Seriously, how big do I need?

[Locke96]

What's up guys. Been a while since ive been here. The wife and I are starting the very long journey of planning our new home and shop build on some land we purchased a few years ago. We bought a the property with a decent house on it (renting it out for now) a 20x30 shop (no electricity) and a 30x30 shop (with electricity and my main workshop right now.) Naturally with this thought process of building, the age old question comes up. "How big of a shop do I need?"

Here's what ive got going on in my 2 shops as of right now. In the 20x30 I have a classic chevy truck that's going to get redone "one day" and that's it. In the 30x30 shop I currently have a UTV, 4 dirt bikes, a bass boat, 2 large work benches, 4 pallets worth of large items for work, tool boxes etc. The 30x30 is pretty packed with all of this.

These 2 shops are close to the original home site, with our new build site going about 1500' away from it, so using these 2 shops when we do the new build is slightly less than ideal and we are considering selling the rental along with the 2 shops after we build. We basically bought this property for the land and the structures were just a bonus.

My wants for a new shop are as follows:
*Be able to fit everything in the existing 2 shops inside of it, with plenty of room to work.
*Add space for another vehicle and four wheeler.
*Have space for a 2 post lift with its own door
*Have space for an interior room around 200-300sqft (about the size of a living room I would say) that has heat/ac that I can use to do tedious tasks without sweating all over everything in the west tx heat.
*Have at least 1 wing that I can use to store trailers under. It doesn't need to have a slab or be all the way closed in, just something to keep the sun off the decks and tires.

So, what size do you guys think I need? Is this doable with a 40x60? Or do I need to be looking at something closer to 3000-3500 sqft?
Yes I know, you can never have a shop that's too big. However obviously bigger costs more $$$.

Second question, have you guys seen metal builders giving longer quote times lately? Im not sure if that's the correct term or not. What I mean is, I know from about 2020-2023 builders would only hold a quote price for about 1 week because of how volatile metal prices were. Seems like things have stabilized a bit since then. Is it useless to get some quotes right now if we know we won't be locking anything in for at least a year?

Thanks for any help!

 

[micromind]

I think that if the vast majority of Goers had a shop that was 1,000 X 2,000', in less than a year, we'd be griping because it's not big enough.........lol.

In your case, 40 X 60 would likely be ok but what about future stuff that you'll accumulate?

If possible, I'd go 40 X 80 or even 100. The 40 is ok but you might need additional length.

 

[Locke96]

I think that if the vast majority of Goers had a shop that was 1,000 X 2,000', in less than a year, we'd be griping because it's not big enough.........lol.

In your case, 40 X 60 would likely be ok but what about future stuff that you'll accumulate?

If possible, I'd go 40 X 80 or even 100. The 40 is ok but you might need additional length.

That was kind of my thoughts. I think for what I have right now the 40x60 is enough but we will both barely be into our 30s when we build. I hope that’s a long time to accumulate more toys

 

[JuncleJohn]

Will your new house have an attached garage? If so, how big?

For just a shop and storage, based on what you’ve already mentioned, I think a 48x60 would be about right. The depth being at 48‘ would allow parking tandem if needed. I would also recommend an attached lean to on one side for the trailers.

John

 

[Renegade1LI]

One thing I've never heard anyone say was, "I really should have built this shop a little smaller".

 

[vavet]

the only time you want smaller is when you’re paying the bill to insulate and heat/cool the place. If most of it will be storage for vehicles and outdoor gear, then no need, but if it’s a working shot, you’ll be much happier with climate control.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

If you want a single building that is both shop and storage, it will never be big enough. The storage use will always expand to encroach on the shop. IMO, have a a storage building and a separate shop where the rule is only projects being worked on are in the shop.

 

[finn]

If you want a single building that is both shop and storage, it will never be big enough. The storage use will always expand to encroach on the shop. IMO, have a a storage building and a separate shop where the rule is only projects being worked on are in the shop.

This.

I filled up my freshly built 32’x54’ ”Forever Garage and Storage” building in a couple of years. I built it with storage trusses, which was a big mistake, as I have to use a drop down attic ladder to access the attic which is pretty useless. Adding permanent stairs takes away floor space. In retrospect I should have gone a couple more feet in both directions, but then it would rapidly create both aesthetic and access issues on my deep but narrow lake lot.

I eventually bought a nearby 48’x75’ building to use as my main shop, which now, ten years later, is too small, and have a 24’x32’ plus a 12’x18’ in town. That’s over 8000 sf of space all in, all full, and I’m not really even a hoarder….just spread too thin.

I would like to add an unheated pole barn with covered lean to to store the CTL, mini ex, tractor & implements, and F450, along with the trailers, but age is creeping up on me, so I probably won’t do that.

Instead, the real solution is to downsize and get rid of some “stuff”, and narrow my focus. I pretty much finished the projects I bought the CTL and mini ex for, and if I sell them while they still have substantial value, I don’t need the 14k equipment trailer that’s sitting in the weather. The F450 could go, too, and I don‘t really use the boat much anymore, despite living on the water.

Likewise, I have more than enough project cars. I’ll never finish most of them at this point in life, although I enjoy the process of bringing them back to life.


Bottom line is that you can do a lot with limited space, if you have your act together, or you can be like me and spread yourself too thin, which takes almost unlimited space. ATV trail riding, 4x4 trucks, dirt bikes and snowmobiling ( That’s a couple I already got out of and sold), boats and campers, tractors, dirt moving and digging equipment, dump trucks, and old cars all take a tremendous of space, time, and energy.

Sometimes I envy those who just engage in simple activities like golf or follow stick and ball sports. Their “stuff” , ie golf clubs, fits in a hall closet, and they only need a TV and a comfortable chair beyond that.

 

[Locke96]

Will your new house have an attached garage? If so, how big?

For just a shop and storage, based on what you’ve already mentioned, I think a 48x60 would be about right. The depth being at 48‘ would allow parking tandem if needed. I would also recommend an attached lean to on one side for the trailers.

John

The new house will have at minimum a 3 car garage. 1 for her suv, 1 for my truck, and 1 for work vehicle or Sunday drive car. No daily vehicles except the UTV will be in the shop.

 

[MOS3522]

My wife constantly says she wishes mine was bigger . . .

(So she would have more room in the garage to get in and out of her amongst my tools)

 

[kwb]

Inside the house you need good storage for seasonal decorations that women tend to like.
House needs a garage for daily driven cars.
Yard Equipment needs a Shed.
Shop working space really depends on the projects you do. If you rebuild RV's / Travel Trailers / Excavators / Boats then 1800+sf is what you will need to have the supporting equipment for the projects and the project itself. If you build furniture that is approaching a small production facility and probably overkill. I do a little of a lot of things I am 36x42x14 with an 11x42 loft. If I had gone 16' high I would move table saw and have wood shop stuff and a small painting area in the loft. As it sits now I have my CNC Plasma table up there and for the frequency it gets used being out of harms way of big things moving around on main level. I wish it was on concrete floor but for what I do I accept the compromise.
Covered / Semi-enclosed storage.... that gets to be big. Future proof your plan to make additional space not look like an add-on. I added 36x30 of covered space last year and it is packed now. I can add 12x30 bays to that with relative ease.

 

[LXCam]

Sounds to me like a 30 x 90 might be a better solution. That’d give you five 18’ bays to spread everything out with easy access plus you could build demising walls to separate dirty areas and or conditioned space if you wanted.

 

[kumquat]

So, what size do you guys think I need?

Since this is the gj, I'd think the consensus will be a few acres.

 

[kwb]

Sounds to me like a 30 x 90 might be a better solution. That’d give you five 18’ bays to spread everything out with easy access plus you could build demising walls to separate dirty areas and or conditioned space if you wanted.

Even as cold storage 30' is really not that deep of a bay if you have anything other than a car/pickup. A 22' ski boat on a trailer is almost 30' hitch to swimstep. I would have gone deeper with mine but I have some property boundary limitations.

Since this is the gj, I'd think the consensus will be a few acres.

True and easy to keyboard warrior that statement , I have done it myself, but now that I am getting a bit older..... too much can really become too much, and your stuff begins to own you. Be careful that you don't build yourself an unpaid maintenance and facilities job.

 

[larry_g]

Covered / Semi-enclosed storage.... that gets to be big. Future proof your plan to make additional space not look like an add-on. I added 36x30 of covered space last year and it is packed now. I can add 12x30 bays to that with relative ease.

I was going to say the same. Build what you can to start but have area laid out where you can make additions. Do a plot plan where you have a 40x200 building and start with a 40x60. Make sure that the extra 140' of area is clear of all septic, power and other stuff that would have to be changed when you start adding on to the building.

I do like your idea of the separate room to heat and cool however your dreaming to small. In my shop, linked below, I have a 'clean room' that is 12x36 for the machine tools and that is tight but workable. If you look at mine you can also see that there is a room above the clean room that is my wife's area for her stuff. Then the main shop is 36x36 for the dirty work on the equipment and vehicles.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[JuncleJohn]

Even as cold storage 30' is really not that deep of a bay if you have anything other than a car/pickup. A 22' ski boat on a trailer is almost 30' hitch to swimstep. I would have gone deeper with mine but I have some property boundary limitations.

My shop is 40 wide by 42’ deep. In hind-site, I should have built at least 42x48, better yet 48x48 would have been perfect. Garage depth is often under rated and overlooked.

John

 

[NUTTSGT]

A 40x60 would probably work but I think I would build it in a way that it could easily be added on to if need be..either extending length or with a lean to.

One thing to gain a lot of storage space is to add a large section of pallet racking, floor to ceiling. In doing so, you can incorporate a shelf of it into workbench.

 

[loganb]

Can also consider doing a split finished and unfinished/storage portion. 40 x 80 where you built the entire shell but only pour floor, finish walls etc on say half of it. Now you can keep the storage separate while making it cheaper to expand and finish it out down the road vs having to put up the entire structure. The cost to add on down the road also depends on how it's being done. Pole barn is cheaper, but if doing a poured foundation with footers it's far easier to get that entire foundation in now vs trying to tie it in down the road