Garage apartments are detached buildings on a property. Featuring parking bays and separate living quarters, they can be used for in-laws or adult children to live in, or as a flexible space for the household (such as a guest suite, social hub, workspace, or creative studio).
Popular for their versatility, garage apartments offer an independent, value-adding, and cost-effective solution to housing guests, growing businesses, and caring for family members. This is particularly true when compared to building a home extension.
In this article, we’ll compare and review our top garage apartment plans, and highlight the key features of our most popular garage apartment plans for your home.
Hinshaw Detached Garage
The Hinshaw Detached Garage combines practicality and barndominium aesthetics to create a charming, purposeful living space on the grounds of the main home. This garage apartment plan features three ground-floor parking bays, plus an upper-level that’s ideal for use as a guest suite, rental unit, or workspace.
The interior features a spacious family room with flexible uses. Large windows accentuate natural light, while sloped ceilings add depth and character to each room. A loft and balcony add to the aesthetics while creating additional storage and access to outdoor areas.
With a modest 665 sq ft footprint on the upper level, the space features an open-plan family room, a spacious bedroom with a walk-in closet, and a well-equipped bathroom. Below, the garage floor showcases high ceilings of 10’-1”, ideal for larger vehicles and shelving. Three individual parking bays can be used flexibly for parking or ground-floor storage.
Key Details & Features:
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Total Living (heated area): 665 sq ft
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Stories: 2
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Foundation: Slab
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Bedrooms: 1
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Bathrooms: 1
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Garage: 964 sq ft (3 Bays)
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Building Height: 23’-6 7/8”
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Second Floor Ceiling Height: 9’-1”
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Garage Ceiling Height: 10’-1”
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Width of House: 38’-0”
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Depth of House: 26’-0”
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Wall Framing: 2x4
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Keeping/Family Room
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Loft/Balcony
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Walk-In Closet
Willow Point House Plan
Showcasing a remarkable gable roof with rustic wood beams, this garage apartment plan benefits from a rural-contemporary architectural style. Symmetrical windows on the front perfectly complement the modern design while boosting interior natural light. With the main garage situated beneath the apartment, plus an additional bay on one side, it offers sufficient parking for both the main house and apartment residents.
The modern interior of this garage apartment plan features clean lines and a thoughtfully designed layout. With an open-concept living and kitchen area, plus windows on every wall, the space feels both cozy and expansive. Complete with a full bath, separate laundry room, and a private bedroom retreat, this extra living space creates both comfort and convenience.
With a heated living space of 767 sq ft, this garage apartment house plan can accommodate long-term renters to generate an additional income. Below, a separate entrance to the single-bay garage on one side enables homeowners to access the garage without disturbing apartment residents. This offers residents privacy while creating extra storage for the main home.a private bedroom retreat, this extra living space creates both comfort and convenience.
Key Details & Features:
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Total Living (heated area): 767 sq ft
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Stories: 2
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Foundation: Slab
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Bedrooms: 1
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Bathrooms: 1
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Garage: 1,144 sq ft (3 Bays, Front Load)
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Building Height: 28’0”
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Second Floor Ceiling Height: 9’
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Garage Ceiling Height: 9’
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Width of House: 44’0”
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Depth of House: 35’0”
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Wall Framing: 2x4
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Butler’s Pantry
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Laundry
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Master Suite
Meadow Lane House Plan
The Meadow Lane House Plan is one of our more modern garage apartment plans. It offers endless possibilities for homeowners, from its use as a rental unit to a place to house aging parents. Sweeping windows and patio doors create a bright, inviting interior and a contemporary exterior aesthetic.
Boasting high ceilings, large windows, and a spacious apartment area, this garage apartment plan offers all the luxuries a modern homeowner needs from a detached garage. A well-thought-out design creates separation and a homelike environment, with a downstairs mudroom and detached entryway.
The living quarters include access to two bedrooms with walk-in closets, a spacious kitchen-living area, and one bath and half bath (with plumbing considerations). A front porch and covered deck to the front and rear blend interior and exterior living. With access to a half bath on the lower level, residents in the main home can use the parking and storage facilities without disturbing the apartment residents.
Key Details & Features:
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Total Living (heated area): 1,453 sq ft
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Stories: 2
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Foundation: Slab
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Bedrooms: 2
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Bathrooms: 1
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Half Bathrooms: 1
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Garage: 1,142 sq ft (3 Bays)
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Building Height:
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Second Floor Ceiling Height: 9’
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Garage Ceiling Height: 10’
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Width of House: 46’4”
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Depth of House: 33’2”
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Wall Framing: 2x4
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Butler’s Pantry
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Laundry
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Mud Room
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Master Suite
Stewart Garage Plan
The Stewart Garage Plan is an ideal accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to accommodate a creative workshop, home office, or flexible living space for residents in the main home. This design features an attractive shake exterior with an impressive 10-foot ceiling height on the main floor. On the upper level, a comfortable 8-foot ceiling height creates extra heated living space that can be used as a cozy recreational area or studio.
Built-in windows on the garage doors are a comely design feature that creates a coziness to the ground floor garage space. With adequate room for a car, home office, and workshop, this garage apartment plan offers everything a remote worker or expanding family needs. On the upper level, a slender room offers additional living space or ample wall and floor storage.
Boasting a total apartment area of 684 sq ft, with room for four parking bays, this detached garage plan has specific features that residents of the main home can use flexibly. The two rooms can be used for cars or extra living space. Windows on all walls of the ground-floor rooms make the workshop and home office intimate and inviting to spend time in.
Key Details & Features:
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Total Living (heated area): 684 sq ft
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Stories: 2
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Foundation: Slab
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Garage: 1,536 sq ft (4 Bays, Front Load)
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Exterior Siding: Shake Exterior
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Second Floor Ceiling Height: 8’
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Garage Ceiling Height: 10’
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Width of House: 48’
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Depth of House: 32’
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Wall Framing: 2x4
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Home Office/Study
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Workshop
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Storage Space
Build Your Dream Garage Apartment Today
Our collection of garage apartment plans (complete with local building code considerations) offer everything you need from a detached living space - from supporting family to creating a personal recreational retreat.
Discover your perfect extra space today with our guide to garage apartment plans.
