Detached garage cost in El Paso, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (576 sq ft)
- $24,000 – $48,100
- Per sq ft
- $41.50 – $83
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −17%
- US $43,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #298
- 1 = most expensive
A detached garage in El Paso, TX usually costs $24,000 to $48,100 for 576 sq ft. That works out to about $41.50 to $83 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $7,450 less. Carpenters earn a median of $20.40 an hour in the El Paso area, 30% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 576 sq ft in El Paso, TX, standard level
$31,200 to $40,900
About $54 to $70.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $17,600 | $23,000 |
| Labor | $13,500 | $17,600 |
| Permits and fees | $230 | $360 |
| Total | $31,200 | $40,900 |
Cost breakdown for 576 sq ft in El Paso, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $13,500 | $20,300 | $27,000 | 56% |
| Labor | $10,300 | $15,500 | $20,700 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $130 | $290 | $450 | 1% |
| Total | $24,000 | $36,100 | $48,100 | 100% |
Why El Paso prices look the way they do
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 5 trades: carpenters at 45%, cement masons and concrete finishers at 15%, construction laborers at 20%, electricians at 10%, roofers at 10%. Weighted together, El Paso wages are 0.72 times the national level. Labor makes up about 43% of the midpoint estimate (50% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. El Paso is at 93.8 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 89.9: $130 to $450.
Cost by quality level and size in El Paso
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to El Paso. 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
$24,000 to $33,600
Basic shell: slab, framing, siding, a roll-up door
Standard
$31,200 to $40,900
Finished exterior, insulated, electrical and a nicer door
Premium
$38,500 to $48,100
Insulated and drywalled, heat and cooling, upgraded finishes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-car (12x20), 240 sq ft | $10,100 – $14,200 | $13,100 – $17,200 | $16,200 – $20,300 |
| 2-car (24x24), 576 sq ft | $24,000 – $33,600 | $31,200 – $40,900 | $38,500 – $48,100 |
| 2.5-car (24x30), 720 sq ft | $29,900 – $42,000 | $39,000 – $51,000 | $48,000 – $60,100 |
| 3-car (900 sq ft) | $37,400 – $52,400 | $48,700 – $63,700 | $59,900 – $75,000 |
El Paso weather and the detached garage calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, El Paso Intl Ap (5 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 El Paso are March through May and September through November: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below, and June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
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.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in June, July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
El Paso gets about 9 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 3 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (1.7 inches in August). Inside the workable window, March and April are the driest, at 0.2 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 117 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 | 59 | 35 | 0.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 0.4 | Cold |
| Mar | 72 | 46 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 0.2 | Workable |
| May | 89 | 62 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 97 | 71 | 0.7 | Hot |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 1.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 1.7 | Hot |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 58 | 34 | 0.6 | Cold |
Detached garage: what moves the price in El Paso
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).
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.
What nearby projects cost in El Paso
Jobs that often go together with detached garage are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same El Paso wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, garage door comes out highest (−12%) and home addition lowest (−21%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,050 – $4,450 | −15% |
| Garage door | 1 door | $590 – $3,250 | −12% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,000 – $7,300 | −20% |
| Home addition | 300 sq ft | $30,200 – $61,200 | −21% |
El Paso against nearby metros and the rest of Texas
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 576 sq ft range from $36,100 to $41,100 across El Paso and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TXthis page | $24,000 – $48,100 | $36,100 | |
| Las Cruces, NM95 miles | $26,400 – $53,100 | $39,800 | +10% |
| Odessa, TX175 miles | $25,900 – $52,000 | $38,900 | +8% |
| Midland, TX210 miles | $26,900 – $54,000 | $40,500 | +12% |
| Lubbock, TX250 miles | $24,400 – $49,000 | $36,700 | +2% |
| Albuquerque, NM255 miles | $27,300 – $54,900 | $41,100 | +14% |
| Texas (statewide) | $26,300 – $52,800 | $39,600 | +10% |
| United States | $29,000 – $58,100 | $43,500 | +21% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, El Paso ranks #298 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, El Paso is 9% below the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $27,300 – $54,800 | $41,000 | +14% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $26,800 – $53,700 | $40,300 | +12% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $26,200 – $52,600 | $39,400 | +9% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $25,500 – $51,200 | $38,300 | +6% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $23,900 – $48,000 | $35,900 | level |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $25,500 – $51,200 | $38,300 | +6% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is El Paso against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Port, FL | 339,940 jobs | $26,700 – $53,600 | $40,100 | +11% |
| Bakersfield, CA | 338,230 jobs | $31,400 – $62,900 | $47,100 | +31% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $26,700 – $53,600 | $40,200 | +11% |
| Harrisburg, PA | 335,010 jobs | $29,100 – $58,400 | $43,800 | +21% |
What local crews earn in El Paso
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 El Paso the blend is 0.72.
Carpenters (47-2031), 45% of the weighting: a median of $20.40 an hour, 30% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $17.42 and $23.98 an hour. About 620 work in the metro. That is 18.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $17.15 an hour, which is 24% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $15.39 and $19.10 an hour. BLS counts 2,140 of them working in the area, 63.1 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 $20.16 an hour, 26% below the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $18.60 and $22.31 an hour. About 570 work in the metro. That is 16.8 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 $23.14 an hour, which is 24% below the national $30.38. The middle half of them earn between $18.95 and $29.01 an hour. BLS counts 1,380 of them working in the area, 40.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 48.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Roofers (47-2181), 10% of the weighting: a median of $17.45 an hour, 35% below the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $14.16 and $21.54 an hour. About 120 work in the metro. That is 3.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $1,200 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $990. That is a swing of roughly 2.8% to 3.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
El Paso has 339,120 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 76th 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% | $17.42 | $20.40 | $23.98 | $29.12 | 0.70 | metro |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 15% | $18.60 | $20.16 | $22.31 | $27.41 | 0.74 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $15.39 | $17.15 | $19.10 | $22.66 | 0.76 | metro |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 10% | $18.95 | $23.14 | $29.01 | $30.38 | 0.76 | metro |
| Roofers (47-2181) | 10% | $14.16 | $17.45 | $21.54 | $26.65 | 0.65 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.72 | |||||
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Detached garage in El Paso: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a detached garage in El Paso?
For 576 sq ft, expect $24,000 to $48,100 in the El Paso area. A standard-spec job lands at $31,200 to $40,900. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for detached garage in El Paso?
About $41.50 to $83 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $130 to $450 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $50 to $100.
+Is detached garage cheaper in El Paso or Las Cruces?
Las Cruces is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 576 sq ft there is $39,800, which is 10% more than El Paso ($36,100). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in El Paso?
About 43% at the midpoint, or $15,500 out of $36,100. Materials are 56% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 2.5-car (24x30), 720 sq ft cost in El Paso?
$29,900 to $60,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does detached garage need a permit in El Paso?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $130 to $450 for fees in the El Paso area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is El Paso expensive for detached garage compared with the rest of Texas?
El Paso is 9% below the Texas statewide estimate ($39,600 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in El Paso?
The BLS median is $20.40 an hour in the El Paso area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.42 to $23.98.
+What do basic and premium detached garage work cost in El Paso?
For 576 sq ft, basic work runs $24,000 to $33,600 and premium work $38,500 to $48,100. 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 El Paso?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through May and September through November. March and April 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 El Paso
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).