 to $53,800. Basic means: basic shell: slab, framing, siding, a roll-up door. Premium means: insulated and drywalled, heat and cooling, upgraded finishes.
+When is the best time to build a detached garage in Omaha?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Detached garage near Omaha
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).