Pics of your shops/garages/specs

74_Chevota · Feb 12, 2015

12' has been fine for me and my lift.

pushrod-racing said:
Any of you guys have experience with scissor style trusses? Im in proccess of getting the grounds ready to build a 30x40 and I have intentions of putting a 2 post lift in. Most guys on garage journal say a 12' ceiling is fine and even better if you have scissor trusses but when i called the company im wanting to build it he is saying I need 14' walls. If I need them thats fine, but if its going to be a waste of space to heat/cool id rather stick with 12'

lowbudgetjunk · Feb 12, 2015

I've found a 20k sq ft space for super cheap. I am trying to find a way to rent half or more out to fund it and keep my wife off of my back.

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

Re:

Bump. Trying to iron out shop details for when we build one at the new house in a few months.

Anybody got any recent rough cost estimates on a 40x40 concrete pad? Thinking of doing 30x40 shop with lean-to or closed in auxiliary room on the side for storage for the ole lady.

Dirt700 · Dec 5, 2016

Re:

TacomaJD said:
Bump. Trying to iron out shop details for when we build one at the new house in a few months.

Anybody got any recent rough cost estimates on a 40x40 concrete pad? Thinking of doing 30x40 shop with lean-to or closed in auxiliary room on the side for storage for the ole lady.

I just built a 30x30 with a lean-to. I poured and finished the concrete myself, I think the actual concrete was $1300. I have just over 10k in mine including wiring it up

Dirt700 · Dec 5, 2016

This was last fall, right after it was done.

poolman · Dec 5, 2016

lowbudgetjunk said:
I've found a 20k sq ft space for super cheap. I am trying to find a way to rent half or more out to fund it and keep my wife off of my back.

Wow, Kel congratulations on the promotion! I guarantee you'll do a great job!!! :dblthumb:

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

Re: Re: Pics of your shops/garages/specs

Dirt700 said:
This was last fall, right after it was done.

That's pretty much what I'm looking to build. 30' wide, 40' deep, on a 40x40 pad so lean to is on concrete. But woild like to do half the lean to closed in. Like the back 20' of it be a closed in room for the ole lady's storage and a secluded air compressor, and the front 20' of it just open lean to for parking/grilling/chilling under. I could work with a 30x30, but already learned my lesson with building too small and I've always wanted space for a pool table. I want it 40' deep so I can put kind of a man cave in the back left corner, pool table, tv, cheap furniture and such, then do a smaller garage door on the back right corner so nothing gets blocked in.

Hoping to stay at or under $20k for concrete, pole barn style framing with 10' walls and high clearance open trusses/joists for possibly adding a lift later, insulation, and wiring.

A friend of mine had a guy build him a 40x50 pole barn 3 years ago, 14' walls with high clearance trusses, 2 big 12x12 roll up doors, and a 10' carport on one end for $23k total for all. So I figure I should be able to knock out what I am wanting for under $20k. I would go 12' walls, but I may never put a lift in, and I think it will just look too big where it will be at.

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

If I do decide I want to do a lift later amd the measurements just aren't there for a standard 2 post lift, I'll buy one like this. Plenty good enough for what I need. I could get by without having to stand completely up under whatever I am working on.

Max Jax lift

GIZMO1 · Dec 5, 2016

One suggestion I will give is build taller than you need because its a bitch when you need it to be taller, I don't know what I was thinking when I built mine with 12ft eves but its dang sure causing issues now. I had a lean two added for my previous camper and thought it would work for years to come. well I bought a diesel pusher and now I have had to dig down a foot to make it fit and the money its costing me to control the water is nuts. I am really kicking myself in the ass at the moment. :woot:

Dirt700 · Dec 5, 2016

I'm selling my house in a few months, so will be building another shop sometime. The next one i think I may do 30x40, but put 2 doors on the eave wall. And do 2 doors side by side. If my buggy is in there I have to AUSTIN POWER'S it to get it over if I need to pull something else in there. Mine is studded out, the builder said it wasn't any cheaper to do pole barn style. I think it was 8600 the way it sits with 10ft walls. I didn't do insulation either which saved some. I think next time I will and probably go tall enough for a lift, it would be nice to have sometimes.

Hopefully my next house will be the last, I have been buying, fixing up, and selling every 2 years. It's starting to get old. So the next shop I'm going to try to make it how I want it. I am trying to get a new job, so that may determine a lot as well.

Dirt700 · Dec 5, 2016

TacomaJD said:
If I do decide I want to do a lift later amd the measurements just aren't there for a standard 2 post lift, I'll buy one like this. Plenty good enough for what I need. I could get by without having to stand completely up under whatever I am working on.

Max Jax lift

I like the lift, I haven't looked into any like that.

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

Dirt700 said:
I'm selling my house in a few months, so will be building another shop sometime. The next one i think I may do 30x40, but put 2 doors on the eave wall. And do 2 doors side by side. If my buggy is in there I have to AUSTIN POWER'S it to get it over if I need to pull something else in there. Mine is studded out, the builder said it wasn't any cheaper to do pole barn style. I think it was 8600 the way it sits with 10ft walls. I didn't do insulation either which saved some. I think next time I will and probably go tall enough for a lift, it would be nice to have sometimes.

Hopefully my next house will be the last, I have been buying, fixing up, and selling every 2 years. It's starting to get old. So the next shop I'm going to try to make it how I want it. I am trying to get a new job, so that may determine a lot as well.

I am going to price out both pole barn style and stud wall style. I like all metal, but this time I want wood interior so I can easily put up plywood inside walls, build shelving, etc. I also did not insulate my last shop, while that has not been a really big issue, I believe it will be worth it to insulate the next one, especially as I intend on putting in a wood stove heater near the man cave part.

And yes, that lift looks like all I will need. Buy a decent office style chair to sit in and roll around under it, or be able to sit down on the floor under it. Mainly just to get away from using sketchy jack stands/floor jacks on stuff like my little Saturn when I need to get under it for something.

onepieceatatime · Dec 5, 2016

it's more like a shed for me but I had one of these put up for 5k just to get stuff out of my 2 car garage so we can park in there. All my tools will stay in the garage and I'll work on stuff in there still but now I've got more room. I'd love to build a nice shop but I don't plan on being at this house long so I'll save my money to do that later.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

mdo817 · Dec 5, 2016

My new shop is smaller than my old one, had 30x40 all steel, insulated with sky lights, shop that's at the new house we bought is only 30x30, damn what a difference 300 square feet make. Shop at new house is pole barn style, it's cross beams are a little over 12' inside, so a lift is not a problem. I do agree that finishing out a pole barn is easier than all steel. I have been trying to get my shop in order the last few weeks.

Old shop 30 wide x 40 deep

New shop

Hard plumbed air last week, using Rapidair Maxline 3/4"

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

Yeah, I like that! Nice shop! I have friends with both a 30x30 and 30x40, so I have been able to check them both out and for what I want, I think it will be worth every penny to go ahead with a 30x40.

mdo817 · Dec 5, 2016

Re:

Or bigger! 12' eaves minimum, my old shop had 10' and not much pitch on the roof, max jack was the way I was going to go in it. Most clear floor lifts need 12' floor to top.

TacomaJD · Dec 5, 2016

A lift is not a huge priority on my list and any bigger than a 30x40 would begin looking funny/out of place where the new house is located at. Not really sure I want one taking up floor space either. The new house also has a 2 car garage on it, too, so that with a 30x40 shop will be a majorly huge upgrade from just having my little 20x24 shop only. Ole lady done started in about "do you really need one that big?" Ha! YES! ....and when I mentioned putting man cave quarters out there with a pool table and such, she started the "well I guess we won't hardly see you inside the house anymore, you'll spend all your time out there." LOL YEP!

Boulderdash · Dec 5, 2016

I finished mine last fall. I went with a 30x50 and 14' ceiling. A 30x30 would have worked but I didn't want it to be to small in a few years.
I considered a 40x50 but I'm glad I don't have to sweep that much more floor now

rpf500 · Dec 5, 2016

Boulderdash said:
I finished mine last fall. I went with a 30x50 and 14' ceiling. A 30x30 would have worked but I didn't want it to be to small in a few years.
I considered a 40x50 but I'm glad I don't have to sweep that much more floor now

Use your leaf blower next time you go to sweep the floor. I bet I do my shop and the garage on the house once a week. I'll sweep up piles after I'm done grinding or working under my rig but after those are gone, leaf blower on the rest.

Boulderdash · Dec 5, 2016

rpf500 said:
Use your leaf blower next time you go to sweep the floor. I bet I do my shop and the garage on the house once a week. I'll sweep up piles after I'm done grinding or working under my rig but after those are gone, leaf blower on the rest.

Good idea I'll try that