Easy DIY Garage Door Step for Beginners

Updated: Sep 7, 2023

I have been hopping and hobbling over a missing garage door step for years. I have had it rigged for way too long. I have to constantly tell people coming thru this door, to not step on the steel threshold like its a step. I'm happy I finally took some action to do something about it and get it fixed. I have been previously quoted around $500 to have this fixed. That has never been in my budget and I am glad I was able to get this created and resolved myself.

This is an easy DIY garage step for beginners that can be done in less than a day! I searched online, but I couldn't really find exactly what I was looking for to do this job. I looked at some other steps around my house and my mom's garage door step for inspiration. I realized that I only needed to create one step which is basically like creating a box. This was my first time ever tackling something like this. I don't have a circular saw at home to cut wood. I had all of the wood pre-cut at the home improvement store. I grabbed my measuring tape and then it was off to the home improvement store!

What I Used:

Pre-Cut Pine Wood
Pine Wood Thread Board
Drill
Measure Tape
Screws
Hammer
Electric Screw Driver
L Brackets
Jigsaw or Saw

This was my set up before lol.....

Step 1: Gather what will be needed for the project.

I also remembered I had this jigsaw hanging around for years. This came in handy when it was time to cut the base wall trim.

Step 2: Measure the space. I measured the length, width and height of the area from against the wall to the width of the door.

Step 3: Use the opposite end of the hammer known as the peen to remove whatever existing nails are in the trim.

My home was built in the 70s and I feel that the nails and base trim are all original to that time. It took a lot pulling and strength to remove the nails. I had the best results from twisting and tugging the nails out with the peen end of the hammer.

Step 4: Remove the entire base trim where the step will be installed. I used a jigsaw to cut each side of the trim underneath the width of the door.

Step 5: Grab the pre-cut pine board that was measured and cut to fit the space against wall between the trim.

Step 6: Make sure the wood board is level to the ground. Drill a hole into each of the four corners of the wood board.

Step 7: Use an electric screwdriver to place screws in the drilled holes to secure the board to the wall.

I have some areas on the wall where I considered patching the wall before the step install. I really wanted to knock out the step while I had the energy. I thought if I patched the wall, I would have to wait another day to complete this project until the patched wall dried. I decided I would just fill in cracks or gaps in the wall after everything was completed.

I noticed while trying to complete this project that the garage floor was not even. This was a surprise I had to figure out how to tackle. I had to work with making the board level to ground, so it wouldn't be wobbly when stepped on.

Step 8: Grab one of the pre-cut boards that you will use as the side and the front facing board.

Step 9: I drilled a hole on each side of the wood and added L-brackets to the middle to of connecting boards for additional security.

Step 10: Complete steps 8 and 9 for the right or other side of the step.

Step 11: Connect the attached sides and front board to the wall wood base board. I used L- brackets for this connection. I found the L-brackets to give me sturdy connection to wall. I found this to be a good alternative to side drilling into the wood.

Step 12: Insert the thread board on top of the created base and into the opening.

Step 13: Drill holes into the corners of the wood. Place screws in the drilled holes connecting the thread to the base.

Now, I finally have a step connecting from my garage! Plus, it looks nice! This entire project cost me under $50 USD to complete. It took me three trips to the home improvement store. (Mainly because I didn't really know what I was doing). I had this project completed after about 6-7 hours. This step addition really makes a world of a difference with the look of my garage. My next goal is to re-organize the things in the garage and eventually epoxy the floor.

I tried to refresh and clean the metal threshold with some baking soda and vinegar. I also noticed that part of the seal under this door was missing. I'm working on a solution to either replace the seal or add a slide on under door seal. Would you paint/stain this step or keep the natural pine tone? Stay tuned for more crafts and also home improvement projects I decide to tackle myself!