Lessons you learned building your shop?

[amolaver]

I'm clearing some land in preparation for a 40x60 building. This is going to be used for vehicle / tractor storage, but primarily for vehicle service work (everything from my dually to 1400lb race cars to motorcycles). I'm as noob as noob can be and have been reading as much as I can, but just can't seem to grok enough from the threads to feel comfortable moving forward. It will be heated on demand and not cooled (at least initially). I have a connection for HVAC equipment, so that is not a concern.

I'm plenty mechanically competent (note I said competent, not skilled ) but am a total novice at building construction. I seem to be headed down the path of a steel building and 'know' roughly what I want - 2 vehicle doors including a 14x14 and 12x12, two man doors, a couple of windows. At least one 2 post lift and probably a motocycle lift.

Getting power to the building is one major question. I have a transformer next to the driveway that feeds the house and I'm not sure if the power co can split off from the house itself, or needs to run another meter from the transformer. Obviously, I'll have to talk to them, but suggestions on how to approach this are welcome!

I'd like to keep cost down as much as possible by doing as much work as I can, but it seems that there some things that A) are critical to the 'success' of the building so necessitate a pro, or B) simply require a level of skill that a novice shouldn't attempt to learn when putting up the structure they are going to live with for 50 years. As an example, while it will no doubt take me way longer than a pro, I think I can prep the site for the concrete work. However, actually pouring / finishing the concrete seems like something I'd be better of paying someone to do. Is there a middle ground? Should I attempt to lay the rebar (or <insert task here>) ? Basically, things that are relatively simple but require lots of time / sweat (and don't require specialized tools)

Finally, I've seen online a few 'how to build a steel/pole building' books. Are any of these worthwhile? Any other suggestions for how to get up to speed on the construction process?

ahm

 

[ghnl]

Welcome. You are smart to think about these things before...

I agree that concrete work is worth paying for a pro. Even with lots of practice a D-I-Y'er would likely get at best an OK result - then everythime your floor jack hangs up on the little ridge left by an errant trowel stroke you'll be cursing the idiot who did the job (i.e. yourself...!).

I think it is worthwhile talking to your sub contractors to see what sort of jobs/tasks you can do that'd help lower the costs without having them 'void your warranty'. If they agree to let you lay in the rebar for example that might save you a days labor.

Another job that I think is worth paying for is drywall & mudding. If it is a small room that is certainly within the scope of a D-I-Y'er but I paid a crew to do our 25 X 42 X 12 garage & a room above.

 

[mustangmccance]

when i built my building, I was in a hurry to get it up and running so I cut some corners meaning I had the subcontractors do some work that I would normally do for instance I always have the electrician run the power to the building but I wire the interior. this time I had him wire the 4 8 foot fluorescent lights in the main shop and 3 plugs as well as hard wiring the garage door openers. this took him about a day and would have taken me probably a month of weekends. but wiring, framing the interior even drywall if you are not in a hurry are fairly easy things to do. just take time. The size of doors you are installing. will likely require a professional installation with some industrial grade door openers. mine are 16 x 10 and that is the way I did mine. btw if you do not mind my asking what was the cost of your building and concrete etc.

 

[ranunculous]

No matter the size,your building will not be big enough! I thought 30x30 (all the county and property would allow)would do,nuh uhh!
Good luck with your project!

 

[Bencrx91]

It's never big enough.

Next time I would :
Make a Slab thick enough for a lift. (2 post)
Ceiling high enough for a lift. (12ft)
Have half garage/shop and half storage.

 

[e-tek]

consider the ceiling height - even a partial high spot for the lift.
make it large enough, but also make it so you can get "full cars" in. If you go 24x30, you can only get 2 cars, plus lotsa room for your bench. If you go 24x40, you can get 4 cars in and still have enough room for benches.
Consider a package garage. Mine was up in 3.5 days, with 2 men, right to siding, windows, OH doors and all!!
The only part I did was insulation and drywall - and that was perfect!
Build an outdoor shed for garden equipment!
Best of luck!

 

[Jim Stabe]

Put in a crane or at least put in the footings for one so you can install later. No matter how much you think you won't use it, you'll be surprised.

 

[tigmusky]

It's never big enough.

Next time I would :
Make a Slab thick enough for a lift. (2 post)
Ceiling high enough for a lift. (12ft)
Have half garage/shop and half storage.

AMEN!!!


where do you live? Infloor heat? keep your big door at least 3' or more from the side wall. What i mean. benchs and toolboxs will fill up the walls , It;s nice to open the door and have a clear drive in .


Daye

 

[amolaver]

appreciate everyone's feedback. i'm in the planning stages - looking at my land and figuring out where the footprint of the building is going to be. i know i want it fairly large - 60x40 is something i think i'll be able to live with for quite a while. what i'm trying to do is gather the collective wisdom of folks who've been through this before and avoid the, 'damn, i wish i had done <x>'. like talking to my dad the other night, he suggested a floor drain. makes damn good sense - will be nice to be able to wash vehicles indoors. as i have a well (and it's the right thing to do) i need to be able to close it though to avoid any non-water from escaping. things like that. i've received two quotes for erected steel buildings so far, 40K and 50K. i envy those who've said they've gotten similiar sized for $25K. going to have to get seriously creative to be able to afford this...so, any other suggestions for work you think a mechanically inclined yet construction near-illiterate should think of tackling?

ahm

 

[mad57]

call pioneer pole buildings they did my 30x80 for $32,000 ..now its even cheaper because steel prices are way down, figure $9,000 for crete and slowly finish interior . thats what im doing ,check craigslist like a mad man for parts to finish it youll be surprised of the stuff youll find there.take pics of every step so you remember where stuff is in the walls ect, when you apply with the town for building permits when dropping off get copys of everything you turn in , and secetary signature youll be surprised how often they lose stuff or waste your time. happened to me. good luck with the build. check mine out on here take care.

 

[checkthisout]

appreciate everyone's feedback. i'm in the planning stages - looking at my land and figuring out where the footprint of the building is going to be. i know i want it fairly large - 60x40 is something i think i'll be able to live with for quite a while. what i'm trying to do is gather the collective wisdom of folks who've been through this before and avoid the, 'damn, i wish i had done <x>'. like talking to my dad the other night, he suggested a floor drain. makes damn good sense - will be nice to be able to wash vehicles indoors. as i have a well (and it's the right thing to do) i need to be able to close it though to avoid any non-water from escaping. things like that. i've received two quotes for erected steel buildings so far, 40K and 50K. i envy those who've said they've gotten similiar sized for $25K. going to have to get seriously creative to be able to afford this...so, any other suggestions for work you think a mechanically inclined yet construction near-illiterate should think of tackling?

ahm

Go look at other buildings and take notes. I mean really look at them hard and take really good notes. Talk to the owners especially other "do it yourselfers". You NEED to educate yourself on how the things are constructed because in the end you are the one paying and many, not all but many contractors will cut corners and play games with your money and project whether it's through their own stubborness, incompetence or because they are cheats.

You're going to have regrets. Building a building which results in no regrets costs to much and in the end spending too much for features you may not need will also cause you to have regret.

You can prep for concrete work yourself,thinks like leveling and placing gravel etc.

Digging ditches, running pipes and wires and such are generally pretty easy for someone with a mechanical background.

The economy aint in so good a shape and in a lot of cases, you are going to find that you are only going to have to spend 20% more to not lift a finger and hire it all out.

Put in a second floor or loft. It's cheaper to go up.

An EXCELLENT resource for your project are the engineers that design the structure. They will be able to help you with any assembly questions and even suggestions and tips on how to make it easier. You will pay them for this service but it's worth every penny.

Oh yeah, and visit other buildings and take notes and ask the same question you did here.

Oh yeah, and take notes.

 

[brownbagg]

1) it not big enough
2) it definete not tall enough
3) spend a afternoon making sure foundation is square, within 1/8 inch
4) make sure its level
5) make sure its compacted
6) dont let the concrete finisher run the job
7) its not tall enough, minimum 14 feet center
8) its not tall enough

 

[bluesman2a]

Dude, you said GROCK. I like you already, you know Admiral Bob...

All great advice here so far. Another thing that would be helpful is to know where abouts you live, it affects some advice and could affect things like codes/enforcment. What kind of stuff is around you? Neighborhood with covenants? Agricultural land?

A couple of thoughts from my own build:

1) If I were going to do it again, for an economical solution, I would look VERY hard at a pole-building. Cheaper than steel, and more contractors can work with them.

2) If you go with a pole building, you can do the concrete last or even partial concrete. This defers cost, allows you to get things dried in and weather tight before pouring concrete. I also like the idea of having an indoor area to park leaky things, without having to pay for the concrete.

3) Lean-to, get thee one. On my build we added one, and it's the level best money you can spend. It's shade to keep your shop cool. It's a nice overhang to keep things dry (no rain blowing in). It's a great place to store/park stuff that doesn't need to be as dry/secure as indoors, but needs to be outta the rain. If I were doing my design from scratch, I would plan on running shed roofs all the way down both walls. If you want to plan for future expansion, have them put in a band to tie into anywhere you think you might want one later.

4) Get it dried-in and secure, then you can take things at your own pace. On mine I did all my own electrical (much the same background as you), it was tedious and it took a while, but simple pull, staple, cut crimp, repeat. I also did my own insulation, interior wall sheathing, and lighting. Took a while, but it works well now.

5) Understand that there will be some jobs that are BETTER hired out find out what they are BEFORE you start in on them. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of things that DIY is a bad deal. On mine I hired out the soffit, vinyl, gutters, and if I had been smart, would have done insulation too. By the time you buy the materials and the hassle, pros could have done it better, faster, for not much more.

6) Tools. During my build, I bought some scaffolding on casters from Northern Tool. Man that was one of the best tool investments I've ever made.

7) Plan on a lift. If you have the space, even if you can't afford one now, pour the pad to support it. A couple of 3' X 3' pads 12 inches deep is easy to do now, a PITA later.

8) *******. get one. I didn't plumb my stuff in, and wish I had. At the minimum get a wash-sink. At the minimum stub it out in the slab before you pour it.

 

[49tandc]

It really depends on what the garage is to be used for - working on stuff or a showroom/mancave.

Before you pour the mud, run PVC chases for electric & water. Stub them up & cap 'em off. Much easier to run wired thru PVC than across a high ceiling.

Plan for a drain (if permits allow), maybe some anchors in the floor as well.

Plumb your air-lines so you have one quick release OUTSIDE the bldg. as well weatherproof electric outlets outside.

Hang as much as you can from the ceiling (speakers, etc.) ALL horizontal space in any garage becomes a "shelf" sooner or later. The more you can hang from the ceiling, the less "shelf" space lost.

My shed is close to yours in size (40W X 54L X 14H). I put up a loft across the entire back - left me with 40 X 40 main area, with household storage on top. One lower side - a 12 X 14 "tool crib" for larger/seldom used equip like welders; sandblasters; engine hoist; pressure washer; portable dishwasher, etc. I have shelving in there for clamps/saws/drills/sprayguns -things I don't use all the time, but need to know where they are when I DO need them. It good to know where they are, but still have them out of the 'main' part of the shed.

Have a GOOD fire-extinguisher readily available -just in case... Have a first-aid kit out there - more than just some "Hello-Kitty band-aids" in the top drawer of the toolbox.

Keep your sink (aka eye-wash station) accessible.

Have your disassembly (dirty) work area close to a door where you can easily move stuff in & sweep **** out.

A stereo is a requirement, just like the 'frig. but the TV is only a distraction to why you are out there.

If you can, place the compressor as far from the shop as possible. Maybe its own little shed outside the main bldg or under the Lean-to.

My shed is 300' away from the house, so I installed motion sensors 4' off the floor to catch 2-legged critters while allowing the dogs to visit. The alarms arewired (underground) to the house alarm system. Cycling a pump shotgun is a great sound - recognizable/unmistakeable once you hear it.

Plan for your family/friends asking you to store their stuff in your garage... as "you have such a big place!" It will be permanent storage for those items.

49T&C

 

[Jim Stabe]

As Brownbagg said LEVEL FLOOR. Get is as level and flat as you can, you will thank yourself many times later on.

 

[havi]

Lotsa info to absorb here. And all right on the mark. I finished my house (similar to a shop) and will start on my garage in the next year or so, if the economy picks up.
Here's my 2 pennies: Any chance to getting an overhead crane is a must (think SnapTrac). You won't get any younger, and lifting with the crane is much easier.
A Genie lift or similar machine is a requirement if you are DIY. Hauling sheets up 14 feet can be a problem.
With a roof as big as yours will be, you will get a LOT of rain water rolling off the sides, and so gutters will need to be heavy duty. Consider raising the pad an extra foot so that any water will slope away from the shop.

 

[Kriilin]

I don't know if they still have any, but Future Steel Buildings was blowing out some from a cancelled order. I just bought a 20 x 30 "A" style for a pretty good price, and that was the smallest they had on sale. (Sorry, knda o/t, but good to know if you're serious, and no I don't get paid by nor work for them)

 

[Donn]

Elect outlets - never have enough both 110 and 220 even if you do not have any 220 "yet". Also lights I used shop lights and can lights, more is better. If you plane any body work in the shop plan for a down draft vent before you pour your floor and shop lights with covers in the side walls are great!!!

 

[amolaver]

just want to say thank you to everyone for your help. i'm making very, very slow progress. i've spoken to a couple of steel building companies and just about made the decision on that front. talked to a couple of concrete folks, and they are coming out to have a look at the job. i was clear with them about my desire to keep costs down and willingness to DIY the 'sweaty' side of things (ie, not technically difficult, just labor). i've done some more clearing and have started to level the area (moving soil from the high to the low spot). i'm not sure if this is a waste of time, as i assume i'm going to have to dig down to lay the crusher stone.

btw, to answer the question - this is prince georges county maryland (upper marlboro to be exact).

my more immediate questions are less fun than whether a lift is going in (at least one 2 post immediately after construction, and probably a 4 post/alignment rack in the future), but more along the BASICS. ie, i visited the permit people and met a helpful guy; it sounds like my 16' walls will require a variance. he seemed to think it won't be a problem, but most people i talk to indicate that process is similar to being put on an iron maiden... obviously, i'm hesitant to sign a contract for a building that i can't erect... any suggestions for how to handle the situation? write a contingency into the contract on requiring permit approval? i REALLY want the 16' walls so i can have a 14' door and drive my trailer in...

also, any idea what permits i need? i know this is county/area specific to some degree, but would it be normal to need a permit to get the electric company to run another leg off the transformer to the building? with no water/sewer, what else? apologies for how ignorant this sounds, but i just can't don't want to miss a step then get hogtied in bueracratic BS to sort it out. as it is, i've discovered we have a 'tree save area' on my lot (which isn't a problem), but are also part of a 'tree conservation plan' which may be. the helpful gentleman at the permit office gave me the number of the person to speak to about the tree conservation plan, but he apparently doesn't believe in returing phone calls yay government.

ahm

 

[mdoolittle]

Soffit lights. I really wish I would have thought of them during the build.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I don't know if they still have any, but Future Steel Buildings was blowing out some from a cancelled order. I just bought a 20 x 30 "A" style for a pretty good price, and that was the smallest they had on sale. (Sorry, knda o/t, but good to know if you're serious, and no I don't get paid by nor work for them)

The "canceled order" **** is just that, a big fat lie. They want you to think that someone, a whole bunch of someones, all canceled orders for no reason at all, and they are "stuck" with these buildings.

Many years ago, in the dawn of the PC age, I bought a Leading Edge computer made by Mitsubishi thru an advertisement in USA today. It was titled "Giant Export Order Canceled", and in fact turned out to be true, sorta. Leading Edge computers had just contracted with Dawoo of Korea for computers, and turned around and canceled the Mitsubishi contract (thus an export order from Japan to the USA was canceled). Mits took them to court, won, and LE had to take the computers, so they got a couple of their dealers to dump them. Moral, do not believe the ads when they tell you contracts were canceled, its all marketing.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Electricity. If you run another feed to a separate meter from the transformer, you will pay a minimum monthly meter charge, even if you use no electricity at all. I have a separate meter, and do not mind, but the bill does cost more than feeding everything from your house meter. Second consideration is that some power companies have a policy that a second meter to a shop or non residential building will be charged a commercial rate. You need to talk with the power company about this before making any decisions. If you are to be charged commercial rates, it will be worth your while to install a new 320 or 400 amp meter socket on the house with dual disconnects, one for the house and one for the shop, and run the power to the shop from there.

Even if the power company will charge you residential rates on the second meter, you need to find out what they charge per foot or per job to run the feed from the transformer to the building. It could be thousands of dollars for only a few feet, there is no rhyme or reason as to the charges from a power company. Again, it may pay to upgrade the house service and go from there.

Charles

 

[mustangmccance]

I know this is resurrecting an old thread but I am discovering a serious planning error in my garage. I did not plan for all of the snow that we get in iowa. all that snow melts off my trucks and puddles on my floor. I should have had a pit or floor drain or something to address this mess. I hate mud and water on my floor.

 

[bazzateer]

As with any project plan how long it will take..........now double this time.
Plan your budget for the above.....................now add at least 50% to this amount.

It won't be tall, wide, deep enough...................no, really....................it won't!

Good luck.

 

[rodm1]

Someone hear recommended not to install garage doors closer then 3ft from wall otherwise it terns into wasted wall space, I plan on installing a man door in that space between the wall and garage door.

 

[rieferman]

During build mode, I setup a temporary work space as close as possible to what the end layout was in my mind so that I could have a real live try at my shop layout. I made at least 2 dozen changes to my ideas as a result.

 

[Rosco]

A lot of great advice so far, here are my lessons learned;

- If you can get a meter to the building do it. You never know your power requirements for the future. Put in at least a 200 box.
- stub out the concrete with everything you might ever want. Lift requirements, bathroom, electrical conduit (at least 2"), etc. Even if you do not plan on using them, they will be there.
- Elevation and drainage. I would rather step up into my garage than sweep water out.
- Put in a couple of extra rough in areas for doors/add ons in the future. If it is a metal building not as critical but still worth it.
- Depending on water table and drainage, ensure you have double the required protection from moisture coming through the slab. Code requirements are minimum.......
- I paid extra for termite treatment and added it to my house bond. Mine is a wood structure and I wanted the piece of mind.
- Not sure of your location, but if I were up north I would add floor heat whether I was gonna use it or not.

Cost is always a factor, but it always cost more to do after it is built. Good Luck!

 

[ARTEMIS1759]

Hey, here is one I can recommend to all. When we laid the foundation on my uncles garage we dug the middle deeper then the outsides (how much I can't remember) so it was kind of cantilever I believe is what it is called. It apparently helps during settling. But it also saved it from being partially demolished when his 65' cotton wood fell over during a flat line wind storm. He had to have it mud jacked on one side to level it back out but there was minimal damage. This happened about 10 years after it was built.

 

[87GN]

I'll add my two cents on some of what I learned during the building of my garage.

Time. It took about a year before grounbreaking becuase of zoning board hearings, perk tests, redrawing the blueprints, appeasing bitching neighbors, variances, permits, interviewing contractors. Had to have an enviromental study and 100 year flood plan done. That was close to $4k alone. This is a single family home that I wanted a garage built, not a shopping mall. Cost me another $7.5k to have a rainwater containment system buried in the back yard. If it didn't take the year to get approved, I wouldn't have had to worry about stormwater management.

Size. It's never to big. My original plan was to build to a little over five feet from the property line, as allowed by the township. Made it six feet smaller in width, just in case. Denied at hearing because one neighbor complained. Made it six feet narrower. That was acceptable to neighbor. Mind you, never said a word even after it was published in the newspaper, just waited for the hearing.

Who's going to do it. I wanted a turn key garage. You build it per the blueprints, I write the checks. I asked neighbors who built their garages, were they happy with how it went, etc. Then interviewed and got estimates from three contractors. Settled on the one that lived in my neighborhood. Five years later, I have no issues or complaints. Hos qoute was about in the middle.

Cost. Estimates ranged from $55k to $98k. Figure the cost then add maybe 50% more. There's always something I didn't figure onin the original build quote. Air compressor, different garage door openers, better windows, that kind of stuff. I considered that all part of the cost of building the garage. I made sure I had sufficiant cash available and a loan as a backup, just in case.

Documentation. I kept every email, correspondence, letter, building inspection sticker. Also took daily pictures of the progress. Did a daily Word document of what I saw was done (or not done) the previous day. Documented with whom, what time, and date when I had oral conversations.

Know what you want. Make sure you are getting what you want and what was agreed on.

My daily follow up. Like a kid in a candy store, full of excitement. Each day I would walk all through the job site, picking up litter, nails, bottles, butts, general trash. Also gave me time to look at what and how everything was coming along and if I saw something, I'd call the contractor.

Three things I would have done different. have switch for the outside lights inside the garage, colored concrete and not epoxy, walk through door in the front. And bigger.

 

[taylorguitar]

As Brownbagg said LEVEL FLOOR. Get is as level and flat as you can, you will thank yourself many times later on.

I am about to pour a slab...my thinking was taking me to definitely not level, but for drainage out the big doors? I can't think of any downsides to that and no upside to level....appreciate your input on level or on purpose not...

 

[larry_g]

I am about to pour a slab...my thinking was taking me to definitely not level, but for drainage out the big doors? I can't think of any downsides to that and no upside to level....appreciate your input on level or on purpose not...

I see the level vs slopped as this way. Ifyour building a garage to park in and have wet cars then slope it so the water can drain away. If your building a workshop that will not routinly have wet cars then do flat and level. If your building and fabricating then having a flat and level floor as a reference is great and you don't want rigs to roll out the door if they have no brakes on them.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dirttracker18]

Soffit lights. I really wish I would have thought of them during the build.

For sure, my wife (and some others) wondered why I had so many outside lights until we needed them one night.

one large light on the front on a sensor. The other three walls all have a double flood light on its own switch. May seem like overkill but I have used them all the time. With your high walls they really spread the light out when you need them.
It is cheap to set up for and a ***** to try and do later.

+1 onthe lean to as well. I wish I had at least set up for it when I built the shop. So much easier to extend the roof when you build and have the footing poured at the same time. Even if you don't concrete under the lean to (for now) it is a big plus for extra dry storage out of the elements.
My TT sits in the spot where the lean to should be. Try talking the wife into letting me do it now!?!?

 

[SPDMETL]

i've received two quotes for erected steel buildings so far, 40K and 50K.

ahm

You're probably long done by now, but did that 60x40 price include the cement ?

 

[amolaver]

sorry for the delay - no, they did not include the concrete work.

ahm

 

[HOTFR8]

Council knocked me back on 80 x 40 to 60 x 30 (feet) and in two years I out grew it. If I had my time over I would have taken the Shire Council to Vcat (it deals with these type of complaints without going to court) and pursued Council so I could have my 80 x 40.

The lesson I learnt is make sure it is big enough and DO NOT compromise.

 

[Aberdale]

I built a 40x60 shop three years ago on my farm, and will provide a few things that I'm glad I did.

1. I looked at steel truss, pole, and stick built construction. In the end, I decided on stick built. The deciding factor was that it's much easier to insulate and drywall the inside. I used 2x6 construction to get a better R value for insulation. The overall cost difference was peanuts, and the building feels like a quality structure instead of a pole barn.

2. I had 4' poured foundation. It's really nice to have the lower walls in concrete for washing cars and hosing out the floor. Don't have to worry about getting the drywall wet.

3. I eliminated the floor drains that I had planned on the recommendation of my concrete guy. I saw a commercial shop he built with the floor sloped to the overhead doors instead. The floor is smooth and flat (except for the slope) and is so easy to roll toolboxes, oil drains, floor jacks, etc. without having slopes and drains. It also eliminates the cold drafts and clogs/cleanouts common with drains. I don't miss the drains at all.

4. I had the concrete floor poured 8" thick and power troweled smooth. A super smooth floor is much easier to sweep and keep clean.

5. The shop has 14' ceilings. I knew I would eventually add a lift, and wanted to make sure I had room. As it turns out, it allowed me to make a super nice gantry crane as well.

6. I built in a huge exhaust fan for a paint room. I also partitioned the 40x60 shop into two 30x40 bays. One side is the service/welding side with a 2-post lift, the other side is a clean room/body shop/wash bay.

7. I opted for two 12'x12' insulated overhead doors and one man door. The doors have windows in them, but there are no windows anywhere else. I did it just to save money, but I'm glad I did. It seems I'm already short on wall space. I also put a man door and a 8'x8' overhead door on the shared wall between the service bay and clean room.

8. I added a full length porch/lean-to (20x60 feet) on the side of the building that has the overhead doors. It makes it nice to be able to leave the doors open even when it's raining.

9. I plumbed a frost-proof hydrant inside the shop. Nice to have running water, but I didn't take the plumbing any farther because I thought there may be times I may want to leave the shop unheated in the winter, and didn't want to worry about freezing pipes.

10. I have forced air natural gas heat. With the insulation and lack of windows, I keep the shop at 68 degrees throughout the winter and it costs about $100/month to heat.

The 40x60 shop, 20' porch, 14' ceilings, 2' eaves, 3 insulated overhead doors, 2 man doors, 2x6 construction, 60' trusses, 6" insulation in the walls, R31 blown insulation in the ceiling, 4' poured foundation walls, drywalled walls and ceilings, electric service, water service, forced air heat system, receptacles every 4 feet, 8" concrete floor in the shop and apron on the porch, and paint room exhaust fan and ducting, was estimated at $68,000, with an actual cost $72,000 as built. I did the site prep, purchased and hauled the gravel for the base, did my own wiring and plumbing, and did my own HVAC work. Everything else was included in the price.


Things I wish I had done in hindsight:

I wish I had wired for more light. With a 14' ceiling, a lot of the light dissipates before it reaches the workbench. The lighting issue is twice as important in the paint bay. At some point I will rewire it to triple the amount of light I have now.

I wish I had planned for a bathroom. Although on the farm I can easily step outside to do #1, the shop is a long way from the house for #2. And in the winter, I don't want to be exposed outside for very long.

I wish I had planned the concrete expansion joint location with the lift in mind. I actually have the joints closer to the posts than I would have liked. I didn't think about it when the concrete guy asked where I wanted them, so I just considered the most likely crack directions.

I wish I would have bit the bullet and paid to have two long I-beams for a full length gantry crane. Although I know I wouldn't use it all that often, it would be really nice for the times I do. The free-standing gantry crane I built is 14' wide and 12' tall, so it works fine, but it does take up some floor space.

Would I have liked a bigger shop? Sure, but I wouldn't like the cost of heating a bigger shop all winter. 40x60 is still good sized, and I can still get 6 tractors in the clean room side if I need to, so I'm satisfied with the size so far.

Good luck with your build!
Dale

 

[bobadame]

Take some time to think about how you will site it on the property. If you run your ridge line east-west your roof will be set for solar panels if you should ever decide to use them. Make sure you have good drainage around the building. Haul in structural fill if you have to but make sure the floor is at least 8" higher than the surrounding ground.

Mine took me about 2 years to build. I spent about $49 K on it. The only work I farmed out was pouring and finishing the concrete and taping and finishing the drywall joints. I did the excavation and built the forms and placed the steel and mesh. I did the framing, hung the dry wall wired it plumbed it insulated it roofed it painted it inside and out. Mine has a 16' x64' loft and a 14' x64' side shed and a gantry crane and a bathroom and a mezzanine. Doing my own labor saved me many thousands of dollars. I went with a stick built as well. 2x6 on 16" centers also for the ease of insulating and finishing the interior. Also, I wanted to build an old style barn type of structure, something with character.

 

[amolaver]

bobadame - can you point me to any step-by-step for how to do the site prep / build forms / place steel and mesh? i would LOVE to do that work myself and save the labor cost!

 

[bobadame]

I bought a couple of books that generally cover the whole process. There are many. Another source of information is the office that grants the building permit. The name escapes me right now. They will have hand outs covering most of the details of the build process. Talk to people in your area that are in the process of building. Most folks like to show their work.

 

[banzaitoyota]

dont cheap out on your prep work