Shop/garage size

[gomer pyle]

I hopefully will be buying a house and 20 acres soon. It does not have a garage or shop on it. What size should I build? I built a 30'x40'x12' with a 10'x16' door at my last house(had to sell before I ever got to use the shop) and I ran out of room quickly. I would like to add a lean-to off the side or back to store things, thus using my shop for it's intended purpose. I did metal trusses on the other and liked them in some ways but it would be nice to have a flat ceiling for decking and lights.

I do have a tractor/equipment and would like to put a 2post lift in, in the future. I do not have a camper and don't intend to get one. I do plan to have livestock but don't think I want a barn/shop combo. A service truck at work is 10'4", and I would like to put it in there on the rare occasion. I hobby mechanic and metal work when I can find time away from work.

I'm really thinking about 14' walls and possibly 2 12'x12' doors but might stay with one 16'.

Is 30'x40' large enough? 

I asked a lot of questions when I built the other shop and got a lot of helpful input, just wanting to see if I should change anything. 

[hipower]

Look at it like buying a safe. What have you got now? What do you think you might have/buy in the future? I would, if I could afford what you are planning, try to go a bit longer or wider, depending on your wishes. The 12' height sounds good, but probably have to have many supports when going larger in area. Would you need a little pitch to it if going larger, to help with possible snow? And how much space and height will the lift need? Think about doors on both ends. Might or might not work for you. Add a good security system to the build.

Most importantly, consider all this and your budget. Again, could I afford it, I'd definitively go larger.

Just my own thoughts. Never built a home, so maybe my thoughts are off.

[Ronald_55]

No matter how big you build it, you will always need MORE space. Law of hobbyists and packrats.

Now to be helpful, you might look around for one of the companies that built stuff like this and see if you can find one to look at. To get a real feel for the space. I am not sure there is a perfect size. Maybe 100x100 if I coukd afford it. lol

[tacops]

No shop is ever large enough.  I built a 30x40 with 10' ceiling so not to bump out an engine hoist.  Self-supporting trusses so not to have any support posts to bang car doors on or bump a floor jack handle into.  Fiber mesh concrete with moisture barrier and re bar reinforcement in the floors so not to have anything metal on the floor rust or slab to crack.  I built two feet of foundation above the slab and then stud walls on top of that to allow for washing the floors, or washing cars inside without getting the walls wet.  I have a 3" drop over 30' feet from back to front so water will run out the doors rather than to put a drain in the floor (they are prone to fail).  This amount of drop is not detectable when walking around.  I covered the walls in 4x8 sheets of dry erase board and white pegboard.  This does not collect dust like drywall, can be used for diagrams and measurements (dry erase markers everywhere), and light reflection is great so to prevent shadows when doing body work.  The walls are easily cleaned with a swiffer. I put 3 standard garage doors on the front and one 12 footer  on the back.  This allows for drive through capability which is much easier than backing a trailer down a long drive and into the garage plus it makes for great ventilation on warm summer days.  Ceiling fans, stereo, TV, beer fridge and tools.  Upstairs, is a 16x40 storage room with 8' ceiling.  This space could be made into an apartment but I prefer the storage space.  I just told the wife yesterday that I needed to build a wing on the garage or get a storage building.  No shop is ever large enough.

[bduncan1231]

I built a 30x40x14 and it’s full with a Deere 3038, RZR 4 seater and 2 classic cars.  I did install a 2 post lift and 4 post to store the cars on. I do have enough room to work.  Long story short make it as big as you can afford and it’ll last you a while.

[Jeb48]

As others have said they are never big enough. Since I assume you have a budget I will not go crazy here but my old shop was 48 wide by 30 deep. From the first year I regretted not going 36 deep. To many times it was not deep enough and eventually stuff gets stacked on the edges and then it really gets tight. 36 was a magic number for me, two normal size cars would fit end to end if needed. One consideration if you go with high walls leave space on the outside so when you run out of space you can add a shed roof off the sides or back for more storage.

[Johnny Rotten]

Whatever you think you need double it

[gjohnsoniv]

You could have an industrial sized warehouse and still somehow manage to not have enough room.

[bersaguy]

14 hours ago, tacops said:

No shop is ever large enough.  I built a 30x40 with 10' ceiling so not to bump out an engine hoist.  Self-supporting trusses so not to have any support posts to bang car doors on or bump a floor jack handle into.  Fiber mesh concrete with moisture barrier and re bar reinforcement in the floors so not to have anything metal on the floor rust or slab to crack.  I built two feet of foundation above the slab and then stud walls on top of that to allow for washing the floors, or washing cars inside without getting the walls wet.  I have a 3" drop over 30' feet from back to front so water will run out the doors rather than to put a drain in the floor (they are prone to fail).  This amount of drop is not detectable when walking around.  I covered the walls in 4x8 sheets of dry erase board and white pegboard.  This does not collect dust like drywall, can be used for diagrams and measurements (dry erase markers everywhere), and light reflection is great so to prevent shadows when doing body work.  The walls are easily cleaned with a swiffer. I put 3 standard garage doors on the front and one 12 footer  on the back.  This allows for drive through capability which is much easier than backing a trailer down a long drive and into the garage plus it makes for great ventilation on warm summer days.  Ceiling fans, stereo, TV, beer fridge and tools.  Upstairs, is a 16x40 storage room with 8' ceiling.  This space could be made into an apartment but I prefer the storage space.  I just told the wife yesterday that I needed to build a wing on the garage or get a storage building.  No shop is ever large enough.

Planning on living in it?............LOL That shop is a lot bigger than my house. Sounds a lot like the new shop my son built a few years ago but he operates an automotive repair center out of his. He has his all insulated to cut down on heating bills. He has 2 above ground lifts. one 2 post and one 4 post located in the drive through section and he can have a vehicle on the 4 post and put it in the air and drive through below it. I thought when he showed me the blueprints that he was over doing it but turns out it is a great working building. I made the statement when I was looking at blue prints that he was going to have a lot of unused space. I was wrong..........lol.

[tacops]

I spent years rolling around on the ground in the gravel working on cars and said if I ever was able I would build a shop I could work in.  I now have it and have the tools to do the work, but somehow the beer fridge, stereo and television seems to capture my attention more than anything.  

[Johnny Rotten]

20 hours ago, bduncan1231 said:

I built a 30x40x14 and it’s full with a Deere 3038, RZR 4 seater and 2 classic cars.  I did install a 2 post lift and 4 post to store the cars on. I do have enough room to work.  Long story short make it as big as you can afford and it’ll last you a while.

That’s a purty looking tractor, that will be the first thing out of the garage once something newer arrives..... trust me.

 

[Ronald_55]

21 hours ago, bduncan1231 said:

I built a 30x40x14 and it’s full with a Deere 3038, RZR 4 seater and 2 classic cars.  I did install a 2 post lift and 4 post to store the cars on. I do have enough room to work.  Long story short make it as big as you can afford and it’ll last you a while.

Man, I am just trying to get a yard barn. Can't seem to make that happen. You guys are killing me. 

[gomer pyle]

On 3/12/2018 at 8:27 PM, bduncan1231 said:

I built a 30x40x14 and it’s full with a Deere 3038, RZR 4 seater and 2 classic cars.  I did install a 2 post lift and 4 post to store the cars on. I do have enough room to work.  Long story short make it as big as you can afford and it’ll last you a while.

I sent you a PM with some questions

[gomer pyle]

Thanks for all the replies. Gives me more to study on. LOL

[bduncan1231]

13 hours ago, Johnny Rotten said:

That’s a purty looking tractor, that will be the first thing out of the garage once something newer arrives..... trust me.

 

You got that right!  Between my wife wanting some of the space and friends and neighbors needing to work on stuff, I have a constant Purge going on.