Shop Builds and Ideas

[DRIVEN]

I'm in the planning stations of a shop build. Looking for ideas, tips and suggestions. If you have a shop maybe post up dimensions with a photo or two. I'd love to hear what you'd change if you were doing it again.


My current plan is a 36 x 48 x 12 insulated pole barn with a single roll up door and man door on one side (not the end). 6" slab in the area where the hoist will go. Compressor outside but covered. Possibly a lean-to cover on each end to keep the trailers and tractor out of the direct weather. Likely a bathroom in the corner.
All subject to change.

 

[ssn696]

30x40 is 6 cars. Metal roof. Can you get 3-phase?

 

[Doug Chahoy]

Rule of thumb, no matter what size you build it. With in 6 month’s “ not big enough “ Sounds like a good plan. Since your planning 12 foot ceiling, I’d suggest radiant tube heating. About the best thing I did for these long Pa winters. Mine has totaly enclosed flame so it’s safe for any kind of flammable fumes. A boiler with tubes in the concrete floor is the best, but who’s that wealthy. I’m envious, my garage is only 24X32

 

[DRIVEN]

Probably. There's a pole with a meter and 200A panel about 20' from the site.

 

[DRIVEN]

Rule of thumb, no matter what size you build it. With in 6 month’s “ not big enough “ Sounds like a good plan. Since your planning 12 foot ceiling, I’d suggest radiant tube heating. About the best thing I did for these long Pa winters. Mine has totaly enclosed flame so it’s safe for any kind of flammable fumes. A boiler with tubes in the concrete floor is the best, but who’s that wealthy. I’m envious, my garage is only 24X32

I've worked in a warehouse under radiant heat. It's really nice. It's really designed to be left on all the time. I won't likely spend more than a few hour per week there. Also, there is no gas service there, just electric. I'm hoping insulation will make the big difference.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Could be just an Oklahoma thing, but here a second meter on a parcel that is connected to a shop building gets billed at commercial rate. Buddy that had just retired from the electric utility that served his property couldn't get wriggled around it, wound up trenching it in from his house.

 

[DRIVEN]

Not sure about here. It's the meter and panel that previously served the manufactured home I moved out. Currently it only feeds my well pump.

 

[Streetbu]

For temporary heat, like what you want, you can't beat forced hot air. If natural gas is available that's the best idea. Spray foam would be ideal for insulation but is the most expensive. The actual building is only about half of your costs at MOST. Site work, concrete, wiring, plumbing, heating, finishing will easily eat up 40k in a hurry and that's if you get a best friend deal on all of them.

You said 36x48. Which side will the door be on? Only a single overhead door on the whole building? I'd put at least two on. I recommend not a 16' or 18' wide door though. Get a 10' wide door. Easier to pull into the garage, bit doesn't flex as much in the wind and you can keep a tighter seal when trying to heat the place.

Try to plan your shop layout. I'm sure it will change, but if you spend time planning now, you can have power, air, and everything where you'll need it the most. Even if it might be years down the road before you finish things.

I would highly recommend putting PEX in the floor when it's poured. The loops can only be 100' long each, but you can't put it in the concrete afterwards! The rolls are cheap, would only run maybe $500 for material for the whole shop to do it when the floor is poured. Radiant heat is very nice BUT it is NOT good for turning on and off as it takes quite awhile for the temperature to come up. Really it's best suited to heat a place all the time.

 

[Local Hero]

My home shop is 26X46. I originally started planning for 30X40 but my site was better suited for the size I have. I also have it partitioned off with a work room that is heated and insulated with the goodlighting. This keeps the rest of the place relatively clean and I only have to heat a 450 square foot space within the overall 1196 square foot space. Rather than go into all the details, I have a write up of the place that I did a long time ago (link below). Almost all of the pics are still there so you will get an idea. Biggest difference since this photo was taken is all the gravel has been replaced with concrete.

The Curb

www.thecurb.us

 

[81cutlass]

Can you put a steeper roof on it or a "gable" style roof and put a loft upstairs?

Put a big I beam down the center to run a trolley to slide engines in and out instead of a hoist?

Corner "clean room" for a paint booth?

If I were to build a shop with unlimited lot restrictions I would make it like a barn. Gable roof, longer than wider, 8ft wide overhead doors at each end, biased toward one side. Maybe 26 wide by 44 long. 16 for cars length + 1ft at bumpers + 8ft "road"=26. Park cars side by side, parking lot style, and have a 8ft "driveway" running the whole length through so you can pull a truck and trailer inside and unload a car under roof. 44ft would be enough for 6 cars side by side plus a few feet on one side for tool boxes. Only issue is finding where the lift goes. Maybe loft half the place, put a paint booth under part of the loft and leave the other half "open" roof for engine or hoist work.