Converting garage from standard truss to vault or scissor truss?

[S-FLY]

Short story long: GF and I are casually looking for a house. My major want is to have enough indoor parking for 3 cars (her daily, my daily and a project car).
That said, there's only so many configurations that allow this. Most triple car garages in the areas we want to live are out of our price range.

So the only other options are:
1. double attached garage with an alley and a back yard large enough to accommodate a future garage
2. double attached garage with ceilings high enough to get a single car lift on one side.

Option #2 seems to be the most feasible, however most houses we've looked at with double garages don't have a ceiling high enough to accommodate a lift (hoping for min. 10.5', the ones we've seen are around 8').

So I'm wondering roughly how much it would cost to change the truss design of a double attached garage (without a bonus room or anything above it) to allow for a higher ceiling? I'd probably just hire a contractor to do it all since permits, engineering etc are likely involved. If this turns out to be cost prohibitive, then it basically puts us back to option #1 or lucking out with a house we like that has a garage ceiling high enough.

Thanks!

[Tik-Tok]

Two in the front, one in the back. Just for the jokes alone.

98676

Seriously though, that's what I'd prefer. 2 attached, and triple alley, with carriage house on-top is actually better though.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I can't quite picture how different trusses can't add ceiling height but perhaps I'm missing something... They can certainly add attic space, but that's not what you're after.

[S-FLY]

Basically taking a flat ceiling and creating a vault to add more height.
It doesn't specifically need to be a scissor truss, just trying to figure out if changing the truss style is even worth it or if it'll add the height that I would be looking for.
Now that I think about it, I guess it depends on the width of the garage too, because the added height would be in the middle of the ceiling and it still might be too low on the sides for a lift. :dunno:

[ExtraSlow]

Honestly probably less work to lift entire thing and add to the bottom of the walls. Although did you say this was an attached garage? In the city? Probably have permitting issues.

[cars5431]

Basically taking a flat ceiling and creating a vault to add more height.
It doesn't specifically need to be a scissor truss, just trying to figure out if changing the truss style is even worth it or if it'll add the height that I would be looking for.
Now that I think about it, I guess it depends on the width of the garage too, because the added height would be in the middle of the ceiling and it still might be too low on the sides for a lift. :dunno:
I went through this exact process this summer of evaluating this. I have a lift and garage would work to have 2 cars on lift but my 89 gmc I’m about 20 inches to high. I had a structural engineer come in to see if I could re truss and brace to cut one truss and was a no go. Had one other person come in to look at what extra slow said above and he estimated would be 30 to 40k to raise whole roof. After all of this settled I will build a garage in back instead but I’m waiting for lumber prices to come down as I’m not paying covid peak pricing on lumber and labor.

[Darell_n]

Honestly probably less work to lift entire thing and add to the bottom of the walls. Although did you say this was an attached garage? In the city? Probably have permitting issues.

Wouldn’t you add to the top of the walls? Otherwise windows, outlets and wall switches would all change height too. Plus the power and gas service would need rework. Adding 2 feet to my garage height has been a long term fantasy of mine.

[ExtraSlow]

There was a beyonder who did it. I just dream.

[S-FLY]

Thanks all!

I think my plan going forward is just to veto all the homes that she likes that doesn't fit the garage criteria. :rofl:

[pheoxs]

Wouldn’t you add to the top of the walls? Otherwise windows, outlets and wall switches would all change height too. Plus the power and gas service would need rework. Adding 2 feet to my garage height has been a long term fantasy of mine.

Nope; way cheaper to lift the whole garage (assuming its a detached). This guy is from Calgary and did it with a walkthrough video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdbV4Kqcjls

If its an attached garage though; lol fuck that, ain't worth it to raise. You gotta deal with the roof connection to the house and way too much to fuck around with.

[03ozwhip]

Thanks all!

I think my plan going forward is just to veto all the homes that she likes that doesn't fit the garage criteria. :rofl:

That's what I did. Worked out for me lol I have a 22x24 attached and a 16x24 detached. I do have to put some sort of garage door on the detached though, for some reason they built it with a man door. Pffft

[Darell_n]

Nope; way cheaper to lift the whole garage (assuming its a detached). This guy is from Calgary and did it with a walkthrough video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdbV4Kqcjls

If its an attached garage though; lol fuck that, ain't worth it to raise. You gotta deal with the roof connection to the house and way too much to fuck around with.

You think ripping the entire garage apart, electrical, drywall, insulation, windows and all, is cheaper than just raising the roof? He doesn’t even address the windows and man door ending up the wrong height.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Thanks all!

I think my plan going forward is just to veto all the homes that she likes that doesn't fit the garage criteria. :rofl:

This is what I’ve been doing so far.