Above-Garage Apartment in Denton, TX
The Project
This Denton project combined two needs into one build: the homeowners needed a new two-car garage to replace an aging metal carport, and they'd been thinking about adding rental income for years. Building the garage and apartment in one project made the economics significantly better than building them separately.
We designed a 720 sq ft apartment with a full one-bedroom layout — a defined bedroom, full bath, open kitchen and living area, and a private exterior staircase from the rear yard. The apartment sits above a 22x22 two-car garage with a level floor and good ceiling height. The exterior design matched the late-1970s brick ranch home: board-and-batten gable ends, matching brick base on the garage structure, and a composition shingle roof to match.
Structural engineering was required for the floor system above the garage — standard for above-garage builds. The Denton permit process was one of the smoother ones we've worked through: clear requirements, responsive plan reviewers, and no surprises.
The project was rented before the certificate of occupancy was issued. The tenant, a graduate student turned UNT research staff member, has been in the unit since completion and renewed the lease at $1,300/month.
Scope of Work
“We got a new garage and a rental unit in one project. The apartment was rented before we even had the final inspection. Best investment decision we've made on this property.”
