An attached garage needs a side yard, which is why we build more of them in Union, West Orange and Forest Hill than on two-family blocks. The roof tie-in is planned so snow and ice do not sit against the house.
With an attached garage, you get from the car into the house on a January night without crossing an icy yard. In Union, West Orange and the larger lots of Newark's Forest Hill and Vailsburg sections, there is often room beside the house for one. On narrow two-family lots it rarely fits, because the driveway is the only side yard.
Attaching a garage means tying new walls and a new roof into an old house. We match the roof pitch where we can and avoid valleys that trap snow and ice against the siding. The wall and any ceiling between the garage and living space need fire separation under the code, and the door between them has to meet the code too.
The new foundation must sit below frost and line up with the house foundation so the two do not move apart over the winters. We look at the existing foundation, the grade along that side and any windows or vents in the wall that will become the garage wall, and we put all of it in the written quote. If the house has a basement, we also check how the new footing sits next to it.
Attached garages in Newark: common questions
Is an attached garage harder to permit than a detached one?
It is reviewed as an addition to the house, so the plans cover fire separation and how it ties in. The steps are the same: zoning, then the construction permit.
Can you attach a garage to an older house?
Usually, if the lot allows. We check the old foundation and wall first, because the new work has to connect to them.
Will an attached garage block my windows?
It can. The drawings either work around those windows or show them moved or filled in.
How it works
- Free on-site estimate: Call, text or book online. We look at the lot, access and where the garage can go.
- Plans & written quote: Size, layout, materials and price in writing.
- Permits & site prep: We check what the job needs, then prepare the ground and the slab.
- Build & walk-through: Framing, roof, doors and finish, then a walk-through with you.