Bathroom in Detached Shop??

[duwem]

Almost ready to pour concrete. Originally thought I should have a plumber rough out bathroom drains before the slab is poured.

Need a sanitary permit by the plumber to the county that says it's possible to hook up to the existing house septic system.

$160 for the permit and $500 to rough in rhe drains terminating at the exterior of the shed. Septic is probably 100' or more away from shed side so would need to have that trenched in.

Hpuse with bathroom right when you walk in from the attached garage is only. About 50' away from the shed so not a far walk.

I do plan to put a rec room in the loft of the shop some day so that gives some justification to a bathroom. Also having a sink to wash up befor coming in the house. I will use the shop 3-6 times a week at least.

Buddy suggested just put a sink in my attached garage. Would need to get drains into the house somehow if doing that.


Plumber will already be on site plumbing in the floor drains for the vehicle areas.
Rough it in or forget it, don't need it?

 

[machine_punk]

I'd rough in...very expensive to add later. Great to be able to use the restroom without 'getting clean enough to go in the house.' Also great for cleaning up in general and I often need water for some aspect of a project.

KDub

 

[Cyberbear]

When I built my 2400 sq/ft shop I roughed in a future drain for a toilet and sink that extended about 12" outside the footing on an exterior wall. Years later I had my backhoe guy install a 300 gallon fiberglass tank and leach line. All went smoothly and it's been over a decade ago.

 

[kabinenroller]

My shop is 130' from the house and I have a septic system. Installing a bathroom would have added too much to the cost of the build and put the project over budget so I decided just to install drains, one for the hydronic heat and two floor drains.
In my municipality it is legal to route the floor drains in a building out to grade. Instead of running them to grade I ran them to a French drain. I pulled a permit for the floor drains and passed inspection. There is a trench from the house to the shop that holds electrical and security conduits, before we back filled I ran 3/4" pex line for a water line.
When the building was finished and after all the inspections I connected the pex to a water line in the house and installed a stainless steel industrial sink in the shop. The sink is connected to an open hub drain. (Trap below grade)
This works fine.
(The open hub drain common and is code for food facilities, they must have a 1' gap between the sink drain and the hub, this prevents sewage from backing up in the sink and contaminating food prep.)

 

[Iroc-Z]

I redid all my septic for my house just so I could put a bathroom in the shop. I live in mn and when it's zero out I really don't want to run to the house to take a number 2

 

[theoldwizard1]

A sink IN the attached garage is a great idea ! Except in WI I would be afraid the pipes would freeze,

 

[duwem]

Correct it would have to be a heated garage for the sink idea to work, or summer use only.

 

[gungatim]

how much are you spending on your shop? $660 could be a drop in the bucket or a huge cost overrun. if you are spending $10k or more, I would just do it. if you are on a really tight budget diy'ing it for $5k or less, that may be another story.

but I live in the country so we just go outside...

 

[n20junkie]

I stubbed out plumbing in my 30x50 for a utility sink in the shop, and a small bathroom with a sink and toilet. I don't want to run to the house when I am covered in dirt just to piss.

 

[38Chevy454]

Now is certainly the time to do it. I chose not to on my detached. My septic was way on opposite diagonal corner of the house, so the trenching would have been several hundred feet. Plus only around 25 feet to the house. Yes the cleaning up sink or toilet would be nice. I just could not justify it.

 

[zmotorsports]

I don't have a bathroom or sink in my current shop and won't be putting one in my new shop. The contractor talked to me about it but I will hopefully have a small bathroom in the mud room just inside the house from the attached garage and to be honest, I am not willing to give up the real estate in my new garage for a bathroom, nor the cost difference for adding one. My new shop will probably be about the same distance from the house as my current one so it is not that big a deal to walk in the house and use the restroom. If money and space were not an issue, maybe I would feel different but in the 21+ years I have had my current shop it really has not been that big a deal to go into the house for the bathroom. I use waterless hand cleaner in the shop so much of the grease/grime is off of my hands before I even go into the house.

Mike.

 

[James-W]

When I built my detached garage/shop I thought about putting in a bathroom. But to do that a trench would need to be dug thru my concrete driveway all the way to the street (about 100 ft) and that wasn't something I wanted to have done. Then too I would need to have water run and that would need to be dug into the ground so it doesn't freeze. I figured the cost of putting a bathroom in the garage/shop would be many thousands of dollars and for that much money I could go into the house when I needed a bathroom break.

Still, it MIGHT have been worth it because if I ever sell this place the new owners might want to put an apartment above the garage. I use it strictly for storage, but it is large enough and tall enough to actually have an apartment up there. That being the case, having water and sewer out there would be ideal for someone who had other ideas about what to do with the garage. I doubt that the apartment could be rented out, but I am pretty sure you could have your son or daughter live up there if they wanted to. You wouldn't really have to call it an apartment, you could call it a "recreation or relaxation place" or something similar to that. If you call it an apartment then the city might not approve it.

 

[nh_yota]

It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[Orange65]

My current shop has a bath room in it thanks to the previous owner. I really like having one in there. I occasionally do die grinding and various other things I don't want to track in the house. I would typically strip down or at least remove my shoes before going in to keep from tracking stuff in. Now I don't have to go in until the I am done for the day.

 

[gungatim]

Correct it would have to be a heated garage for the sink idea to work, or summer use only.

you don't have to heat the whole garage, just super insulate the bathroom. my FIL has a huge unheated barn with a bathroom. just a small 6x6 space, houses the air compressor, a shelf for paint, and of course the toilet and sink. on the wall is a small electric heater set at 45 degrees. I have never once seen it turn on. even during the coldest winters, it stays around 45 just from the ground. (the 2 feet of insulation in the ceiling and solid foam walls help!)

a small 4x4 enclosed bathroom with exposed slap really doesn't get that cold if it is insulted well.

 

[hippie2cams]

I have one in my detached shop, did it when it was built. went for 2 yrs. before it was all hooked up and running, but now I love it. Its just a toilet and vanity set with a large laundry sink on the outside wall of the bath. A 12 gal. water heater takes care of that part. and its on a switch so it only comes on when I want to use hot water.

 

[davidlee]

I am glad I put a bathroom in my shop. I would do it if I were you.

 

[-Brent-]

but I live in the country so we just go outside...

Same here, but I live in the suburbs. The grass is greener where you water it.

Duwem, you don't say the size of the shop. That, too, would be a deciding factor for me.

Cleaning up a bit before I go into the house is pretty much second nature. If my hands are greasy, I use some GoJo. If I'm really dusty I'll spray myself with compressed air. All that said, if it were more than 50 feet I wouldn't want to have to stiff-leg it over to the house when you really have to #2.

 

[Coolabah]

It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

If it was me , as a minimum I would run any and all pipes to just past the outside of the building, cap the ends. ( ie everything that will be covered by the slab ). Leaves your options open for very little cost

 

[LB-1911]

Almost ready to pour concrete. Originally thought I should have a plumber rough out bathroom drains before the slab is poured.

Need a sanitary permit by the plumber to the county that says it's possible to hook up to the existing house septic system.

$160 for the permit and $500 to rough in rhe drains terminating at the exterior of the shed. Septic is probably 100' or more away from shed side so would need to have that trenched in.

Hpuse with bathroom right when you walk in from the attached garage is only. About 50' away from the shed so not a far walk.

I do plan to put a rec room in the loft of the shop some day so that gives some justification to a bathroom. Also having a sink to wash up before coming in the house. I will use the shop 3-6 times a week at least.

Buddy suggested just put a sink in my attached garage. Would need to get drains into the house somehow if doing that.


Plumber will already be on site plumbing in the floor drains for the vehicle areas.

Rough it in or forget it, don't need it?

Get it roughed in.

Good Luck w/your build.

 

[Nighttrain]

Make sure the county or city does not tax your garage different if it has a bathroom. It may cost more in taxes, I've learned if it requires a permit that is pretty much a invite for the taxman to raise your tax

 

[a52-830]

the number 1 thing i miss in my detached shop is a bathroom. the number 2 thing is a sink.

i would rough in under the slab, even if i was not going further yet. a lot easier to decide later to pay for the permits and stuff if the pipes are already under the slab.

i suppose it is possible the plumber won't (or can't) do it without the permits for the whole thing, but i would certainly ask . . . . and if need be, i would likely just cough up the money for the permits. . . . .

 

[Fishplate]

I just put in a back door...

 

[C lectric]

Do the rough in now even if you cannot afford to do the equipment installation.

I had a laundry sink and a 12 gallon H.W., electric, tank in mine. I could clean up before going back to the house, a big advantage.
I also realized that laundry sink would double as a urinal with some water running as there was not room for a separate toilet or urinal.

 

[logan1211]

Just went through the same scenario. We've got a pool next to the shop and we entertain a lot out there. I'm also putting an office in so a bathroom was a no brainer.

Roughed in drain for shower, toilet, sleeve for water line, 2x spare conduit for future cabling, and floor drain. I've got a backhoe so it was pretty easy work. Torpedo level makes it easy as well. Since I can do another septic system where my shop is at, I just ran everything to 3' past the perimeter and capped it off until I can finish in the Spring.

We plan to get a lot of use out if (guests, parties, office, etc.) so it was a no brainer. Good luck with your build!

 

[rburke65]

A no brainier in my opinion. Rough it in.

 

[skidozer670]

I have one just outside in a 8x12 building thought it was stupid when I bought the property. But love not having to go through house take off shoes and walk 250 feet in rain is awsome.
I also love the wash tub for cleaning stuff not in the house. I don't ever use the shower or washer dryer hookups though. A snobird built it for extra space when they were up for summer they parked a big camper on cement slab. I may do same thing when I retire and sell house next door.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Wife pushed for toilet in shop. While house is close I would have to go through garage, short hall, master bedroom to get to toilet. Have a tiny toilet room with a large stainless steel sink in the open shop. Very happy I did it.

Have radiant in floor heat, so Freezing was not a problem. Have used sink many, many times. House is much cleaner.

Rough it in.

 

[Jo Diesel]

My plumber put a urinal sink, 5gal elect water heater and his air compresser in his. All drains out to a buried dry well. 55 gal drum with holes in it surounded by stones and I thought it was awesome but the air comp did scare the piss out me . He does have a small electric heater in it but keeps his shop at 50 so he never uses it.
To keep your water from freezing when your shop is not heated put in a frost free hydrant. If you look at the left end of my sink mine is plumbed into the faucet of sink and has a hose hookup and bottle blaster. Close the hydrant and open the hose hookup and it drains.

 

[Jo Diesel]

Could just use a porta potty urinal and run a hose outside

 

[Jazz1]

Could just use a porta potty urinal and run a hose outside

a funnel with a length of garden hose out the wall is acceptable

 

[Double J]

My plumber put a urinal sink, 5gal elect water heater and his air compresser in his. All drains out to a buried dry well. 55 gal drum with holes in it surounded by stones...

Curious how many have this 55 gal drum setup "under the radar" so to speak. I'm sure if the county gets involved (submitting for a permit) they would be having none of that, but whats the concern if all you're putting in is a urinal and sink vs taking a leak outside.

 

[bammer]

Why not put a system in on the weekend without the county's knowledge and hook your shop into that. If you pour a slab you can hide the under slab plumping till after the last inspection. After all its not a big system.

 

[sberry]

I have 2 1/2 bathrooms, 5 sinks.

 

[PeterT]

My wife prefers me and my guys take dumps out in the shop instead of tracking mud into the house

 

[T Reno]

I just put a 3/4 bath in my shop. Installed new Septic as the current Septic was too small for the current house & plans are to scrape the current house and build forever home.

Yeah it cost extra but damn its nice - plus my shop is kinda man cave and I entertain out there a lot so a bathroom was a no brainer. It's 8x12 with toilet, shower, sink & has a electric heat. Inside the shop area I also plumbed for washer & dryer so if we become snow birds & rent out the house we have a place to land when needed....

 

[bczygan]

Almost ready to pour concrete. Originally thought I should have a plumber rough out bathroom drains before the slab is poured.

Need a sanitary permit by the plumber to the county that says it's possible to hook up to the existing house septic system.

$160 for the permit and $500 to rough in rhe drains terminating at the exterior of the shed. Septic is probably 100' or more away from shed side so would need to have that trenched in.

Hpuse with bathroom right when you walk in from the attached garage is only. About 50' away from the shed so not a far walk.

I do plan to put a rec room in the loft of the shop some day so that gives some justification to a bathroom. Also having a sink to wash up befor coming in the house. I will use the shop 3-6 times a week at least.

Buddy suggested just put a sink in my attached garage. Would need to get drains into the house somehow if doing that.


Plumber will already be on site plumbing in the floor drains for the vehicle areas.
Rough it in or forget it, don't need it?

50' gets further and further, the older you get, and the colder and more rainy the weather.

 

[Zogman]

My shop is 400' away from my house so I added a sink and a toilet in my 2400 square ft shop. In hindsight I should have just roughed it in and then do the 55 gallon drum option but by doing it to code I had to add a new septic tank and (3) 60' leach lines. Ended up being very expensive but I'm glad I have it. Definitely rough it in.

 

[duwem]

Still working through this. Gona be tight to get the lines run underground as they are going to be doing the concrete mid next week.

 

[sberry]

My Bud had a 30x40 no plumbing near his house. What started as a garage became work and he should have added an addition on but he didn't really care, things were ok s it was but it was in town and it was inconvenient at best.
I am basically lazy and some people can carry a bucket every day but it gets old fast and I would rather dig a ditch once, use a pipe forever.