Trying to get a rough idea on cost

[StinkBug]

It looks like a number of you have built garages or shops so I'm hoping you can give me an idea what I might be in for. Currently I'm searching for a chunk of land to relocate my buisiness as well as my residence. What I'm hoping to do is put up a 40x80 prefab steel building, and then frame in a 2 bedroom apartment that's essentially freestanding inside the exterior walls. I have a lot of friends in the trades and plan on doing most of the work myself, but there are some things that I will have to pay someone else to do. The biggest thing I see being $$$ is the concrete slab. I really dont have much of an idea what to expect on this. Electrical is easy for me as I have an electrician in the family, and I built him a pretty kickass 4x4 a few years ago. Planning and drawings should be easy as well, as I used to be a draftsman, and am close friends with the architect I used to work for.

I priced out a building at around $35k, add in the slab, and everything needed for the apartment. Figure on using low end apartment style fixtures, and absolute basic everything. I'm not lookin for frills, and I'm pretty good at finding deals, and my time is free. Here's one of the floorplans I've been playing with. It's just a brainstorm, and probably wont be anything like the actual thing, but it gives a good idea of the size and number of rooms I'm looking for.

Thanks
Dallas

 

[cdrewferd]

I can't help with the cost, but on the layout, what are you going to be putting above the "apartment"? If the building height will allow it then I would suggest doing the whole aparment on one side, but make it 2 stories. This will free up a lot of space in the actual garage and will also take advantage of all avaliable space.

 

[PAToyota]

What I'm hoping to do is put up a 40x80 prefab steel building, and then frame in a 2 bedroom apartment that's essentially freestanding inside the exterior walls.

You're going to want to check local code requirements to make sure that you can do what you are proposing. At bare minimum, you're going to want to make sure you have a proper firewall between the garage and "home" spaces.

 

[boiler7904]

You're going to want to check local code requirements to make sure that you can do what you are proposing. At bare minimum, you're going to want to make sure you have a proper firewall between the garage and "home" spaces.

Zoning of the land will also become a factor. Agricultural or Residential zoning usually doesn't allow for too many types of businesses to be run from home.

 

[1320stang]

I'd put the bathrooms along the exterior walls. Someday you may want a house or gut the shop out and you'll have that sticking up in the middle. I agree with the 2 story aspect, I'd go over the left side of your drawing and be able to drive in under the apartment. Where the living room is located, you could have a office, bike room, clean & dirty rooms and a 1/2 bath. The stairs would be in the office to keep shop dust out.

 

[StinkBug]

Like I said, this drawing is VERY preliminary. I have explored going 2 stories, and I'm still not against it, but there are a few reasons for keeping to one level. One is simplicity of building, another is overall building height and cost, the last is storage. I have a TON of spare parts, and extra equipment cluttering up my current shop. All of it is too valuable to simply throw away, but it's not the kind of stuff you wanna have in the work area either. My plan was to turn the area above the apartment into storage for all of this stuff, as well as an easy place for the HVAC equipment, water heater, air compressor, etc.

As for zoning, this one's definitely gonna be in some grey areas unless the property I buy is zoned agricultural. Around here at least you can do an awful lot on AG land. Otherwise it'll probably be commercial, and the apartment will be "offices" as far as the city is concerned. I know several people that have very similar structures, so I know it can be done.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

For storage, pallet rack works well at providing lots of shelf space but using little floor space. I have two sections, three uprights, each 14 ft high, with 8 ft beams and spaced 2 ft high between "shelves". I can put alot of "junk" on twelve 8'w by 40" deep by 2' high shelves, that only take up only 54 sq/ft. of floor space. That is 320 sq/ft of storage space.

Charles

 

[W-Cummins]

It looks like a number of you have built garages or shops so I'm hoping you can give me an idea what I might be in for.

Yep sure can read my thread as I have done what you want to ( more or less)

William...

 

[Craig Balzer]

Shopnut has been there before ya: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3148&showall=1

His garage/living area is smaller than your plans at 30 x 60 -- says he built it for $100K but that was a few years back and in Florida. Check in out: excellent use of space, very well thought-out and appointed.

Craig