Amish Lofted Garage. Ground floor for vehicles. Overhead for everything else.

The loft is framed with 2×4 joists on 16-inch centers and plywood sheathing, the same standard as the floor below, so it's built for bins, boxes, and the usual seasonal storage. Heavy concentrated loads like an engine block or a water-filled tank aren't a fit up there, but for what most garages need to stash overhead, it handles it easily.

No. The loft sits up in the gambrel roof, above the eave line, so the main floor keeps the same clear height as a standard garage. Standing on the ground floor, you wouldn't know the loft was there until you looked up.

It depends on the build. Most lofted garages have a single loft built into the roof overhead, though some have two, in lengths like 6, 8, or 12 feet. Either way it's storage that sits up and out of the way of the floor below.

Same as a standard garage. Most townships want a permit, especially once it's housing a vehicle or getting wired, and the loft doesn't change that. Since garages generally run over 200 square feet, you're usually looking at a building permit rather than the lighter zoning compliance permit smaller structures get. The specifics are local, so check with your building department and we can help.

A custom lofted garage typically takes about 3 to 4 weeks to build and deliver, or 5 to 6 in peak summer, with the larger sizes sometimes a little longer. We build in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan and deliver free across Southern Michigan and out to roughly 150 miles. The biggest ones that can't travel in one piece we build on your site.

Yes. Lofted garages qualify for rent-to-own with no credit check, on 36 or 48-month terms, and you own it at the end. Ask either location or start in the 3D builder.