Concrete prefabricated garage, pumice garage - experiences?

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a provider for my future garage.

I would like to build the garage free-standing next to our house and preferably have everything done from a single source. Ideally, the garage should have an external dimension of 3.5x7m. Since I want to park my tools, my Vespa, and my vintage car inside, the garage should offer the best possible indoor climate.

I have now obtained offers from Rekers, Zapf, Hoffmann, Concept Beton, etc. Furthermore, I have also tried to get an affordable offer as a solid construction.

Currently, my budget is between €17,000 and €18,000. I would like to spend less, but that seems to be difficult. I have now spent days researching various providers and the different pros and cons of precast concrete garages, etc.

Hoffmann seems to meet all my requirements. 3.5x7m fits completely within the budget. However, only with a standard gate, standard door, and standard window. I am willing to accept this compromise. Here I get a garage made of pumice concrete with a complete floor slab. I would retrofit the electrical package and the drive at some point. Unfortunately, I really have to pay attention to the budget.

With Zapf, I would get a garage with the same dimensions for €3,500 less. But there even with a sectional door, (door and window standard), drive, and electrical package. I have only read a lot of bad things regarding indoor climate, crack formation, etc.

Is that still the case? Most entries about this are quite old. Many customers report problems and trouble with complaints/defects.

Has anyone had experience with Hoffmann?

Has anyone had experience with Hoffmann?

You can find my posts about Hoffmann garages, for example from a few days ago , most quickly via the forum search with the keyword "Bimsfertigbau".

I come from the area near Hoffmann and know many Hoffmann garages, including some very close from direct neighbors, and I myself still have (among others) a (masonry) Bims garage. In this region, other than that, there are AGO (steel, no longer building garages), Rasselstein (concrete room cells, also no longer active), and Plötner (concrete). If you count Hoffmann as part of the prefabricated garages, the mentioned companies each have about a quarter market share in the region. Except for rental purposes (then Plötner), I recommend only Hoffmann, whose long-term quality I find by far the most convincing. Their construction method has unique advantages that, in my opinion, also explain the long-term quality (other prefabricated garages suffer from the flaw of being multi-part as double garages). I personally generally prefer single gates. If the length allows a shift after driving through to occasionally place a vehicle in the middle of a double garage for repairs, then the center post does not disturb in practice. On the other hand, with single gates you do not have to open both sides, even if you want to drive "through only one side." Single gates are often significantly cheaper to get. Also, I find it "luxurious enough" to have a motorized door opener only on the side of the everyday vehicle parking space.

My posts about Hoffmann garages, for example a few days ago , you can find most quickly via the forum search with the keyword "Bimsfertigbau".

I come from the area near Hoffmann and know many Hoffmann garages, also closer from direct neighbors, and I myself still have (among others) a (masonry) Bims garage. In this region, there are otherwise AGO (steel, no longer build garages), Rasselstein (concrete room cells, also no longer active) and Plötner (concrete). If you count Hoffmann among prefabricated garages, the aforementioned each have about a quarter market share in the region. Except for rental purposes (then Plötner), I only recommend Hoffmann, whose long-term quality I am by far the most convinced of. Their construction method has unique advantages which, in my opinion, also explain the long-term quality (other prefabricated garages as double garages suffer from the flaw of being multi-part). I personally generally prefer single doors. If the length allows a slight shift after passing through in order to occasionally place a vehicle in the middle of a double garage for repairs, then the center post does not bother in practice. For that, with single doors you don’t have to open both sides, even if you only want to drive through on one side. Also, single doors are often significantly cheaper to get. Besides, I find it "luxury enough" to have a motorized door operator only on the side of the everyday vehicle parking space.

Many thanks for your reply

I have really read a lot now and I am sure that the Bims variant is the better one. The price is of course a difference.
I can get Zapf in 3x7m fully equipped with sectional door etc. turnkey for just under €12,000.

With Hoffmann (now however half a meter wider) I am at just under €19,000. However, a swing door and cheap window / cheap door.

I have to sleep on it again. In the end, I am building the garage for the next 30-40 years. and Bims seems to be pretty good at that....

Thanks anyway for your help!

I can get a fully equipped 3x7m from Zapf with sectional door etc. turnkey for just under €12,000. At Hoffmann (now however half a meter wider) I'm at just under €19,000.

Somewhere, on closer inspection, it will become clear where the nominally large difference comes from. 12k is almost dumping for current "gold prices," and 19k is a correspondingly fair price. There are almost no Zapf in this region, but presumably that is explained by the proximity to Plötner. I recognize a Hoffmann immediately, see quite a few of them, always in impeccable condition, even after 40+ years without maintenance required.

However, a tilt door

That is proven technology, in which I (as a man well over six feet tall and only averagely unathletic) see no user disadvantage in everyday life. However, if I have a "backache," when swinging over the dead center of the springs I do get an idea why dainty persons prefer sectional doors. You can ask if they would install a self-provided sectional door for you, or what the credit would be for leaving it out.