Detached Garage With Covered Patio? Results In Better Social Life (& More!)

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Detached Garage with Covered Patio

Do you want your garage to stand out and be the envy of your neighbors? Do you love entertaining friends? Then why not build a detached garage with a covered patio? A garage with patio will take your social life to another level!

Houses with covered patios look beautiful and charming. The covered patio is where you relax on a bright sunny day or unwind in the evening after a hard day’s work. You are in your house and yet outdoors. Enjoying the gentle breeze and natural light.

But a detached garage with a covered patio? What is the point of that?

Nowadays a garage is a lot more than a shelter for your cars or storage for stuff. Lots of people are making the garage a livable space. You spend a fair amount of your time there. Doing things that give you pleasure and joy. 

Adding a covered patio will further enhance the appeal of the garage.

I must admit that a detached garage with a covered patio is not a run of the mill idea. Which is why it will make your garage stand out in the neighborhood. In a good, inviting way!

A detached garage with a screened porch on the side, as opposed to a detached garage with a covered patio, is a great alternative too. It may work better, especially if you have a studio apartment above the garage.

The best thing about these ideas is that there are so many possibilities. You could do it your way. 

So let me take you on a journey of patios & porches and show you how a detached garage with a covered patio or a screened porch, will result in a better social life. And then some more!

What is the Difference Between Patios and Porches

An element of home design that has stood the test of time is the space where the outdoors becomes a part of your house. Different variations have appeared. Patios, porches, decks, balconies, verandas and courtyards, ultimately serve the same purpose.

A space in the home, where the outdoors meets the indoors.

Patio

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a patio as “a recreation area that adjoins a dwelling, is often paved, and is adapted especially to outdoor dining”. The patio was a major feature in medieval Spanish architecture.

Porch

The porch, on the other hand, is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a covered area adjoining an entrance to a building and usually having a separate roof”. A porch is very similar to a veranda and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

What is the Difference?

The key differences between a patio and a porch are

• A patio is a separate structure while a porch is attached to the building.
• A patio may or may not be covered but a porch is covered.
• A patio is generally paved using natural stones, clay tiles or just concrete. A porch floor is usually an extension of the house floor.
• A patio is intended for dining & outdoor cooking while a porch is used for relaxed seating or casual entertaining.
• A patio can be added on at any time but a porch should ideally be incorporated at the design stage.
• A patio is a lot cheaper to build than a porch.

Where to locate the Covered Patio?

There are quite a few options when you think about adding the covered patio adjoining to your detached garage. Of course it would depend on the location of the detached garage, the lot size, the landscape etc.

Covered Patio in Front of the Garage

This is the possibly the easiest location to add the covered patio. The driveway leading upto the garage is already a leveled paved surface. Gravel, concrete and asphalt are popular choices for driveways.

Building a covered patio in front of the attached or detached garage is as simple as deciding the size. Do make sure that the patio covers the entire frontage of the garage. A little bit more is even better.

You can use the extra width for permanent features like the grill, sink, storage, fixed seating and maybe a fire pit.

The depth could be around the same as the width (square) or a bit more (rectangle). Use light patio furniture that can be moved to the side, when the cars have to enter or exit.

Four posts or pillars at the corners and a roof is all you need to complete your covered patio. The only word of caution is that you should give a lot of thought on an aesthetic blend with the garage & the house.

After all it has a street view and you would like to maintain the curb appeal of your house.

A covered patio in front of a garage can also double as a carport.

Covered Patio Off the Garage

The obvious advantage of having the covered patio beside the detached garage is that it leaves the garage front free for the cars. The obvious disadvantage is that you have to spend more effort, time & money to level & pave the ground.

With an attached garage, you will have only one side available. But with a detached garage you may have the option of either side. 

Covered Patio Between the Garage & Property Line

Generally, you do not require a building permit for building a patio without a roof. But for a covered patio you have to check with the local building authorities. It is also a good idea to let your neighbor know of your plans, beforehand.

It would be ideal if you do not have a neighbor. What if your detached garage is built on a steep slope and the covered patio will actually give you stunning views of valleys and mountains?

You really do not want to miss the opportunity of building a covered patio beside the garage in that case!

Covered Patio Between the Garage & House

This is a fantastic option, if you have it.

A patio without a roof would not require a building permit, unless you are doing a lot of excavation and pouring of concrete. But for a covered patio you have to certainly check with the local building authorities.

You would like to take advantage of this opportunity by connecting the roof over the patio with the garage and the house, at the two ends. This poses a few structural questions. It is best to take the advice of a professional structural architect, engineer or building contractor.

The covered patio between the detached garage house serves the purpose of being a covered breezeway between house and garage. The breezeway would of course be a lot narrower.

Additional Benefits

A garage with a covered patio, beside it, lets you use it as a carport as well.

The covered patio in between the detached garage and the house, transforms it to a detached garage with breezeway. You now have convenient access from the house to the garage.

Covered Patio Behind the Garage

Do you have a large beautiful backyard? Then a covered patio behind your detached garage is perfect for you.

Agreed that you can’t use it as a carport or a breezeway, but you will have more privacy and a view to die for. It could be a beautiful garden or an inviting swimming pool.

A detached garage with a man cave and a covered patio behind it, is a dream come true for any nature or sport loving American.

Call your buddies over to watch the game, over beers in the garage man cave. After the game enjoy a BBQ lunch on the covered patio behind. What better social life can you ask for?

Covered Patio Above the Garage

OK, technically speaking, this would not be a patio. It would be a deck. But, hey, it is the same idea. What is there in a name.

There are at least two situations, where a garage with patio on top would be just ideal.

Studio Apartment above the Garage

Are you planning to build a studio apartment above your detached garage? Why not add a covered patio as well? It would be a welcome addition to the apartment. 

You could then use the garage apartment for entertaining friends as well.

Great Views from a Height

What if you have a tranquil lake beyond your backyard but you can’t get a clear view from ground level? The elevation of a covered patio above the detached garage may just offer you that precious view.

Enough reason to have a detached garage with a covered patio above it.

Bottom Line

A detached garage with a covered patio is an excellent, though somewhat unconventional, idea. It is ideal for entertaining a small group of family & friends in a cozy informal setting. Take your social life to a whole new level.

A covered patio adjoining a garage may also double as a carport or a breezeway, depending on its location. It can be both aesthetically appealing and functionally useful.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.