How Much Does It Cost to Straighten a Garage?

Gary Evans
by Gary Evans

While pulling into your garage one day, you may notice that something’s off. After stepping out of your car to get a closer look, you’ve discovered that your garage is crooked. Your garage is leaning to one side and now you’re trying to figure out what to do.

The sight of a crooked garage can indeed be quite alarming. Thankfully, you can still attempt to fix the problem without tearing down that part of your home. The fix you need to apply must be relevant to the extent of the damage done.

If the garage is only leaning slightly, you can straighten it out using cable ratchet pullers, screw eyes, studs, and steel stakes. Buying those aforementioned items will cost you $364. Straightening out garages that have become very crooked will require building some temporary supports or walls. Installing that temporary support inside your garage will cost an average of $800.

One of the last things any homeowner wants to see is a structure on their property that is leaning noticeably. The possibility that something like your garage could collapse after it’s been leaning for a while is downright frightening. Find out how you can fix your crooked garage and how much it will cost by reading on.

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Cost to Straighten a Slightly Leaning Garage

Items RequiredCost
Cable Ratchet Pullers$321
Screw Eyes$11
2 x 4 Studs$7
Steel Stakes$18

Issues like cracked garage floors and dented garage doors are fairly common. A leaning garage is not quite as common as those problems so people may not know how to address it properly. We can help out in that regard and we can start by telling you it will cost an average of $357.

To straighten out your slightly leaning garage, you will need to get your hands on some tools. Start by picking up some cable ratchet pullers for $321. You can get lower-capacity cable ratchet pullers cheaper, but they may not be able to get the job done.

Next, you will need to pick up some screw eyes that will go into the side of your garage. A bag of screw eyes will cost you $11.

Homeowners will also need to buy 2 x 4 studs for this project. Each 2 x 4 stud will cost about $3.50. Pick up two of them for $7.

You should also get some steel stakes. You can purchase a bundle of 10 steel stakes for $18.

Other tools you will need for this job include a hammer, a drill, a circular saw, a level, and some nails. Hopefully, you already have those common household tools.

How to Straighten a Slightly Leaning Garage

In this section, we’ll discuss how to straighten out your slightly leaning garage. Follow the steps below to pull it off properly.

Step 1: Hammer the Stakes into the Ground

To get started, grab the stakes and position them next to the side of your garage you need to pull up. Position them so they line up with the corners of that side. You should also place them a few feet away from the garage.

Once the stakes are in position, you can hammer them into the ground. Make sure they’re planted firmly.

Step 2: Drill Holes for the Screw Eyes

Next up, get your drill and start creating holes for the screw eyes. Go ahead and drill into the corner studs. You can now thread the screw eyes into those holes.

Step 3: Hook Up and Use the Cable Ratchet Pullers

You can now hook up the cable ratchet pullers to the screw eyes and stakes. After getting the pullers in place, you can start using them.

Pull the cables slowly until your garage straightens out. Use a level to confirm that the garage is now properly aligned.

Step 4: Brace the Garage Wall Using the Studs

Go into your garage now and use your circular saw to create notches on separate wall studs. The notches should line up diagonally. You want to carve out four diagonal notches along going down from each corner.

Pick up the 2 x 4 studs you bought now and position them into the notches. Hammer them in place using the nails.

Step 5: Remove the Stakes, Screw Eyes, and Cable Ratchet Pullers

Finish up by removing the stakes, screw eyes, and cable ratchet pullers. Your garage should now be properly aligned again.

Cost to Build New Garage Walls

Wall TypeCost
Temporary Wall$800
Brick Wall$4,500
Concrete Wall$6,500

The problem affecting your crooked garage may not be fixable using just some cables and stakes. Instead, you may have to build some walls to address that particular problem. Building temporary walls may be necessary and doing so will cost $800.

Temporary walls may be all that you will need to straighten your garage. They can serve as temporary support for the roof of your garage while the original walls are being repaired.

Builders can create temporary walls out of different materials. For this project, a wooden brace wall may suffice, hence the lower cost.

Now, your garage’s original walls may be in such rough shape that they already need to be replaced. In that case, you should consider building some permanent replacement walls for your garage. You can use brick or concrete as the new supports for that part of your home.

A new brick wall will cost you $4,500. Meanwhile, building some new concrete walls will cost $6,500. Those are significant expenses, but they’re still preferable to tearing down your garage and building a new one from scratch.

Labor Cost to Build Garage Walls

The labor costs of building a new garage wall are already baked into those price tags for brick and concrete walls. However, those may not be the only labor-related expenses that you will need to pay.

In all likelihood, you will need the expertise of a structural engineer to design your new load-bearing garage walls. The structural engineer will be able to tell you how to build the load-bearing walls properly.

Hiring a structural engineer will not come cheap. They usually charge $600 if you need them to design your new walls.

Aside from the cost of hiring a structural engineer, you also have to worry about removing the existing walls. This will not be a minor expense. At a minimum, you should expect to pay $1,000 to get the existing load-bearing walls in your garage removed.

Cost Factors for Building New Garage Walls

Building new walls to straighten out your garage will be a major expense. The final price tag of that project can also change depending on certain factors. We’ve detailed those important cost factors below.

Electric Connections

You probably have some electrical connections running through the walls of your garage. They will have to be removed carefully to make way for the new garage walls.

After the new walls have been built, you will also have to pay an electrician to create new electrical connections. Electricians charge $300 to run new wiring through walls.

Plumbing Connections

Similar to the electrical connections, you probably had some old plumbing fixtures running through your garage walls. Those need to be removed and replaced as well. Your plumber will charge $400 if you’re asking them to install new fixtures in the replacement walls.

Paneling

Consider adding paneling to tie your garage’s design in with the rest of your home. You will have numerous paneling options to choose from if you decide you want them. Installing new paneling over your replacement garage walls will cost $15 per square foot.

Permits

Permits will likely be required if you’re building new load-bearing walls in your garage. Securing the necessary permits for this kind of building project will cost $80. You can ask your contractor to handle the permits if you’re busy attending to other matters.

DIY vs. Professional

Do you need to hire a professional to straighten your garage or can you do it yourself? The answer to that question depends on the current state of your garage.

If your garage is only leaning slightly, you can probably fix it yourself. Simply follow the process we detailed earlier in this article and you should not have any issues.

Building new walls to straighten your garage is a significantly more complicated task. As we’ve already mentioned, you will need the services of a structural engineer and a contractor for that project. Hiring professionals is a must if you want to build new walls for your garage.

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Related Questions

Is a Garage with Bowing Walls Salvageable?

Yes, it is possible to salvage your garage if it has bowing walls, but it won’t be easy. You need to install supports close to the ceiling and pull the walls together to stop the walls from curving inward. Consult with a contractor if this is the kind of problem you’re dealing with.


How Do I Reinforce My Garage Door?

The garage door can be prone to denting. Reinforcing it is a good idea if you want it to stay upright along with the rest of your garage.You can reinforce your garage door with the help of some brackets. Narrow reinforcement brackets will suffice if you have a light garage door. If you have a heavy garage door, you should consider using a wide-body reinforcement bracket.


Can a Dented Garage Door Be Repaired?

Repairing a dented garage door is a relatively simple task. You will only need a mallet, a putty knife, a brick, some patching compound, some detergent, sandpaper, and warm water.Start by washing the dented area with detergent and warm water. After it dries, place the brick over the dent and hit it with the mallet. Continue hitting until the dent lines up with the rest of the garage door.You can now sand down the previously dented spot. Finish up by using the patching compound and the putty knife to completely even out the dent.

Gary Evans
Gary Evans

Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.

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