Considering a new shop, need some guidance ...

[Tim Boger]

My wife and I are kicking around the idea of building a shop on our property and move my current work space out of the garage.

Cost is a factor so I'm looking for the most inexpensive options to get a structure put up, I'm thinking at least 25' X 25' to 25' X 35'.

I've included a couple of pics to indicate the slope that would affect the type of foundation that would work.

I would be fine with a metal building (prefab) type of kit that includes assembly, I have enough background with construction to be involved with the process but also know my limitations ... thinking I could take care of all interior work after the structure is up and the electric run.

So I'm asking for feedback, suggestions and any success stories that includes referrals to the business that performed well for you.

Thanks folks,
Tim Boger
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[Alan Trout]

I have a 25x35 shop. It fills up quickly. I personally if I were to do it again not have anything smaller than 30x40 or event 40x40. Building cost will not be that much different. Biggest expense will be in foundation cost. Build bigger than you think you might need. My dream is to build a 50x100 Barndominium. That might be enough room.

[Bill Adamsen]

Tim, what a great endeavor.

I did something similar several years ago, building a shop on a 24X36 footprint. A big factor was balancing the cost/aesthetics. Engineering for a main level clear span that would have increased from 24' to 26' width would have pushed the structure beyond my budget for construction and operation. No question that following build I have wondered whether increasing to 26X42 or even larger might have made the structure align more with the other buildings on the property from a scale perspective, and allowed shoehorning in that extra tool I wanted. But the fact is I could have been happy with a structure half the size as well.

My structure is a traditional New England style timber-frame. There are plenty of folks manufacturing them as pre-fab which can make the structure very affordable.

Metal buildings with concrete floors make wonderful shops and can be exceptionally affordable. Nucor, GenSteel ... there are dozens of manufacturers.

Frank Howarth put together a great video of the design and construction of his shop which might be worth a look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge96Qvp-EzE I think the style is very functional for the purpose. But his process alone is very instructional.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

[Tim Bueler]

Hi Tim, strictly speaking about building materials efficiency, keep your outside dimensions in 4' increments and the the closer to square you are the more floor space per lineal foot of wall you'll have. That said, don't get too hung up on bad layout just to save a few dollars. Mapping out your machine placement and workflow will help.

Some ideas for sloping lot solutions...dig a level place, poor a concrete floor and use a retaining wall on the uphill side. Retaining wall can be either integral with the building or spaced away from the building to allow for walk around space. Or, stem wall foundation and wood framed floor where the floor level ends up more or less level with the uphill slope. Perhaps there's the possibility of a pick-up bed height "loading dock" for getting raw materials in and finished product out? You could suspend a floor off poles for pole building type construction, though this wouldn't be my first choice, just make sure the undercrawl is varmint proof.

A couple other items to consider when siting a new building are:
-Drive way access without blocking access to your house (or anything else?).
-How will you get utilities in (and/or out if your installing a bathroom)?
-Where will your roof run-off go?
-Does SC get snow? If so you'll want to consider that.

Good luck with your new shop!

[Robert Engel]

Tim,

It really all depends on what type of ww'ing you do. If you have machines or plan to get more, you have to allow for that and space can quickly disappear when you start thinking about layout, movement of materials, etc.

Mobile bases are fine, but at our age, its not realistic to think we can shove around 500# machines without paying for it.

Another factor is whether the space will be conditioned or not. If you plan to have an open air shop, that changes lots of things depending on where you live.

In my area, where it is very humid and hot in the summer, I built a 14x16 insulated and air conditioned studio in a corner of my shop, leaving the rest of the shop basically for machines and assembly and storing fixtures like clamps. This has done wonders for my hand tools regarding rust + being able to keep the wood for a project in a conditioned space is huge. No more finding cupped panels the next morning! Not to mention comfort. When its 95° its virtually impossible to work here.

Few things about the building itself: I think a couple garage doors is a good thing. I think a 10-12' ceiling height is another good thing.

Finally, I would have to say 875 SF is not a big shop and like I said, if you provide info on what machines you have, that will help advise you.

I started out in part of my horse barn 28 years ago about 500SF. Then expanded to 800 and the last remodel/expansion brought it so 1600 - and I STILL wish I had more room!

[Jim Becker]

Some good advise here...build what is reasonably the larger footprint you can afford. And one thing to be sure you check on is impact on taxes for an outbuilding with your local jurisdiction...size may matter.

I like the method that another SMC community member recently used for his new shop building where it's similar to a pole barn, but uses a solid slab with anchors for the square posts...no wood goes in the ground which is a good thing in so many ways. Otherwise, it's an efficient construction method for this type of need and easy so adapt to almost any need.

[John K Jordan]

My wife and I are kicking around the idea of building a shop on our property and move my current work space out of the garage.
Cost is a factor so I'm looking for the most inexpensive options to get a structure put up, I'm thinking at least 25' X 25' to 25' X 35'.
I've included a couple of pics to indicate the slope that would affect the type of foundation that would work.
I would be fine with a metal building (prefab) type of kit that includes assembly, I have enough background with construction to be involved with the process but also know my limitations ... thinking I could take care of all interior work after the structure is up and the electric run.
So I'm asking for feedback, suggestions and any success stories that includes referrals to the business that performed well for you.

An adventure for sure! I did the same thing a few years ago. Success story? I don't know, but I'm incredible happy with the result. I did a bunch of beehive stuff Monday, worked on a hydraulic pump yesterday, and today spent a few hours in my little machine shop making a new tool today.

I don't have any referrals since I built the shop myself (except for pouring the slab and putting up the trusses and roof panels), everything from clearing the land to welding the rebar to setting the posts to the wiring. You can save an AMAZING amount of money of you do it yourself - it can cost a fraction of contracting it out.

In my case, the land sloped about 4' down over the 85' I leveled for the 24'x62' building. I used cut and fill to level the site - you have to be very careful about fill since depending on the type of soil and the way it is compacted the ground can settle. (I also used some "tricks" such as burying some massive rocks in the fill and building a grade beam in the most vulnerable corner.) It may help to set the longest dimension in the direction of the mildest slope, even it if means putting the building on some crazy angle. Don't forget that proper drainage is of utmost importance, regardless of the site - it might be worth while to hire a good architect to plan the site prep.

Mine is built with 6x6 PT posts with 8' to 12' between them, double 2x10 beams, 2x6 wall studs. I sunk the posts in concrete and tied them to the slab with rebar.

I'm a fan of underground power - it looks like your distance is fairly close. (Mine was 250 from my transformer by the house.)

Are you planning on heat and air? If so, be sure to insulate well! Insulation was one reason I used 2x6 studs. I installed a heat pump which makes the shop comfortable year round.

I planned all the equipment placement before I put up the first batter board. This let me adjust the windows and door placement, plan a spot for a sound-insulated cyclone dust collector/air compressor closet, and most of all, optimize the wiring and lighting before hand instead of having to compromise later.

If at all possible, I'd go with the larger size. The overall cost for materials per extra square foot of floor space isn't that much, and the overall extra cost is surprisingly low if you do the work yourself. I built mine 24x62 and I'm already starting to think of adding on. (I do use it for a lot more than wood working.)

JKJ

[Tom Bender]

Let me try to dial it back a bit. My basement shop is a little over 200 sf and it works great for me. Biggest things I have built are sections of fence and a desk so if you want to build kitchen cabinets your needs are different. A small shop if carefully done is a very efficient shop, everything within a few steps. To be fair, I have about 100 sf of lumber storage elsewhere but it's still not a big space. A big outside shop can be a big junk collector so give self control a chance.

[Tim Boger]

As I had hoped, the very knowledgeable and generous collective here have much to share.

I will be reading and rereading each response as I gather from them applicable bits of wisdom.

I have a pole builder / farm structure fellow coming out to meet with me this Monday .... I'm anxious to have some of my most basic questions answered.

I'll add to this as I move along ... thanks to all that share their experiences and offer guidance.
Tim

[Allan Dozier]

Still in the process of building mine outside Charlotte. For your and my area I feel the most important and non-negotiable feature is air conditioning.