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4K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  wire_twister 
#1 ·
I am building a new garage and have a question. I want it to be 30 by 40 and ordered 30 foot trusses. Does that mean the walls are 30 foot outside to outside/on center/or inside to inside?
 
#2 ·
That's 30 feet to the edge of your roof overhang.

You have your soffit dimensions on each side of the structure. If it's an attached garage, you may need to adjust the new soffit widths to match the soffit widths of the existing home's.
Then, you have the thickenss of your walls (2) walls. Either 2x4 or 2x6 + Interior wall finish thickness, + exterior wall material thicknesses.

All these will dictate your inside to inside measurements & your outside to outside...
 
#4 ·
You need to check with the truss design engineer to determine where the bottom chord is designed to rest on a supporting walll. That would determine how wide your building is. I suspect you have ordered trusses that are not wide enough for a 30 foot wide building unless they are designed for no overhang and you intend on installing them in that fashion.

other posts while I was typing answered the questions I had. Your building is designed to be 26' to the outside of the wall.
 
#7 ·
I designed this project at menards on their computer. The design sheet says 30' wide x 40' deep x 9' high, has gable roof w/ 4/12 pitch trusses 2' o.c. On the material list it says "30' STD 4/12 60# 2' OC 2' HO common truss". My neighbor works for his fathers contractor business and am going to inquire some of his knowledge to help with my project. I just thought that I could use a site like this for more opinions. If all your gonna do is make fun of me I'll not ask for any more help.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I designed this project at menards on their computer. The design sheet says 30' wide x 40' deep x 9' high, has gable roof w/ 4/12 pitch trusses 2' o.c. On the material list it says "30' STD 4/12 60# 2' OC 2' HO common truss". My neighbor works for his fathers contractor business and am going to inquire some of his knowledge to help with my project. I just thought that I could use a site like this for more opinions. If all your gonna do is make fun of me I'll not ask for any more help.
Wooah. Chill out. No one's making fun of you.

The point is that building a garage costs a good chunk of money. Custom ordered materials, can usually not be returned. No-one here wants to see you make expensive mistakes.

I am serious, when I say that you need to have a professional (like your neighbor) look over things and help you. I think that's a great idea, and was exactly the point I was trying to make in my last post.
You need someone to help you. Even I pull in experienced friends on larger projects to get their input, their eyes, their thoughts on design, logistics, material count.

Realize that building a garage is not a DIY project, if a person has no building skills.
Even an experienced finished carpenter can lack the knowledge to properly build a large, trussed roof garage.

Be careful, plan thoroughly, get some pro input on every aspect of the project.

Check, doublecheck, and triple check your custom materials orders, and ask all your questions, before placing the orders.

Even the pros make little mistakes. I'd hate to see you make a costly BIG mistake.
Do not rely on a Big Home Improvement Store's computers to tell you everything.
 
#10 ·
I designed the building to be 30 x 40 walls with 2' overhang. That is the trusses it told me to buy. I have common carpentry skills I just havent ever built the entire project and am planning to have more knowledge when I install the trusses. They are in stock and arent special order. I told them not to deliver till I fully purchase next week. I just bought them this week because of the sale they have this week on them. I think what Im going to have to do is take a tape with me when I order the rest and measure for sue before they send them my way.

Anyway, I designed a 30x40 walls so I assume that is what they have sold me.:eek: I just was asking if that means outside to outside or on center or inside to inside. I wondered so I can get it staked out and dig the footer for concrete. If you have any good advice for me I really would appreciate it. I love doing this stuff. Last year I built a huge deck on the side of our house and installed French doors in the side of our house to walk out on it. I have helped my dad fully remodel his house and know quite a bit about running electrical and drywall, as well as framing out interior walls.

Thanks for all the advice so far.
 
#11 ·
Ok. Let's start again then. It looks like you ordered trusses with a 30' bottom chord and a 2' overhang on each side. This should allow you a 30' outside to outside width on your walls. Was the garage sold as entire package? If so, did it include an engineers certification for the roof system and a detail drawing or plans that can be used for a permit application? Also, here is a link for a publication that has everything you've ever wanted to know about trusses.
http://www.alpeng.com/upload/19273/BGT_BOOK_small.pdf
 
#12 ·
It is a kit that is gathered according to my design. I just purchased some of it this week because of a lumber sale they were having and will buy most of the rest next week. They do not provide any blueprints. All they want to do is sell me this basic how to build a garage pamplet. I was suprised because I designed my deck from them and the computer printed out a very highly detailed blueprint. I am not in the city limits and I called our courthouse and asked about a permit and they told me you only need one if im in the city limits. I dont know what an engineers certification is but havent seen one. I fully trust their trusses, many contractors including my neighbor buy a lot of materials from Menards. I plan on paying my neighbor to be present when I install them.

I will bookmark that link and check it out after I respond to all my post replies.

Thanks a lot!!
 
#13 ·
I am not in the city limits and I called our courthouse and asked about a permit and they told me you only need one if im in the city limits. I dont know what an engineers certification is but havent seen one.
Thanks a lot!!
Call the county then. No way you can put up a building this size without a permit. it's in your best interest to have an inspector looking over your shoulder on something like this
 
#17 ·
For my county:

Q. Is a building permit required for a small storage shed in my back yard, and do I need a permit for a permit for an addition to an existing shed?

A.
  • If the structure exceeds 120 square feet, a building permit is required.
  • A building permit is required if the addition to the existing shed increases the size of the shed to over 120 square feet.
  • If it is 120 square feet or less, a permit is not required, unless:
    • it will be used for livestock or human occupancy. - permit required
    • it is located in a designated "Chesapeake Bay Critical Area" - permit required
    • it is located in a 100 year floodplain - permit required
    • it is located in a "Baltimore County Historic District" - permit required.
  • The accessory structure (storage shed) must be in the rear yard, unless a zoning variance is obtained.
  • If the structure is over 120 square feet, but less than 1,000 square feet, four plat plans are required with the application.
  • If the structure is over 1,000 square feet, five plat plans and two construction plans are required with the application.
  • Even if the structure is less than 120 square feet and requires no building permit, it must still meet zoning and environmental protection requirements.
 
#18 ·
The last trusses I ordered were 26 feet wide with 2 feet of overhang. They fit on a building that was 26 feet wide outside to outside, and had 24" of overhang. If you need to match an existing roof go to your building supply and ask them what measurements they need for their truss maker, they should have a sheet with the measurements and where to take them from.
 
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