# Garage renovation code considerations **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364 "2018-12-19T13:37:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/1 "2018-12-19T13:37:45Z")
I want to do a little work on my garage to create a mud room. I checked with my codes people and they said since I’m building a new wall, I’ll be required to get a permit for it. It’s a 1-car attached garage, on the east end is the garage door. On the far west end are the steps down to the basement and the entry door on the north wall. On the south wall a few feet from the steps is the door to the house. What I want to do is put a new wall N-S across the garage to create a ‘mud room’ that separates the entry door and door to the house from the rest of the garage. That way I can insulate it to help keep the house warm, and also the dog can go out there at night and when we’re gone instead of her kennel in the dining room. Apart from ‘fire separation’ I’m at a loss as to what codes will apply. I’m tearing the drywall out of the existing walls to add insulation since they have none. I’ll use 5/8" firerock and mud it to comply with that and put a steel door between the new mud room and the garage proper. I’ll add a switched light on either side of that door. Anything I’m overlooking? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/2 "2018-12-19T13:55:05Z")
What comes to mind is adding electrical outlets in the new wall. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/3 "2018-12-19T14:12:33Z")
A good thought indeed. I am actually also in the middle of adding a new circuit/receptacles in the garage, and as things stand there will be one in the mudroom side on the north wall. It probably would be handy to have one in the new wall as well. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/4 "2018-12-19T15:51:25Z")
If your mud room is going to have a concrete floor I would slope it _slightly_ toward the exterior door. When my garage floor was poured the finishing guy suggested a slope so I could just hose it out and the water would go away of it’s own accord. I would have never thought of that but I’m sure glad we did it. Electrically, consider an exterior light above your door. Oops, re-read the OP. Looks like you are not putting in a new floor. My bad. Electrical still goes. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/5 "2018-12-19T16:00:15Z")
Self closer on the door between the house and garage? Some codes require that if you don’t have it already. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/6 "2018-12-19T18:58:11Z")
off topic,but maybe relevant: taxes. You are adding some square footage to your house. Will that affect your city taxes? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-renovation-code-considerations/826364/7 "2018-12-20T03:47:48Z")
> [@ASGuy](#): > > Electrically, consider an exterior light above your door. > > Oops, re-read the OP. Looks like you are not putting in a new floor. My bad. Electrical still goes. Already done 🙂 Added a motion-sensor light outside that door last fall. It’s been very nice to have. > [@jacobsta811](#): > > Self closer on the door between the house and garage? Some codes require that if you don’t have it already. I ran across that as well, and I don’t THINK I’ll have to do that, since I’m not otherwise touching the door between the dining room and garage. My experience with them so far wrt electrical work is that if I don’t mess with it, it doesn’t have to be brought up to code along with everything else. Worth asking about, though. I wouldn’t mind a more sturdy door, either. > [@chappachula](#): > > off topic,but maybe relevant: taxes. > You are adding some square footage to your house. Will that affect your city taxes? Not too worried. My (county) property taxes are going up at an alarming rate already, and I’m not adding any square footage to my living space.