A Dual-Purpose Office and Garage Shop Designed to Meet HOA Requirements
When Chris set out to build a workspace that combined a climate-controlled office with a garage shop for his cars, he faced an immediate challenge. His neighborhood HOA had strict requirements for any new structure. Materials, appearance, and construction details all had to match the existing home. That meant no steel roofing, no steel siding, and no shortcuts.
To bring his vision to life, Chris partnered with Tundra Built, a certified Wick builder. The goal was to create a space where he could do his full-time job in a quiet, insulated environment and store and work on his cars, all while meeting every HOA and township rule.
What the Owner Wanted
Chris needed a hybrid space that functioned as both an office and a garage. Because he works from home, climate control and sound control were essential.
“The interior needed to be climate-controlled and someplace insulated well enough to be able to perform work, be on phone calls, and not have the concerns of steel inside generating noise or echoes,” Chris said. “The climate control is really important because I need to be able to work out here year round.”
The project was less about simple storage and more about comfort, functionality, and year-round usability.
“This is my office space and shop for storage. I want to be able to store a couple of cars and have a place where I can work, do my full-time job in the same space.”
What Was Special About the Project
The biggest challenge for the project was navigating HOA and township requirements.
The HOA required that the building match the home exterior and prohibited the use of steel siding and steel roofing.
“Specifically, it had to match the house,” Chris explained. “Couldn’t use steel siding, couldn’t use steel roofing because it had to match the house. We had to use architectural shingles and hardy siding.”
Multiple rounds of reviews were needed, and Wick provided the drawings and documentation to move the project forward.
“We had several permit reviews where Wick gave me detailed drawings, plans, and specs to go to the township and the HOA board and was able to get through just with that.”
Wick even helped adjust plan sets to remove unnecessary detail so the HOA would not introduce new questions.
“They would take out things that I did not necessarily want the HOA to see because it would create more questions. They are not architects, so we do not need all the detail. And Wick was really good about that.”
Who Helped Build It
Chris chose Tundra Built because of their responsiveness, clarity, and willingness to collaborate.
“We decided to go with Mike Muzzy at Tundra Built and Wick Buildings because he gave us detailed plans when we asked for them,” Chris said. “There was no ambiguity on what his capabilities were or what his crew could do, as opposed to some other vendors who gave us very generalized plans.”
Mike coordinated directly with exterior contractors to ensure a seamless finish, even when elements were outside Wick’s standard scope.
“Mike and Wick worked hand in hand to make sure Wick was going to leave it exactly as the exterior folks needed to come and bolt on their portion. Also adding extra work when I needed some extra framing work or carpentry.”
Tundra Built also stood out for responsiveness.
“Mike was just more available than the other vendors and more responsive. There was no three-week lead time to get drawings. Mike was so comfortable talking with me and my father who was helping engineer the building.”
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