A garage is one of the few home projects that delivers on three fronts at once: it protects your vehicles from Michigan winters, it solves a storage problem that has probably been creeping for years, and it adds real value to the property.
It’s also a structure — with a foundation, a roof, framing, and code requirements — which means the difference between a good garage builder and a cheap one shows up in ways you won’t see for a decade.
Here’s what Dearborn and Detroit Metro homeowners should know before hiring.
Repair, Replace, or Build New?
Many of the garages in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and the surrounding communities were built in the 1940s through 1960s alongside the houses. A lot of them are at the end of their service life. The first decision is which project you’re actually doing.
Repair makes sense when the concrete slab is level and uncracked, the framing is square and plumb, and the problems are surface-level — failing siding, a worn roof, a rotted service door, a sagging overhead door.
Replacement makes sense when the slab has heaved or cracked through, walls are leaning, the sill plate has rotted out from ground contact, or the structure is too small to be useful. Sinking real money into a failing structure rarely pays off.
Building new is the path when there’s no garage at all, or when you want to relocate it on the lot for better access.
We do all three, and we’ll tell you honestly which one your garage needs. If a repair is the right call, we’ll say so.
Zoning Comes Before Design
This trips people up. Before you decide on size, your lot determines what’s legal:
- Setbacks — minimum distance from side and rear property lines
- Lot coverage — the maximum percentage of your lot that structures can occupy
- Height limits — which matter if you want attic storage or a steeper roof pitch
- Easements — utility easements you cannot build over, regardless of setbacks
A garage builder who starts by asking about your lot and pulling the zoning requirements is doing it right. One who quotes a 24x24 over the phone without asking is quoting a number, not a project.
The Foundation Is the Part You Can’t Fix Later
Everything above the slab can be repaired or replaced. The foundation cannot — not economically.
In Michigan’s freeze-thaw climate, that means footings below the frost line, a properly prepared and compacted base, correct slab thickness with reinforcement, and grading that moves water away from the structure. A slab poured on unprepared ground will crack and heave, and there is no cosmetic fix for it.
Ask any garage builder specifically about footing depth, base preparation, slab thickness, and reinforcement. A vague answer is an answer.
What Goes Into a Complete Garage Build
- Foundation and slab — footings, base prep, pour, and cure
- Framing — walls, headers, and roof structure sized for Michigan snow loads
- Roofing — full roofing system with proper underlayment, flashing, and ventilation. We roof the garage the same way we roof the house.
- Siding and trim — matched to the house so the garage doesn’t read as an afterthought
- Overhead door and opener — sized and insulated to your use
- Service door and windows
- Electrical — outlets, lighting, and any dedicated circuits for tools, a freezer, or an EV charger. This requires its own permit and a licensed electrician.
- Gutters and drainage — so roof runoff isn’t dumped against the new foundation
- Concrete approach — the connection from driveway to slab
If a bid seems dramatically lower than the others, the first place to look is which of these items quietly isn’t in it.
Matching the Garage to the House
A detached garage that doesn’t match the house drags down the curb appeal of both. Because NorthWest Construction handles roofing, siding, windows, and gutters in-house, we can match the new garage to your existing roof and siding — or update both at once so the whole property reads as a single, finished exterior.
That’s a practical advantage of hiring one contractor rather than a garage-only crew: the shingle and siding lines on your house are already in our system.
Questions to Ask Garage Builders
- Are you licensed and insured in Michigan? May I see the certificate?
- Who pulls the building permit, and is the electrical permit included?
- What is your footing depth and slab specification?
- Is the concrete approach included, or is that separate?
- Is electrical in the bid, and by a licensed electrician?
- What’s your workmanship guarantee, in writing?
- Who will actually be on site — your crew or subcontractors?
Building Garages in the Detroit Metro Area Since 2003
NorthWest Construction builds new garages, garage additions, and garage repairs throughout Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Allen Park, Livonia, Taylor, Westland, Redford, and the surrounding communities. We pull the permits, we handle the inspections, and we build the whole structure — foundation to shingles — with our own crew.
You can see completed projects in our garage gallery, or read more about our garage construction, repair, and addition services.
Call (313) 277-7676 or contact us online for a free garage estimate.