40x40 with living quarters

[Dlwfish]

I'm in the process of choosing a builder and getting the ball rolling.

I'll be using half of the space for living quarters...
Guest house for family..

Just wanted to see if anyone has done this and would like to share their experience, layout, etc..

I'll be posting progress pics as I move forward.

Thanks!

 

[maxpower_hd]

So the shop will be 20x40 and the living quarters 20x40? How tall will the building be? twenty feet just doesn't seem all that wide of a work area to get thing moved around each other. If it is tall enough maybe make the footprint of the guest space smaller but two floors so there is a sleeping loft. Just a thought for more work space.

Where is your location?

 

[finn]

I use a 16x16' portion of my shop as a "condo " for my brother and his dog when he's in town. The area was originally the office and bathroom for the shop.

He'd be welcome to stay in the house, but the dog sheds and doesn't do stairs well anymore.

20x40' seems too large, at the expense of shop space.

You may end up having difficulty getting your guests to leave.

 

[Dlwfish]

I'm in North Texas

Shop space is going to be around 22x40 and that's what we're working on right now, the layout. I don't really need all that much room since I already have another single garage on one side of the house that's my "gun & fish shop". I utilize this garage now and it works out pretty good. I want more space and the wife wants a place for guests to stay when they visit so it's a compromise. I'm in the automotive business so I don't really need a shop to work on vehicles as I have plenty of those to use every day.

 

[Sundodger]

I have a 30x40 shop that I have been thinking of putting an apartment above. That way no shop space is affected. My current thought is to make 1/2 of the upstairs an apartment (live in that and rent out my house) then the other 1/2 storage for my shop. Internal stairs for the storage, external stairs to get into the apartment.

 

[Dlwfish]

I thought about going with a loft but we have elderly parents that don't like navigating stairs so that's probably out. We're also going to use this as a little pool house for the kids to hang out in during the summer so they're not in & out of the house all day.

Once we finish the plans I'll share them

 

[bdbecker]

I saw a really neat layout on a 40x60 shop, but might be adaptable to a 40x40. The building had a ~20' wide lofted area along the 40' length of the shop. He had an office and 3/4 bath on the ground level that took up about half the space under the loft. The other half of the space under the loft was a workbench and machine shop area. This workbench area was wide open to the shop. The lofted area had a bedroom and full bath. The kitchen and living area was just one big room. He finished the lofted area like a log cabin - you would have never known that you were in pole building. Big windows on the exterior walls, gas fireplace, it was really nice.

EDIT - sorry, didn't see the comment about not wanting stairs...

 

[pmiranda]

You can probably do a pretty decent guest space in 16x24... bathroom at one end, entry door and windows on the outside walls, mini-split HVAC, and storage attic above it. Leaves a 16x16 area for a workbench, etc. and a full 24x40 for cars and stuff.
By code I believe you have to run the walls all the way to the roof, but you could put a fire-rated double-door for access to the attic with a ladder and/or lift.