Objective advice on building shop/garage

[Floridaparatrooper85]

Hey guys!,

I am a 33, medically retired Army combat veteran. I enjoy doing metal fabrication and paint/body/restoration as a hobby for therapeutic reasons. I live in the central Florida area. I am currently renting a house but will be buying next fall.

I don't have any kids or wife and I am looking to get an inexpensive house with enough land to build a shop/obtain privacy.

I need some objective advice based upon the application of what I am doing to what you would do from your experiences and what to look for in the process.

So I guess I will start off with a series of ideas and questions:

1. I am thinking about a 40'x60', 3 bay, 11'ceiling shop.

2. I will make sure the concrete slap meets my lifts PSI requirements, but do you guys recommend reinforcement of the concrete with rebar or anything else?

3. Is there any issue doing electrical after it is built, any prebuilding considerations I should make?

4. Any recommendations or considerations on how to decide where to place the shop?

5. Any recommendations for manufacturers? Who offers the best quality kits?

6. Cost, I know this is probably a hammered topic. Anyone with a similar sized shop, can you give me a rough estimate of what I am looking at? I will take a stab from what I have research and say out the door with electrical, slab, and building $40-50K?

7. What is everyone's thoughts on insulating the shop and adding A/C? Overkill or a nice luxury? Has anyone on here done that and have thoughts on that?

Thanks for the comments and any other random thoughts would be appreciated, it will be a help to me and anyone looking at the post that might be seeking similar information.

 

[Mikeske]

Hey guys!,

I am a 33, medically retired Army combat veteran. I enjoy doing metal fabrication and paint/body/restoration as a hobby for therapeutic reasons. I live in the central Florida area. I am currently renting a house but will be buying next fall.

I don't have any kids or wife and I am looking to get an inexpensive house with enough land to build a shop/obtain privacy.

I need some objective advice based upon the application of what I am doing to what you would do from your experiences and what to look for in the process.

So I guess I will start off with a series of ideas and questions:

1. I am thinking about a 40'x60', 3 bay, 11'ceiling shop.I would go to 12' as you will be surprised by the extra height

2. I will make sure the concrete slap meets my lifts PSI requirements, but do you guys recommend reinforcement of the concrete with rebar or anything else?Rebar is good and get a fiber mesh with the concrete. Extra thickness around where you plan to have a lift for the future

3. Is there any issue doing electrical after it is built, any prebuilding considerations I should make?Highly recommend before the concrete pour to put in conduit in where the electrical service is planned. You might put in a 2nd conduit for additional future proofing if you decide for telephone cable use

4. Any recommendations or considerations on how to decide where to place the shop?

5. Any recommendations for manufacturers? Who offers the best quality kits?

6. Cost, I know this is probably a hammered topic. Anyone with a similar sized shop, can you give me a rough estimate of what I am looking at? I will take a stab from what I have research and say out the door with electrical, slab, and building $40-50K?I do not know your area so I would be getting estimates and there is no way to tell you getting to the building stage.

7. What is everyone's thoughts on insulating the shop and adding A/C? Overkill or a nice luxury? Has anyone on here done that and have thoughts on that?A/C is a good idea so the more insulation the better, in your location the heat and humidity can be really bad

Thanks for the comments and any other random thoughts would be appreciated, it will be a help to me and anyone looking at the post that might be seeking similar information.

When I built my pole building it ten years ago and the cost for the basic building with a floating slab was 19K I ended up doing a lot of the rough in for the electrical and out the door price was additional 2K and I had a 20 foot approach built for a additional 3K

 

[S Vier]

Definitely insulate and add AC.

Lighting. Lots of lighting.




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[66Caprice]

Maybe build a Monitor style barn/shop building and use the upper portion for your living area. This cut's down on your overall cost of land-house-shop. It's been done a lot.
Not knowing if your medical retirement has you limited on lower levels or not but it is something to look into. If you went this route I would also check out radiant heat in the slab. And THANK'S FOR YOUR SERVICE!!! My Grandson is in the MARINES stationed in Okinawa.

 

[matt_i]

Some random stuff.

- must heavily research local building and zoning to understand restrictions and rules. This should be done BEFORE you purchase anything. Being Florida it may involve wind-based codes depending on location.

- termites may be prevalent in your area. This might rule out post-frame construction, you could potentially go with permacolumns.

- I think its realistic to start with $30/sqft as a basic cost. Can it be done cheaper, yes, there will be many posts forthcoming saying $5/sqft is what they paid, but those also lacking in functions. Its easy to build a metal-skinned shell that's good for dry storage but it doesn't make a great shop space yet. Keep in mind buying a building someone else built (already standing) is probably your best deal, if its in good shape and serviceable for your needs.

-HVAC and insulation are absolutely needed for working regularly in the shop. As we get older having those comforts setup becomes more and more appreciated. If you are designing your own shop its easy to get wound up in the nuts and bolts of framing up front, but you should pay attention to decisions about electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc at the same time.

- being young and single I highly recommend an honest evaluation of your future plans for family and such. Make sure whoever you make plans with is on board with your location, etc. Just saying it would be a large moneypit to build the shop of your dreams and them sell it to someone else at pennies on the dollar to go live in the city where there are more things to do.

- always keep in mind the (good, fast, cheap) you-pick-two conundrum. It never fails.

 

[sjvicker]

You’ll want at least a 12’ ceiling if you’re getting a lift


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[Riley]

4. Any recommendations or considerations on how to decide where to place the shop?

I'd try to consider things like access, sight lines, topography, and sun angles for shade. I think Gogle Earth has a function to find your lat long then choose seasons to see relative sun angles. This is a help trying to pick overhangs and also how to site the building. Do you want a large low insulation door to the south in the hottest part of the year? Probably not. If you spend some time of the property (by the way how big is it?) maybe a camp out if its suitably large might help identify some must's and some nope's.

Good luck with the project!

 

[MushCreek]

I wish more people would give thought to orientation and siting when building. I spent a lot of time with our property in SC before designing our house. In the south, the west side is the worst for heat. If you have trees, keep them and use their shade to advantage. I have lots of trees, and the ones on the east and west keep the low sun off of the house and shop. Keep outdoor surfaces light colored. I once rented a shop that had a huge metal door facing west, and it was painted dark brown. The landlord wouldn't let me repaint it. A thermometer 6" away from the interior surface registered 110 degrees! I made panels out of foam to cover that stupid door when not in use.

I can't imagine having a shop in FL without A/C. My shop was 1800 sq ft, and a 5 ton unit wasn't enough. If I got the A/C going early (before daybreak) the poorly insulated shop got up to about 80. With enough insulation, 5 tons would have worked OK.

I don't know if your area has any hills, but don't build your shop in a hole, or we'll be reading your thread, 'How to keep water out of my shop'. Again, people often ignore the topography of their land until it's too late.

Also, before you buy, be sure your local zoning board will allow your proposed project. Chiefland (if you stay there) is pretty rural, so I wouldn't imagine much resistance, but you never know. Don't take anyone's word except the actual zoning department. A realtor might tell you whatever they think you want to hear. The 'nice old man' next door may not be current on zoning changes. The building department will tell you the wind load requirements for your area. Most of FL is pretty strict about wind load.

 

[anythingyoucanimagine]

Hey guys!,

I am a 33, medically retired Army combat veteran. I enjoy doing metal fabrication and paint/body/restoration as a hobby for therapeutic reasons. I live in the central Florida area. I am currently renting a house but will be buying next fall.


Thanks for your service!

I don't have any kids or wife and I am looking to get an inexpensive house with enough land to build a shop/obtain privacy.

I need some objective advice based upon the application of what I am doing to what you would do from your experiences and what to look for in the process.

I think what MushCreek pointed out is really important. Think about when and how you'll be using your shop. Do you want morning, afternoon or late sun facing in on the bay door(s)? Do you have shade that can help keep it cool during mid-day sun? Simple things like orientation of the doors, exterior colors, etc. can help a bunch with energy efficiency.


So I guess I will start off with a series of ideas and questions:

1. I am thinking about a 40'x60', 3 bay, 11'ceiling shop.

Someone else pointed out ceiling height. For reference, a Jeep Wrangler is 73.6" tall (6.1 feet). Not sure how tall you are but throw in a small lift kit, light bar or roof rack and a Jeep will want every bit of that 6-feet from the lift posts up. Throw in ceiling lights and that when a vehicle's hood is up/open it can extend up past the roof line and if it were me, I'd be thinking closer to 15-foot ceilings.


2. I will make sure the concrete slap meets my lifts PSI requirements, but do you guys recommend reinforcement of the concrete with rebar or anything else?

I'm up in New England so different climate and soil than you. I really like Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and helix micro rebar. It's used a lot in commercial buildings, parking garages, bridges, etc. Up front the cost may seem more expensive but in the end it can be up to 30% cheaper. You don't need to rent any forms and you can do the whole slab in one day/pour. The Helix guys helped me out a lot when we did a house addition. For us, the insulation as the form was huge. Not sure how much of a concern that is for you though.


3. Is there any issue doing electrical after it is built, any prebuilding considerations I should make?

Run more in-slab conduit than you think you'll ever need/want. The helix guys were happy to help with spec'ing slab thickness requirements too. Also think about in-slab heat (and I guess cooling too). Even if you have a lift, you know the drill, with cars you end up on the ground at some point. Not sure what medically retired means --if you are in a chair maybe slab temps aren't much of a concern but even if you are in perfect physical health, at some point we all get old. Not having to lay down on a cold slab is nice.

If you do conduit in-slab you would pull the electric after the slab is poured. If you do metal conduit externally on the walls, you'd also do that once it's built.

4. Any recommendations or considerations on how to decide where to place the shop?

You are 33yo. You may not think it now but you may want to consider resale value of the property you buy. What happens if you meet someone or end up moving for a job, etc. someday? Only other considerations might be along the lines of what MushCreek said: while the shade may help keep things cool, trees also fall down during hurricanes. Other stupid stuff: are you going to do underground or overhead power? Are you on city sewer/water or do you have well/septic? Physical placement to tie into things like water, sewer, power, etc. should be pretty straight forward but in the grand scheme, conduit, wire and pipe is cheap now while you are building. Don't make big compromises to try and save a couple hundred dollars on materials. It won't be worth it.


5. Any recommendations for manufacturers? Who offers the best quality kits?

It may put you over your budget however if it were me, I'd consider a steel-frame building. That way I could put a chain hoist on an I-Beam hung up high. Not sure if kits are offered with features like that. I'd also talk to some of your friends/other Vets, etc. or others locally to see what they did and if they are happy. Building stuff like this is very local. What I like/appreciate in my shop (with snow and cold winters and not nearly the heat/humidity you guys have) is very different than what you want/appreciate. The only thing you want to do is keep in mind that you are now going to be "that guy" with the badass shop. If you have a welder and a lift, people you didn't know existed are going to come out of the woodwork looking for help/favors. As you plan and talk to companies keep in mind that you may end up doing more in your shop that you think you'll do today.

6. Cost, I know this is probably a hammered topic. Anyone with a similar sized shop, can you give me a rough estimate of what I am looking at? I will take a stab from what I have research and say out the door with electrical, slab, and building $40-50K?

I can't really help there. We bought a property with a big old barn on it which is a different ballgame than building new. I'd tend to matt_i: $50k for 2400sf is about $21/foot. I think closer to $30/sf is a better starting point. I know it may not be a number you want to hear but that puts you in the $75-$100k range, not $40k-$50k.

I also share matt_i's sentiments in that you are 33yo and you might meet someone someday. When I met my other half --well, two days before I met her you could have put a gun to my head and I would have still said "I don't care, I'm never moving back home, I'm happy here, don't like it there, etc." And here I am --back home where I grew up. (and happy/would do it all over again) You never know what life has in store for you. Zillow says median home price in Chiefland is $86k. You have to keep in mind that $100k is going to be on the high end of the averages so if you put $50k into a shop, how much of that are you going to get back if you sell?

7. What is everyone's thoughts on insulating the shop and adding A/C? Overkill or a nice luxury? Has anyone on here done that and have thoughts on that?

The fact that you said metal fabrication and paint means you don't really have a choice. Insulation and hvac is a must. This is where build cost can creep up on you. The cost of good insulation, good windows & doors, etc. may seem expensive now but it will save you money in the long run. Or, go cheap now and it'll cost you in the long run. And just being in Florida... Yes, good AC and humidity control.

Thanks for the comments and any other random thoughts would be appreciated, it will be a help to me and anyone looking at the post that might be seeking similar information.

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[driftpin]

I post this link on the Florida questions about buildings: http://www.deansteelbuildings.com/

My friend bought one of their buildings, had no issues with it, it has lasted well, now 10+ years down the road. His is well-insulated, and he put a living quarters in it, on a mezzanine, which worked very well for him as a single person. The structure is fully-air-conditioned.

If you are an AG (agricultural) zoning district, you should have a much-easier time of it. Spend the extra $$ on structure reinforcements and upgraded design for wind resistance. I didn't look to see if you are in a HVHZ area (high-velocity hurricane zone) but even if you're not, I'd recommend spec'ing the building to that standard.

As others said, get your info on what's required directly from the local Building and the Zoning dept's.! This will save you much grief. Also depending on what you intend to do with the space, if you want to run a manufacturing business out of there, be-sure that everything you intend to-do is allowed under your zoning code. You can request a zoning determination letter from your local AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) which will tell you what you are allowed to-do there, under the code, if you need to get something in writing about the scope of work you want to do, or operate there. Be very specific in what you want to ask! If you want to do metal fabrication, ask about 'hot-work' and finishing (painting) as the requirements for things like paint booths are very expensive to meet, and to maintain. However, if you're manufacturing small batches of widgets, and just need a small paint area, the requirements are much-different from a vehicle paint booth/room.

 

[tez929rr]

If you do a steel building, electrical after construction is no big deal. We did a 40 by 60 with 12 foot walls in 2005 for 43K. We did a 30 by 80 with 10 foot walls two years ago for the same price (no roll up doors). A/C is great if you can afford it. I would definitely have it plumbed for a bathroom before pouring the slab, or you will wish you had done it later.

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

Hey guys,

I was going to reply to you each individually, but everyone is giving really good advice. After reading through all the post a few thoughts:

1. FL and insulation with A/C are a MUST (Especially if it is going to double down like a house/shop).

2. Don't be cheap the first time around, build quality first and be happy down the road

3. 15’ plus ceilings are more realistic for the shop level with a lift

4. My cost is not going to be 40-50K, more like 100K+. That being said including land, site prep, and building of the shop I would not want a loan more than $250K. The cheaper the better obviously, but I want this to be the last home/shop I ever purchase.

5. Resale value is a consideration and BTW I will not be living in Chiefland, I can buy pretty much any piece of property in Central Florida. I am currently renting in Inverness, FL. My concept is to use a construction loan and buy the property to build a shop/top level house, then convert the loan into a VA loan afterward. I plan on buying a rural piece of property that is 20-30 minutes at the most outside of a decent size city so I am not so isolated from resources and activities.

6. My ideal scenario would be a top flat apartment/house layout that would create decent resale value. I agree about planning for resale value down the road, but I really don't plan on having kids or getting married. I am not close to my family and I don't have a hometown to go back to really. Where I lay my hat is my home is my mentality, I am like a vagabond I guess you could say. My concern is I can't find a shop to buy with living space that is what I want in a shop on the market. I feel the ONLY real way to do it is to build it. The shop is my coping mechanism for all the trauma I went through in Afghanistan/Iraq. When I’m not traveling on my motorcycle, working on my projects is my escape. I know it’s a risk to invest so much if I want to sell down the road, but I need my foundation that I can lay my head down and just be able to escape into my projects. I need to find a middle ground on what to build.

7. Check the zoning of the area and make sure I can meet the requirements, also I don't plan on running a full-time business, just individual large projects to sell from time to time, mainly for therapeutic reasons.

8. The orientation of the building is very important for energy efficiency

9. I said I was medically retired, which brings up the topic of my physical limitations when it comes to what type of setup I will need. I was wounded while leading a mission in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. I spent 17 months in a treatment facility in Virginia. I have some residual physical injuries, but nothing that will limit me from any type of construction, my challenges now are in my mind.

 

[anythingyoucanimagine]

I have a 10th Mtn. buddy who was where you got hurt. That F'er was supposed to be in my (second) wedding. His parents got a letter and a flag instead. That was some F'd up sh*t you had to do/deal with over there. (I am civilian, did not serve)

Assume everyone (myself included) commenting has absolutely no clue wtf they are talking about --but when you start to hear 2, 3 or 4+ people saying the same thing, look into it. Maybe they are onto something.

If everyone says your budget is low, your budget is probably low. If everyone says painting your floors pink makes the shop look better (don't ever paint your floors pink).

 

[Monza Harry]

FLA Paratrooper Thank you for your service! [we /USA] go around the world together most of the time] It seems you have it well covered from your perspective and the excellent advice you have above, I might add, consider building a light manufacturing facility, the office space as your living quarters, consider placement with an eye towards the advice above and expandability and concerns such as can you add solar to it for resale and greatly reducing operating costs. Insulation is also needed for noise abatement, the future isn't clear and I keep losing my "Crystal Ball" and you just can't know that you will not be bothering others. Even with enough land, if the area starts building up [especially in Value$$$] the property taxes may force a reduction in property size. Again the advice about planning for things you don't need now but may want later is priceless I added a natural gas-line, electrical service, waterline, a blank/empty conduit and a sewer line for my garage. Sewer will likely never get hooked up by me, but if I need it, I have it there and the cost was only a few hundred then and would be $5k if I did a bunch of the work I am not really up to now. Consider traffic Ideal for selling things out in front of your place not so much when you are trying to back a trailer in a single wide driveway on a arrow street. Just things I seen into the future on and missed as well. the other advise on height is also great as again the lack of accurate crystal balls may make things that become important to not fit with a 10' ceiling, think race-car hauler, motorhome/trailer, that certain someone that may happen along may want to go on the motorcycle adventures but she may not be a tent girl, she may be a little more princess but if she fits get here a better bed if she fits in with the other things you already know the give to get thing [as evidenced by your public service history] Harry Keep us posted!

 

[rsanter]

I have this idea for a shop that I have always wanted to do.
Lack of time, space and money seems to stop me

What I would like to do is have a large shop building, thenlarger the better.
Yes I would insulate it.
I would like to build a space inside the shop that is about the size of a 2 car garage. That will be my work area that I can heat and cool.
I would want a garage door sized door going to the inside and a roll up to the outside.
Then all the tables and equipment would be on wheels so I can bring in what I need for the work to be done.
That room will have all the major electrical, the rest of the shop would need very little.

 

[Capt Crash]

Thank you for your service. The only thing that I have to add may not apply to you. I bought some land and am planning a house and shop build for this year. Most banks that I talked to want 50% down for vacant land. I did find one that only wanted 30%. Also for a construction loan they want 20% down or spent of your total finished cost including the land before you use the banks money.

Also in my area, you can build a garage or shop first, but they want a house build started within 1 year.
Brian

 

[nadogail]

One of the many who post here set Ocean cargo containers, two high, on each side of his slab and covered the open bay with a roof. Barn doors on each end of the bay. Solar electric on the roof. One side was enclosed workroom and parts/material storage, the other side was living quarters.
As I recall the gent was in South Texas.

 

[sberry]

I wouldn't fug with upstars stuff but make some out of the way storage overhead of living area and enlarge the footprint some and make it all one level.
You can cool 2 stage, ventilate too. Cool the living area more on demand and cool the whole place some on the worst days.
I live in a cold climate and a hot a little. I heat to 45 or 50 in the cold winter for the whole place, add some gas heat to warm the living area. My office is modestly warm.
If I was the OP guy looking to live long and reasonable in that climate would spend some on insulation and sq ft and make a hobby of collecing a window unit or 2 or 3 and use as needed.
If I was living in an area that was power sensitive. would see if I cold lay off the demand on peak hours. Here its heated garage which would be part of my dream home to melt the stuff off a daily driver.

 

[22george]

I built my pole barn with 15 foot ceiling so l had room to build a gantry crane that I could move back and forth over top of my extra tall extra wide lift.

 

[Ironcrow]

Multiples of 4 feet L and W dimensions is better for the budget, eliminates some waste on sheet goods, sheathing, dry wall, etc.

Go with 13-14 foot ceiling for a lift.

Pick the lift(s) first and embed threaded rods or threaded socket inserts in the pad placement. Use a template of the lift footprint to get the location dead-on.

Ask your contractor for 3000 psi concrete. He will mix it to the appropriate batch formula.

For the love of Dog, plan on an AC.

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

So guys I just got off the phone with Admirals Bank for financing options and a few companies that gave me quotes for steel buildings. I am thinking it might be easier and better for my position to use my VA home loan next fall to buy my house and then building the shop. I am 100% disabled so I don't pay property tax or PMI on the home loan, this helps when budgeting this in for overall cost. Also I need more specifics, but it looks like my homeowners insurance for the house I would buy, would cover the shop on the property too.

Here is what I got:

- If I keep the width of the shop less than 40' it decreases engineering modifications and I can dramatically reduce cost. I am looking at a 30'x80' building. It will have 14' ceilings, (3) 10'x12' chain roll-up doors and a side entrance door. This shipped for free and installed for free out the door cost for the building alone is $29,000. That includes a 40-year structural warranty, 12-month workmanship, and 10-year rust/corrosion I believe.

- The foundation I was quoted for is 6" thick, rebar, fiberated, 3000+PSI is around $19,000.

The admiral bank told me once I buy my house next fall, as long as I have a decent credit score 680+, I can get a $60,000 10 or 20-year loan at around 5-7% interest. This requires no equity or collateral, its like a second mortgage. Payments on the 20 year look like $489 a month, with no prepayment penalty if I want to pay it off faster (Which I would).

I can get my building built next fall as soon as I buy my property/house. I can pay cash for the electrical, insulation, and A/C separate that the loan doesnt pay for.

Now I am going to shop around for the building and find the best quote/value/warranty with free shipping + installation.

Thoughts?

 

[Riley]

Don't end up house poor. Meaning, make sure you are well under your max numbers. Only being able to make minimums is a lousy way to have to survive.

Keeping below you maximum loan values will allow you to do the "fun" stuff besides simply make the payments. Also shop rates aggressively, lenders that don't "sell your paper", meaning they keep servicing in house for the life of your loan are worth while in my opinion.

You have access to any number of Credit Unions, I've had the best luck with them as opposed to banks.

Good luck with it and keep us posted!

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

I appreciate the advice Riley, I agree on being "house poor", this was a big consideration of mine.

I am 33, medically retired from the Army with no kids, family, or social dynamics holding me down. Next year I plan on riding my motorcycle all through the U.S for 4-5 months (Up to Alaska). After that (Fall 2020) I plan on buying a small house with at least 2 acres and get my shop built, then immediately I am going to ship my motorcycle to Spain and ferry it into Morroco so start my overseas travels. I plan on traveling large parts of the year, until I travel around the world.

My shop is my escape for therapeutic reasons, but traveling is as well. I am finding a middle ground to where I have my freedom with my military retirement and have a foundation to come back to that is enjoyable. With my mortgage included and the shop payment, I forecast it will use 20% of my income and I have no debt besides my truck payment/bike which will be paid off in a few years, leaving plenty of resources to have my freedom and use for projects/the shop when I get back home.

I agree too on shopping around, I am building a baseline right now, but next year I am going to very aggressively shop around. I will take a lot of pictures of it through each process and contribute back to the forum.

Thank you

 

[jjminch]

Curious as to who quoted the building for that price and installation? For reference at a 30x50 plan I have going that’s similar, I’m around 20k installed not including slab.

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

I only had one business out of only a few so far that I have researched reply back. I planned on exhausting all options and getting quotes from them all and comparing the value (i.e price and warranty, etc).

The business I got the one quote from was called Eversafe Buildings.

Where did you get your quote?

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

So after doing more research guys, I find that these metal building kits have huge quality differences between them. I am going to have to do ALOT of research to find the best quality one.

One such big difference I see is the roofing panels for example. There are two types of roofing I see, some with galvanized and some with Galvalume.

The bottom line is Galvalume roofing is a different type of coating on the metal that literally lasts twice the duration for corrosion resistance but cost more.

I found what looks like a really good company called "Olympia steel buildings". Sadly though I look online and they have HORRIBLE reviews.

They say they use stainless fasteners, 26 gauge panels, and the roofing has 40-year rust through perforation warranty (Galvalume roof panels).

Again any input on these features of the best companies would be well appreciated, thanks guys!

 

[OneOfEm]

The big online companies are more or less middlemen. They hire local builders to put up their buildings.

If you ask around locally with those who have buildings similar to what you are looking at (steel/pole building/stick built), you should be able to find a good local builder and cut out the middleman.

 

[tez929rr]

Mueller is very big around here. The difficult thing is finding the right guy to build it. My impression is that there are lots of less than satisfactory guys in the steel building business. I used someone I already knew both times. The first time, I used a different guy for the concrete and the second time (first guy was unavailable) he had a concrete guy that he used. I was happy with both outcomes. The Mueller guys will put together a plan and materials list for you, which helped us make some decisions.

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

True, I think the key is to find a quality kit and a well-reviewed local builder. I definitely see quality differences and differences in the warranties depending on where you go.

 

[trbomax]

Hey guys!,

I am a 33, medically retired Army combat veteran. I enjoy doing metal fabrication and paint/body/restoration as a hobby for therapeutic reasons. I live in the central Florida area. I am currently renting a house but will be buying next fall.

I don't have any kids or wife and I am looking to get an inexpensive house with enough land to build a shop/obtain privacy.

I need some objective advice based upon the application of what I am doing to what you would do from your experiences and what to look for in the process.

So I guess I will start off with a series of ideas and questions:

1. I am thinking about a 40'x60', 3 bay, 11'ceiling shop.

2. I will make sure the concrete slap meets my lifts PSI requirements, but do you guys recommend reinforcement of the concrete with rebar or anything else?

3. Is there any issue doing electrical after it is built, any prebuilding considerations I should make?

4. Any recommendations or considerations on how to decide where to place the shop?

5. Any recommendations for manufacturers? Who offers the best quality kits?

6. Cost, I know this is probably a hammered topic. Anyone with a similar sized shop, can you give me a rough estimate of what I am looking at? I will take a stab from what I have research and say out the door with electrical, slab, and building $40-50K?

7. What is everyone's thoughts on insulating the shop and adding A/C? Overkill or a nice luxury? Has anyone on here done that and have thoughts on that?

Thanks for the comments and any other random thoughts would be appreciated, it will be a help to me and anyone looking at the post that might be seeking similar information.

I'm on my fourth shop build so let me share some of my experiences.If you build a shop, and then sell the property, the shop building will in most cases be a sales liability.Not everybody will want it, will have a use for it, or will want to pay the taxes on it.Next point,dont pay taxes on it and avoid most inspections and permits!How you say? A building that is built for agriculteral use is exempt from permit and inspection rules.Of course, it must be in some way used for agriculture,so partition off a 10 x 10 corner and build it into a chicken coop ,with another 10x10 fenced in outdoor area attached to it.Go to TCS and buy 10 chics, now you are a chicken/egg farmer!Park all of your yard maintenance equipment in it, then buy an old small farm tractor that is capable of useing ground engagement implements.It doesn't have to run,Thats why u have a repair shop! See where this is going? Now, do what u want with the rest of the shop!This is how my last two shop builds were done.I took this one step further with my northern mich shop (which I still have). Have your electric drop and meter socket installed on your ag building.Then u will get an ag rate on your power which is a way better rate than residential or pole barn.Then i ran a 100a sub panel to the house and split the distribution between the house service and shop sub panel with the high draw circuits on the sub panel.

 

[johnnyradiant]

Just as there are house plan sites there are plans to be looked at for garages/shops. You could look at those for ideas or to see an aspect you may not have been thinking about.

Options abound on shape and how or what you do with the living quarters. Some one suggested a monitor styl barn with living up top. You could even do a monitor style with living on one side if you want ground floor living. Or some sort of combo by how you divide up the area. Just saying for thoughts.

 

[chargermann]

Floridaparatrooper85 - finishing up with my own mancave -a 40' x 50' CBS outbuilding which matches the house. As recommended, plan and design your building with resale in mind. Consider another septic system for a small bathroom w/ shower/slop sink, and maybe a partitioned area which could be used as 'in-law' quarters. Also a loft for storage. Multiple head mini-splits, good insulation and adequate electrical (200A). It was cheaper for me to obtain a separate account (meter) for the outbuilding. So far, my monthly electrical bill have not exceeded $55.00, even which running the A/C within one room during our hot summer months. Generally, kilowatt hours are at a reduced rate below 1000 per month.
One thing I was unaware with in moving up to Ocala from South Florida, is our SW Water Management District and their guidelines pertaining to new construction. Had to hire a civil engineer to perform a thorough water retention evaluation of the property to establish if site conditions met their criteria.
Lastly, please perform your due diligence in selecting the manufacturer and/or contractor for your building. I reached out to eight General Contractors, obtained three bids, and chose the middle bid. Quickly became very disappointed in the craftsmanship and overall work ethics of his local subs, eventually 'pulling the plug' once the shell was completed and the building envelope was 'dried-in'. Fortunately, I'm handy and now finishing the interior and exterior foam bands, stucco and cultured stonework.
Good Luck.

 

[Floridaparatrooper85]

Charger, that looks really nice! You are only 45 minutes from me too. Id love if you are willing to meet up and see the shop after we talk and get to know each other. I have a ton of questions and I plan on building in this general area too.

PM me for details and we can establish communication.

 

[Fueler]

Hey guys!,

7. What is everyone's thoughts on insulating the shop and adding A/C? Overkill or a nice luxury? Has anyone on here done that and have thoughts on that?

I consider this a necessity rather than a luxury.
Lower utility cost due to the insulation and
AC will keep your stuff from getting damp, mildewed and rusted.

 

[vision8]

Hey FloridaParaTrooper,
Check out 'www.AcmeSpeedShop.com ' in Taylors, SC ; just went through the process this past year ; of building a work shop . Not exactly in your neck of the woods but may have some leads for you !
Al in Dundas