40x30 or 30x40 Pole Barn

[bagsanthony]

Looking to build a pole barn 1200 SQFT, 14 FT ceilings to accommodate a 2 post lift. I'm going back in forth, and yes I know go bigger, but this is what I can afford and I feel a good size for now.

Just to add some detail here, the space will have the 2 post lift where I would service vehicles. The remainder of the space would be needed to store my el camino plus misc. shop equipment. Lastly, if I go one route over the other what is the best overhead door arrangement/ size. Thanks

 

[larry_g]

Way to little information.

location; snow load helps determine door location.

More workshop or storage? Fab area and woodshop?

Land layout, any restrictions like trees, hills, septic or well?

Can you expand the building in the future is $$ allow?

Any city or county involvement?

I've found that to many buildings have to many doors. The workshop area does not have to be behind an OH door. My building follows that thinking. I could easily have 4 OH doors but knew 2 of them would be wasted by the interior layout I wanted.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[bagsanthony]

Way to little information.

location; snow load helps determine door location.

More workshop or storage? Fab area and woodshop?

Land layout, any restrictions like trees, hills, septic or well?

Can you expand the building in the future is $$ allow?

Any city or county involvement?

I've found that to many buildings have to many doors. The workshop area does not have to be behind an OH door. My building follows that thinking. I could easily have 4 OH doors but knew 2 of them would be wasted by the interior layout I wanted.

lg
no neat sig line

Balls cold near Rochester NY

Automotive work shop, some storage. Fab area would be welding table and welding equip. No woodworking machines


Yes I can expand.


No involvement - I like to keep them out as much as possible

 

[drivesitfar]

BAGS: what's your questions? do you need help with layout? or do you want to have every member tell you to build it bigger cause most will if asked?

a couple tips if you want to have this thread get more eyes are to go in your GJ profile and put in your location that will show up under your Clint Eastwood Avatar (or is that you) and also put a link to the thread in your sig line so when you post on other threads you'll have a link for members to click on to find your thread.

sounds like a great size shop to me and much bigger than the one i have at home or lease and neither have a lift.

good luck

 

[bagsanthony]

BAGS: what's your questions? do you need help with layout? or do you want to have every member tell you to build it bigger cause most will if asked?

a couple tips if you want to have this thread get more eyes are to go in your GJ profile and put in your location that will show up under your Clint Eastwood Avatar (or is that you) and also put a link to the thread in your sig line so when you post on other threads you'll have a link for members to click on to find your thread.

sounds like a great size shop to me and much bigger than the one i have at home or lease and neither have a lift.

good luck

Thanks. Question is what is the preferred layout for an automotive service/ workshop pole barn? 40 ft wide or 40ft deep? At 40ft deep it's really a squeeze to have 2 cars back to back.... I see great garages/barns on this site I want to hear regrets/ I would do this over that.

 

[bigcow94]

My shop at my old house was wider than it was deep. I found I split it into different "bays"and it worked well for me. If you're planning on a lift it would be nice to have enough room in front of the lift for rolling a chassis out underneath it if need be. My new shop I'm going deeper rather than wider as some of my storage needs have changed. I want to be able to pull our camper in and leave the truck hooked up if I choose

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

 

[bigcow94]

Way to little information.

location; snow load helps determine door location.

More workshop or storage? Fab area and woodshop?

Land layout, any restrictions like trees, hills, septic or well?

Can you expand the building in the future is $$ allow?

Any city or county involvement?

I've found that to many buildings have to many doors. The workshop area does not have to be behind an OH door. My building follows that thinking. I could easily have 4 OH doors but knew 2 of them would be wasted by the interior layout I wanted.

lg
no neat sig line

I agree with having too many overhead dooors. My old shop had 2 overhead doors. I think one of them only got opened a handful of times in the 7 years I lived there.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

 

[lakeroadster]

No need to go with 14 ft ceilings due to a lift. You could go with a free span design and drop the wall height down to as low as 10 ft.

On smaller barns, like you are planning, the lower side wall makes for a better looking barn, IMO.

In regard to the overhead door, with the free span design it follows along the roof profile..

More data in my build thread below.

 

[drivesitfar]

BAGS: i'd probably prefer 40 foot deep if you are planning on having 2 cars end to end especially if one is a truck. can you go 16 foot tall and maybe put in a loft for a workshop or storage?

also i've heard some lifts require 12.2 foot ceilings so unless you are removing tresses or have smaller vehicles i like your 14 foot tall ceilings. i have 14 foot ceilings in my storage unit and love the 12 foot commercial racking to get things up out of the way.

good luck

 

[astroracer]

Check out FBI and grizzly for some good pole barn/work shop planners.
http://www.fbibuildings.com/planning-tools/pole-barn-design-tool
http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

Remember, your barn size is to the outside of the building, actual usable space will be a foot shorter on the inside.
Keep you over head doors at least 4' off the inside walls. This leaves room for benches, storage and opening car doors. 6' is better for comfortable working space, especially with a hoist.
For a 2 post hoist 4" of 3000PSI concrete is plenty. There is no need to pour "extra thick" for a hoist per BendPaks Site.
Put your electrical outlets 4' or 5' feet off the floor with one every 4' to 6' along the walls.

 

[bagsanthony]

Check out FBI and grizzly for some good pole barn/work shop planners.
http://www.fbibuildings.com/planning-tools/pole-barn-design-tool
http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

Remember, your barn size is to the outside of the building, actual usable space will be a foot shorter on the inside.
Keep you over head doors at least 4' off the inside walls. This leaves room for benches, storage and opening car doors. 6' is better for comfortable working space, especially with a hoist.
For a 2 post hoist 4" of 3000PSI concrete is plenty. There is no need to pour "extra thick" for a hoist per BendPaks Site.
Put your electrical outlets 4' or 5' feet off the floor with one every 4' to 6' along the walls.

Excellent info here, thanks a lot! I really like the design layout sites you pointed me to.