Bastrop 40x60

[pmiranda]

Despite half the world stopping around us, I got my development permit last week, and next week we break ground on our long-planned 40x60 metal building.
Framing-wise, it's actually 40x80, but 20' is open carport, and we're adding on a 12x60 lean-to on one side to contain a bathroom and utility room and shelter for a RV or toy hauler in the future. Since the county has a minimum septic tank size we might-as-well'ed ourselves into having a shower and an RV dump.
A sink in the corner of the shop could allow for building a small kitchen if we end up spending some nights there.
To that end, and to provide a nice spot for drinking a cold one at the end of a day I'm including a porch on the west end.
Planning on a 2-post lift pretty much dead center for most work, and allowing for a couple 4-post lifts if I manage to get enough cars to need the storage space.
I've planned plumbing and the big feeder circuits under the slab, and I figure I'll do the branch circuits myself to place a few dozen 4' LED 2xT8 fixtures and plenty of 120V outlets. I already bought one LED fixture from sueprbrightleds.com and replaced a 4xT12 in my current garage that was failing. Wonderful light, I'm really happy with it.

So far I'm $20K in with permits, a water meter, electric service, septic engineering, survey work and the deposit with Mueller for the building.
Things really get rolling with around $100K to the contractor and another $30K to Mueller on delivery. I figure on another $40k in fixtures and interior finishes and God knows how much for the parking pad and driveway so it's a good thing I sold stock before the market took a giant dump to pay for all this. I'm really happy that money didn't just go up in smoke with my 401k and I get to keep a few local businesses running for a couple months! Blind luck is better than none.

It's nice being outside city limits so I can have floor drains to wash a car in the glare of summer or cold of winter. NDS has nice 9x9 boxes that accept a filter cone so I don't drop grease or sand down the pipes. The slope of the land means a french drain along the South wall to keep it dry.

From years of reading this forum I have a pretty good checklist of things to look for before the concrete gets poured.

 

[matt_i]

Looks like a great start, and good timing to boot.

The land looks hilly, any danger of finding rock there?

Also are you going to need A/C? Anytime I read TX I think cooling...

Keep us posted with more pics. If you can get/post them at a higher resolution I think we would all enjoy the details.

 

[ned911]

Following this as I'm also in Austin and basically want to build the same - 40x60 with RV/trailer lean-to

 

[pmiranda]

The elevation contour lines are 1 foot, so the slope is mild but it does add up over the length of the building! So far we haven't hit any big rocks and the geology doesn't have ledge like I've seen on This Old House.
My plan is for house wrap over the frame so I can get spray foam without gluing down the panels for all eternity. I'm less sure about how to finish the interior walls, but once insulated, yeah, AC is in the plans. I'm thinking a Mitsubishi multi-split since the bathroom and area by the windows will need more than the rest of the space, and I want to hang some vinyl curtains around the other 3 corner bays to keep them somewhat separated for when I'm washing a car or just pulling one in hot from a drive.

[Hit return too soon]
Originally I was gonna do 50x65 or so without the lean to but I want to take advantage of the slope of the land to have the lean-to lower than the main slab but under the slope of the roof... and whatever is in the lean-to won't care if it's hot or cold.

 

[pmiranda]

Sorry, rainy day so no real pictures, but here are some elevations:

I once lived in a house with concrete steps that leaned over at an odd angle after a few years so I'll just build some out of pressure treated lumber that should be lighter and, after a little paint and anti-slip tape, should look and work well.

 

[nadogail]

Congratulations on your acquisition. May you find many years of enjoyment in the property while enjoying good health.

 

[VocaTexas]

Congrats on the build. On the subject of lights, I bought these and put in my shop recently. I've got 18 of them in three rows of six each. The lights are sixteen feet off the floor and I have NO dark areas, even underneath lathes, and can plainly read the graduations on the lathe dials.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBT3BVM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I bought mine in packs of 12 and the cost came out to $7.00 per light. So far I'm very happy with them, and they have great reviews.

 

[pmiranda]

Do the Barrina lights say how many hours they're good for?

I was planning on using these, with a 50Khr L70:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...tubes-industrial-led-light-4-long/6444/14479/

 

[pmiranda]

Put some reflective numbers on an old license plate to make an address sign:

Breaking ground (or at least pulling out trees that are in the footprint of the building) now...

 

[matt_i]

I'm curious what the 3ft drop gets you? Is that to increase the garage door height for something like an RV?

Seems like a pain to climb up and down otherwise.

Personal preference here but I like the look of overhangs on the roofline so then you can have gutters. Maybe your drawing just omitted them for simplicity.

Also it looks like the overhead doors are very close to the sidewalls....which can diminish your ability to store things along those walls and still drive past. With the double lifts seems like most of the work area is going to be concentrated in the center.

Looks like a very nice property there!

 

[pmiranda]

The 3ft drop is pretty much laking lemonade out of lemons. The ground drops 3 to 5 feet across the building, and the slope of the roof drops 3 feet over the 12 foot leanto width, so I thought I'd rather be able to store an RV or (more likely) a tow hauler with a roof aircon than buy 20+ yards of fill!
The building does have a minimal overhang for gutters, which will be handy given that I expect some runoff from the south and I thought I might do rainwater collection for irrigation at some point.

The OHD's are 2 feet from the sidewalls. My goal is to maximize vehicle space in the width I have to work with. For other storage, I'll probably do what I have in my garage now: lots of shelving, and if that doesn't cover it, a mezzanine along the back wall.

The center is definitely for vehicle work. I haven't given a ton of thought to woodworking or machining, other than keeping most of the floor level. If I were doing that I'd skip one or both 4-post lifts.

 

[dcg9381]

Hi, I'm just outside of Austin. I have a 40x60 with two "shed roofs" (one 14x40, one 14x60) - the shed roofs are a good idea, they don't cost much more and really add value to the space.

I was at roughly $60-70k getting the building up.. About $24k foundation, $23k Mueller "kit", and the rest was assembly labor. It went up really fast.

The rest of it - short of the foam insulation I've done myself.

Watch your drainage - or build that foundation up so it's not possible to get water in.

Lighting - I have 5 "UFO style" 200 watt+ LEDs. They are great. I will never own another tube again. I'd recommend dimmable - but we also have a big string of LED "string lights" in the building also for use in the evenings... The big lights make it light daylight.

Add more conduit to that slab than you'll need. Easier to go under (power and water) than going over. My building has 2 sub panels on the inside alone...


My main priority once the building was up was insulation and HVAC. I did 2 x 2 ton ductless units, and screw it, I took my sweet time working on the inside in the middle of the summer.

The other thing I did - might be a bit unique - we don't have a water supply here, so I designed the building and gutter systems to provide rain water. We tank 15k gallons and gather about 1,500 gallons per inch of rain fall... More than enough for 2 people. And cheaper than a well.

 

[pmiranda]

Yeah, my uncle lives in a tow hauler under a 40x40 and gets plenty of water for him and a few dozen cows from the roof. He's got a substantial water tank farm to get through the drier months. I'm a little mad at myself for already getting the water meter done now that I've seen how reasonable the rain water filtration/UV purification setups are. Unlike with electricity, you don't get to run the water meter backwards

Who did your insulation? I played phone tag half of Saturday with one place and never got an estimate out of them.

 

[sberry]

Put lift in back corner so some tools are along wall/corner, so it's not peninsula so to speak.

 

[dcg9381]

I PM'd you the insulation contractor.

 

[pmiranda]

Thanks, I'll check them out.

 

[pmiranda]

More pics from yesterday:

Cut down at the top corner some, but not so much that it'll take out nearby tree root systems or require a retaining wall:

After the main pour is done, the leanto will be to the side. Can't cut much at the top end so 3 feet is probably about where it will end up being down from the main slab:

Bottom corner is a good 5 feet above ground:

So the back will end up looking like this. I hope I never need to go out that upper window, which is why the stairs will have fire-rated separation from the shop, if I ever get around to building a mezzanine:

 

[dcg9381]

I get wanting it above grade elevation, but looks like you could cut it (less concrete).
How many beams are you doing on that slab?

Unsolicited advice: Span that building in electrical conduit, at least 3-4 places inside to inside.... 1-1/4 gives some pretty good options and you an even shove PEX into it in a pinch. Throw some under the slab too in case you ever need to go "through" the building without having to cut around..

 

[pmiranda]

Beside the perimeter (which has all the support for the metal building since it's clear-span) there's at least one beam down the middle. I forget if the contractor was planning more but I've showed him where I'm putting heavy equipment. I'll go out in the morning before it rains to see how far they've gotten.

Yeah, I've got one big conduit from the main panel on the south wall to the subpanel on the north corner. From those two points all the electrical runs are not very long, and nearly all the 240V loads are within 10 feet of them.
I've got cold water to all four corners.

 

[Skyking1992]

Looks like quite the castle! Congratulations.

My only advise is to listen to Sberry and put the lift in a corner. I have a 40 x 50 building, so not quite as big as yours, with one 12 foot door on the gable end. We put the lift in the back over to one side. Still enough room for benches and tool boxes in front and on the side, but still out of the way. We ended up with that location by accident - I bought my two post lift used and it came in one piece. It was a pretty tough job for my wife and I to get it stood up and once up, that's where it stayed. I like it's location.

If you have any doubt, assemble the lift but don't bolt it down. Let it stand for a few days and try to visualize your routine. I think you'll like the corner idea better.

 

[bradpac]

Looks like it will be a really nice building. I have a friend/co worker that built his own house/shop out in Bastrop. Remember drainage, with the hills and sandy mix soil you get some good run off.

You'll be pretty set with a Mueller kit, but if you need some incidentals Jim over at DDM buildings in Bastrop is a good guy and can help you out. He's been in the business forever.

 

[pmiranda]

A little more fill came in this morning. Not much going on today with rain coming this afternoon.

Underslab electrical conduit is in. I found it interesting they're using some sandbags to form up the edge of the deeper beams:

There is one main beam running the length of the slab down the middle.
Two cross beams at 20 foot interval, where the middle columns are.

 

[pmiranda]

A couple new pics today. All the plumbing is in under the rebar, which should be done later this afternoon. Plan is to pour the slab tomorrow before it rains the day after. Then we've got a couple weeks of mild weather to form and pour the lean-to and porch while waiting for Mueller to finish and deliver the building.

Here you can make out the slight bump of the cold water supply line running diagonally from where it enters the building over to the bathroom in the corner:

And an update of how it looks from where I've been taking snapshots every few days:

Looks like I'll need to bring in a little fill to bring the driveway up from grade on the right corner, but that won't be for another month or two. No point in laying new asphalt before the heavy trucks come in!

 

[pmiranda]

The concrete has landed:

 

[pmiranda]

Form boards are coming off after yesterday’s rain.
Looks like they got the slope into the floor drain locations right

 

[MacTexas]

I need to follow this build, subscribed.

 

[pmiranda]

Back porch and lean-to slabs got poured earlier in the week before the rain came. Now just waiting for the building and window delivery week after next...

 

[pmiranda]

Mostly just waiting for the building to arrive next week. Hopefully it will stop raining at some point, but the electric meter should go in soon.

Stopped by a couple days ago to measure some stuff and found some cosmetic cracking where I guess the concrete cured a little too fast. So much for the power of control joints as you can see one crack went straight across one!

Luckily none where I want to put the 2-post lift.

 

[bradpac]

Looks like rain all next week, then it'll probably be 100 degrees the following week. Great looking slab though. That will be a nice place. Do you have one contractor doing the whole thing or different subs? If you're happy with the work, mind sending me the name, one of these days i'm going to get my shop in Taylor built.

 

[pmiranda]

One contractor doing all the exterior and the bathroom. I'm doing or subbing out insulation, interior finish, most of the electrical, and the AC because there's not a big hurry and I haven't entirely decided on the details.
The contractor is out of Elgin so he'd be in your neighborhood.

 

[Deude_Mann]

What insulation system are you going to use? I ask because I am in the San Antonio area and am building a metal shop right now.

 

[pmiranda]

I'm planning on spray foam. I got a quote from a company based out of Austin, and the contractor has one he's just done a project with I'll get a quote from as well.

 

[Deude_Mann]

I've been getting quotes for spray foam here as well. The going rate for closed cell seems to be about $1 a board foot (12"x12"x1").

I am also considering Bay Insulation as well since it has a better finished look and is fire rated (without additional drywall), and a higher R-value per dollar. However it does not have the sealing and structural enhancement benefit that closed cell does.

 

[pmiranda]

Infinity Spray Foam quoted me $0.90/sqft/in for closed-cell, so yeah, about a buck. What are prices like on Bay?

 

[dcg9381]

It was around $5k for a 40x60x16 (3 big doors). Open cell, about 3". It's enough to get by in Texas with 4 tons of AC. I wouldn't do a building like this any other way - the labor isn't worth it. Right now, due to C-19, I'm working in this building every day. If it's 100 degrees outside, we're still fine.. The door insulation is poor, but our power bills have peaked at $100/mo - that's being here full time and with a 2hp water pump.. (add $40-$50 worth of solar credit)

Slabs in Texas... They are totally dependent upon the conditions at time of pour. I've got some decent cracks in my shop floor, which was poured at 100 degrees and the concrete crew didn't spend any time cooling it down. Some of the coat came up at the entry point - no real fix other than to grind it down and coat it.

I had a house pour in prime conditions this year - 60-70 degrees, no rain, solid temp for a week. That slab is beautiful without a single crack. (It's post-tension though)

Like pmiranda, I was in a big hurry to get my AC in... And it's probably almost "too late" by now, but I spend $2400 for two ductless systems.. Probably takes me 2 x 6 hour days to install one now... Sort it out if it's worth the contractor up-charge. I couldn't have it done for me for double or triple that.

Love these darn buildings.. It's a darn shame that I have to live in a house! Yours is going to turn out great!

 

[Deude_Mann]

Infinity Spray Foam quoted me $0.90/sqft/in for closed-cell, so yeah, about a buck. What are prices like on Bay?

Their quote for the retrofit insulation kit (my building is already up) is $3000 for a 30'x40'x12' with R-19 fiberglass and a good lamtec liner. That is just for materials. I am waiting on a quote for labor.

There is a hybrid approach I just found out is relatively common called flash-and-batt where one applies a thin coating (1") of closed cell to the steel as a vapor barrier and then batt insulation is installed over that. It works very well apparently, and is more cost efficient than all-foam, but it is not fire rated as a combo so it still requires a fire barrier like drywall.

 

[dcg9381]

There is a hybrid approach I just found out is relatively common called flash-and-batt where one applies a thin coating (1") of closed cell to the steel as a vapor barrier and then batt insulation is installed over that. It works very well apparently, and is more cost efficient than all-foam, but it is not fire rated as a combo so it still requires a fire barrier like drywall.

I like this idea. I don't think "all foam" is fire rated either, right?

Seems to me the most cost effective might be 1" foam to seal it up (walls) - add batt or traditional... And have the roof deck sprayed to spec as it's so labor intensive to insulate with anything else...

 

[ford33]

Congratulations on building great space. The surrounding area with trees looks like a nice place to sit and enjoy the area.

 

[pmiranda]

I definitely wouldn't have included a back porch if it were in an industrial park!

I am starting to lean toward putting 4" of foam on the roof, and at most 2" on the walls, and adding some more insulation on the walls before adding white R panel as an interior finish. Originally I thought I'd drywall, but the panel is lighter and goes up way faster!

 

[Deude_Mann]

I like this idea. I don't think "all foam" is fire rated either, right?

Seems to me the most cost effective might be 1" foam to seal it up (walls) - add batt or traditional... And have the roof deck sprayed to spec as it's so labor intensive to insulate with anything else...

FWIW the labor quotation from Bay Insulation Contracting (to put up the insulation from Bay Insulation) was outrageously expensive, like the total cost was 4X over the cost of just the insulation. So, yeah, I'm not going that way.

Right now I think I am going to DIY the flash, then go with blow-in or batt fiberglass then drywall.