Garage Conversion to Living Space

[Joy D.]

Hi there!

I'm contemplating adding a bedroom with a bathroom into my single-car garage space... nothing major, just a simple space conversion. Has ANYBODY gone through the permits process and done this? The costs from securing architectural drawings to getting a survey and mechanical/engineering/plumbing sheets are wild! Does anybody have a hack for THIS? The goal is to generate income from my primary residence.  

[Jeff Hagen]

You will want the full set of plans: elevations, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, floor plan with signatures and seals.

For the mini split, some recommendations: If you're going to use 2 heads (one for living room, one for bedroom), get 2 separate single zone outdoor units (not a multi-zone). For small spaces, you can't get a small enough (in terms of BTU) multi-zone unit and what happens is one unit receives refrigerant even when not running if the other is running, which due to the cold of the evap coil causes it to condensate and ultimately causes constant problems with drainage.

Also, look for a mini-split where you can connect an external thermostat and configure the head unit to shut off when the set point is reached. The default mode of operation for mini-splits is to run the fan continuously 24/7, which causes high humidity because all of the condensation is being blown back into the building.

You can get top tier mitsubishi units for cheap at surplus city liquidators. I've gotten several from them.

Finding a good contractor that's also affordable is a challenge, especially here in South Florida. If you pull the permit under your name, you at least have the flexibility to fire and replace a contractor, and you don't need to hire a GC, just the subs.

Feel free to DM me. I have pulled a few permits here and have done some larger projects. I'm also part way through the state licensing exams for getting my own GC license.