Need help on shop location (property pic attached)

[Shoester]

Alright, so I'm wrestling with site layout of my 40x60 shop, and I would appreciate any input you all have to offer. I've included a birds-eye view of the property, with the rough property lines in red. I've got two proposed locations, the Green box and then the Blue box. The Yellow pin represents the septic tank, and the Blue pin represents the water well location, with the water line running from there to under the house at the SW corner.

Some things to note:

Green location:
~10' lower than septic tank, may not be able to use existing tank for shop bathroom unless I want to pump it
Would require very little gravel driveway work as it would be next to the existing gravel parking area for the house
Very close to attached house garage
Slopes about 3-4' from front to back, so would require more extensive grading work to bring up to level, and then would need to consider water runoff. Also would require knocking down a handful of trees
Would need to run water from area near well, around to the shop

Blue location:
~4-5' higher than septic tank, would be able to use existing septic tank for shop bathroom
Very flat, would require minimal dirt work
Obviously on the complete opposite side of the house from the existing garage and parking area, would require a new gravel driveway eventually (shown with gray area on pic)
Easy access to underground main water line from well
Would be a hike from the house to get to the shop (relatively speaking...would be ~130')







I am going back and forth on where I would want it, basically for the reasons noted above. Any input is appreciated!

 

[cvairwerks]

Green box area and use a sewage pump to feed the septic system. Adding a gravel road in front of the house is one good way to hack off the spouse if the prevailing winds are from that direction and she likes to have open windows. I'd pick off the house water system for the shop and minimize the piping run. Unless you are going to be doing lots of work that makes enough noise to intrude on the house, I'd build closer. Typically, the farther you are from your work area, the less you tend to get done over the long run.

 

[ybnormal]

the first question:
1) are there any restrictions (legal, county, regulatory, deed, etc) on where you can put your shop?
2) what is the priority for the shop? (get away from the wife?)
3) are you worried about theft or breaking/entering? (I know people with rural shops who get broken into often)
4) have you broken down the individual costs of what it would take to build each way (extra driveway cost vs extra septic cost?)

 

[larry_g]

I would have to ask the purpose of the shop. Are you dealing with hotrods, street vehicles and clean items or are you dealing with tractors and dirty fab stuff? Wood shop, mechanics shop, fab shop, or something else. Street rigs go in the green shop and dirty endeavors go in the blue shop.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[FordTruckWench]

Street rigs go in the green shop and dirty endeavors go in the blue shop.

So, in fine GJ tradition, the OP should build both shops!

 

[billconner]

For me it would depend on on views from house, especially if this is the typical metal sided box, so probably the green, which seems to be most visible from existing garage?

 

[jives]

As stated above, somewhat depends on the garage design. Nicely looking structure matching the house? Green area. Metal box goes far away. I'd opt for the closer site, perhaps tucked even a bit more into the woods. If the current septic can handle it, then jet pump the sewage. I've got a raised septic field requiring a jet pump from the septic tank. Not my ideal situation (gravity rarely breaks), and did have an electrical wire issue a couple of years ago, but overall it works.
OR:
Put in some sort of composting toilet. Why bother with a full-on toilet needing septic for what may be very little usage?

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[billconner]

I was also going to suggest like jives a metal box deeper into trees.

 

[CraigStu]

For me, I wouldn't even consider the blue location. I like the green because it opens into the drive you already have and it is closer to the house. As cvairwerks says, I might even move a little closer to the house. Unless you will be working in there full time, I also wouldn't worry about water or septic. Put a man door in the back and go pee next to a tree or do jives compost toilet. Bring in a couple of jugs of water if you need it. There have been a few comments about a metal box from a looks perspective. So look at options there. For relatively few $ you can spruce up the exterior. Different color corner, window, or door trims, fake rock or brick up 3-4ft off the ground, etc.

 

[yeldogt]

You always want to improve the property with the money you are adding -- bang for the buck.

I can't see how any dollar going into the new drive is adding anything -- IMO doing the reverse. What does the new building look like? The more the new building looks out of place the further you want it from the house.

How many people will be coming and going ? More people further away.

I would be looking to tuck it straight back -- how far depending on what it looks like. Making a parking and turn around space at the building ...

Redesigning the drive at the house would be a nice thing as well. Pumping septic is not an issue ... few K for equipment

 

[Cairo94507]

Green location gets my vote. Easy access with minimal changes to the lot footprint.

 

[Cardboard Man]

Green. More convenient to your current facilities. When it's easier to use, you'll like it better and use it more.

 

[racecougar]

Green. And really ask yourself if taking up shop space with a toilet makes sense. I'd rather have shop space. The house is right there if you need a toilet.

 

[ZRX61]

Green... & rotate it 90deg.

& you can pee in the trees.

 

[billconner]

maybe in southern California but not in Kansas in January. ,

 

[racecougar]

maybe in southern California but not in Kansas in January. ,

I'm directly across the state of MO from the OP. No qualms about peeing in the trees in January here.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hands down, I vote Green.

If it was nothing more than a shed to house a tractor, implements or such, blue would be fine.

 

[danfromsyr]

looks like the blue box would be right in your 'field of view' and be an eyesore more than an improvement.

greenbox hands down and use the $ not spent on a road for exterior aesthetics/finishes.

though my garage is closer to my house than that and it's tough sometimes to get out there..
but that's more of a motivational/ambitional thing.

 

[billconner]

You could change my mind if you built a classic gambrel roof, board and batten sided, asphalt shingled roof, barn in the blue zone. Maybe a cupola.

 

[tez929rr]

My shop is about 150 feet from my semi detached garage. There is a nice concrete driveway that connects them and yet it still really annoying to go between them very often. I ended up with a complete separate set of tools in each location. So I’d vote for the green. You’ll probably still end up with two sets of tools but it looks like traveling to the green location would be much less annoying in the long run. If you can make it work a bathroom in the shop is well worth it.

 

[kwb]

Green 100%. Driveway makes sense and outdoor space that you can drive on/turn a trailer around is needed and not shown in Blue spot. I would move the spot down (if all is to scale and North is up) about 30' south.

If indoor plumbing is an absolute requirement - I would install a urinal and put in a cheater tank and a short bit of perf pipe as a drain field. Otherwise I would skip the bathroom. Water for a hose bib is as far as I would take plumbing.

 

[dfiler2]

I would do the blue spot for sure, there will be times when you don't want to be reminded of your projects every time you pull in the driveway. You'll have a car sitting outside the shop for a few days and your spouse will be reminded it hasn't moved for a while every time she drives into the yard. For me it would be a no brainer, blue.

 

[dcg9381]

My shop is about 150 feet from my semi detached garage. There is a nice concrete driveway that connects them and yet it still really annoying to go between them very often.

Agree with this. Our shop is 200' away from the house. I literally bought a vehicle to go back and forth (Polaris) because ALL of the tools are in the shop and I'm back and forth all the time. Even the spouse keeps basic tools in a drawer in the kitchen.

OP, the correct GJ answer is "2 shops in both locations".

FYI - a "pump up" sewer system is no big deal, we use those all the time around here...

 

[PoorUB]

Green area and really think about if you need the bathroom. Personally, I would skip the bathroom in the shop. After it is inspected and signed off, run a water line and perhaps put in a shop sink and put in a cheap septic system. Just enough for the sink. A run of cheep drain tile, buried just below the surface. If you need to run to the house it isn't that far away. You can pee any where.

I don't have a bathroom in my shop and I would not put one in as long as the house is close by. I wouldn't mind a slop sink and a small water heater.

 

[neverdone]

Green here as well

 

[Shadowdog500]

I’d also go with the green area. Have the dirt built up so the finished floor level is higher than anything around it by 4”-6”. I’d skip the bathroom too. My 30’x52’ shop is about that same distance and I have no problem walking to the house when needed.

I just looked at the seasonal temps in January (39°f High and 21°Low) and it didn’t look too cold to go outside for a minute to pee. Pee in a jug, or put a man door in the back for quicker access to a tree. If you have a shop fire while you are in there that extra door may come In handy.

I know someone who has something like this with a hose that goes through the wall and into the woods. They are around sixty bucks on Amazon.

 

[duneslider]

You have a beautiful piece of property! Super awesome!

I would do the green area, sewage pumps aren't a big deal. Especially for a shop that won't see the amount of traffic a house would have. I am certain it would cost much less than putting in a gravel drive as big as the other shop would need.

Curious but what kind of trees are on your property? I live in the desert so wooded areas are pretty uncommon.

 

[APEowner]

Before you get too attached to either option you need to talk with whatever authority regulates septic systems in your area. There are two areas of concern

1. Your current system may be sized for the existing house and you might not be allowed to plumb to it from the shop
2. There's a trend to require consideration of the location of, not only the current septic system but also, the location of a future leach field in case the current one becomes saturated.

 

[CraigStu]

Funny to me. A 40x60 shop and a worry about a project car sitting outside? I agree w/ APEowner, in the areas we have lived septic system is sized by # of bedrooms in the house. So, although I have not needed to find the answer, I seriously doubt I could ad a garage bathroom. And both houses where we added a bay to a garage, there was the existing septic field, and additional area held unbuildable for a future field if needed.

 

[Wrench97]

Green location add a second story and put the bathroom upstairs

 

[rayra]

Green. Why the hell add that monster driveway and put the shop far from the house.

And with Green you can actually observe the shop doors from the house.