I want to do at least a preliminary design of a standalone garage for my property. That would be a minimum. If possible, it would be nice to be able to also export the design to be used to build from by a builder. I am curious if anyone on this forum has done something similar with Sketchup Web and if it is a useful tool to do at least the minimum. I would pose the question to sales but, after all, they are sales. I would like some real-world feedback. So, the idea is to get at least a cursory blueprint like model which I can use to develop my ideas for the garage and then ideally share that with whoever I select to do the actual construction and finish.
You could do most if not all of the design work using the free version of SketchUp however you’ll want to be concious of the amount of detail you add as there is a maximum file size available. You can add dimensions and labels if you wish. SketchUp Free isn’t really suitable for creating “proper” construction documents or “blueprints” but you can export png images of the model and they may be all your builder needs.
Dave, thanks for the advice. I see there are some models of typical 2 car garages already in existence. I might try to use the simplest of these to see where I stand with storage. I agree that a decent builder should be able to build from a picture with some basic dimensions and a list of particulars (kept separately) so the free version may be all I need. I logged in and started browsing around. It will probably take me longer than most since I have a lot of other things on my plate, but Spring 2026 start is my target.
Your builder may not really need a ton of information. Some years ago we had a screen porch built to replace the deck on our house. I made a simple SketchUp model to show the contractor what we were thinking.
No construction details at all. I didn’t even bother with the stairs.
This is what he built.
On the other hand, if you need to provide fully detailed CDs, you’ll need to go with SketchUp for Desktop and LayOut.
Be careful downloading content from the 3D Warehouse. You can easily bloat your model file to the point it isn’t usable.
