I now have a problem that most of us wish for. I’ve received a tentative go ahead from my wife to build a dedicated shop in our backyard (because I’ve filled our garage with tools and my kids want a place to put their bikes… also I promised my wife that I would build new kitchen cabinets if only I had more space :).
I am hoping to have enough space and money for a 18’x 22′ shop but I may have to trim it down to 16′ x 20′ due to setback requirements, etc. I’ve seen and read a few books on shop layout but have not found any good texts on building a dedicated shop. Even Taunton’s book “Setting up Shop” provides limited guidance on such things as structure design, foundation requirements and materials, etc. My budget is pretty tight ($10K to $15K max) and probably unrealistic so I plan to do a lot of the work myself.
Any suggestions on books, blueprints, or other guidance for building a dedicated workshop on the cheap? I hope to contract out the foundation, framing, and roof… depending on the costs. I live in eastern Maryland so I want an insulated and heated shop but I can probably skip the air conditioning. Any ideas on what I should expect in terms of cost?
– Lyptus
Replies
There have been several recent discussions regarding workshops and construction standards that may be of help to you.
In addition to city and county building codes, don't forget to look at building and design restrictions that may be imposed in deed restrictions, recorded CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions), and any homeowner's association that may hold sway over your property.
You might also want to look into pre-fab garage-style structures that may be available locally. Often, these are less expensive than custom-built structures. Steel buildings are another option, if local restrictions (and the spousal unit) allow them.
I used to teach in a colonial era-type shop. I've lusted after one of my own ever since. Wide plank wooden floors, wide door (but not a garage-type door), lots of double-hung windows for natural light, wooden walls where tools could be hung with reckless abandon, overhead storage from the rafter ties, and a wood-burning stove. It has a small separate room that could be used for finishing (tho' in this shop, it was for things that we didn't think should be on public display since they weren't historic artifacts).
If'n I had the space, that's what I'd do. I'd stick frame the structure and get planking for the floors and walls from a sawmill to keep the costs down.
Sigh.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Hello
Did the Mrs. ask for cabinets ?
I keep telling my Mrs. that our old cabinets are coming back into style.
Regards,
SA
Yes, she asked for cabinets (and a ceramic tile floor and new appliances and.... :)Our cabinets are so cheap that I don't think they were ever in style.- Lyptus
Hello Lyptus,
Well you know you have no choice with the Mrs. - but the new shop will be the reward.
I would negotiate with the Mrs. and get her to agree to the cost of whatever expensive new power tools you'll need as long as you're building the new kitchen .
Hopefully - the kitchen is the only project the Mrs. has in mind.
Good luck,
SA
You have a budget of $47 per square ft. It's not very much money for what you're trying to do. A house in our area cost $200 per sq. ft to build, and that's on the low side. What you are trying to do may not be possible.
One way of getting a handle on it is to call one of the garage builders and ask them how much to build you a garage of that size. Remember that cheap garages are often built on floating slabs. Would that be an issue in your area. I'm guessing a bare bones garage is going to run better than $15,000. Then you have to insulate, finish, wire and heat the thing. And then you might want something more than a basic structure, foundations, and a 10-0 ceiling w/ skylights. Nothing like natural light coming from above... Building is an introduction to the Myswells, as my first boss you to tell me. It's the Myswells that always get you in trouble. You know: the "might as well" do that while your at it.
Good luck. Contact the the local garage building company and you will have a starting point for costs.
Peter
I recently built a shop. It is a multipurpose building holding hay bales, sheltering horses, tractor and firewood, but it has some features to consider in any shop.
The one big advantage in its design is a grambrel roof like any classic midwestern barn is likely to have. That roof design with proper lay out, can suppport a heck of a lot of lumber and other stuff. Mine holds 2000 bf of hardwoods, 250 bales of hay and all kinds of "stuff". I didn't really plan on it working out as well as it did, but sometimes I get lucky. Anyway, consider your choice of roof layout with storage in mind (both volume and weight).
Brent
16' x 20' is about the size of my way to small shop for some but not all projects.
I was thinking about a metal/steel building for your needs. I 'think' more bang for the buck as it is factory made and labor costs go down. Do not forget the foundation and floor and the cost cost of running the power lines out there and heating? But then again your likes and dislikes. Also, check your local building codes.
And try prefab wood structures... You have no information where you are at so not able to localize the info for you. AND NEVER FORGET.. The wife may need a space for her in there!
Links: I have no connection to either. Just a quick search I did..
http://www.buyerzone.com/industrial/steel_buildings/qz_questions_790z.jhtml?kw=Metal%20Shop%20Building&_requestid=89146
http://www.metalbuildingcomparison.com/metal_vs_wood.html?id=1171657457667003027
Edited 8/26/2009 5:32 pm by WillGeorge
Lyptus,
In my area, southwestern Michigan, the least expensive way to get something under a roof is by using post-frame construction. These used to be referred to as "pole barns" until the marketing folks got hold of the business.
There are companies that can supply all the materials needed to build an unfloored shell of a building for around 4k. That's just the shell though. You can pour a slab inside or hang joists off the posts to create a wood floor.
Fill in the spaces between the posts on the walls with conventional framing, wire and insulate, hang drywall, and you're in business. The layout is up to you, inside the framework that you've created. But, it shouldn't need to be said, much of that should be decided before you even start the project.
I like the idea of an insulated wood floor in a shop. It's much easier to stand on and more forgiving than concrete.
Zolton
If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
If setbacks are an issue, consider asking for a variance from the city. Usually a foot or two is not much of a problem.
I would not go smaller than 20 feet. My shop is 20 x 20, and I have just enough room to rip 8 foot long stock.
Do you need to install footings below the frost line? Here in Minnesota, we have to go down 42" inches or so. I had some concrete work done last year and found a good cement guy through Craig's list.
I have a concrete slab in my shop. If I were to build new, I would install joists and a wood floor. Warmer and much easier on the feet. Also, you may be able to run electrical in the floor.
Also, I bought a set of double doors from a house being torn down. I also got two nice windows. $75 for all.
Good luck,
Bill
Bill
"Warmer and much easier on the feet. Also, you may be able to run electrical in the floor. "
Agree 100%. Not to mention running the daggone DC ducting under the floor, and the dropped-chisel-friendly feature of wood floors (not that I've actually done that myself, of course).
That's my dream shop - raised wood floors, with elec + DC underneath. 9' minimum clear height, full-span joists overhead.
Oh - and a 1/4 bathroom (sink + urinal).
I agree with Peter, that's not much money. I'm fully remodelling (or am I supposed to say renovating?) a 22x35 building and expect to spend your budget at least doing ALL THE WORK MYSELF. And that's with the foundation and the framing pre-existing. Think about adding lines to your budget for roofing, windows/doors, major electrical, insulation, siding and trimboards, drywall, paint, fixtures, gutters . . . and aren't one or two new tools in order?
Are you interested in learning to do this stuff yourself? This could be a good opportunity. Remember, 23% of the fun of woodworking is messing with the shop.
Brian
P.S. Don't forget a dust collection system, or an upgraded one, it's the most important new tool.
Edited 8/29/2009 2:48 am ET by BrianDerr
Lyptus:
You will probably have to do the bulk of the labor yourself to meet your budget. You need to do some reading, check your library for books on construction methods. Try to find a simple plan that provides a materials list. Then take the materials list to a big box store and have them price it out for you. Also take the plan to a couple of small local contractors to see what they would charge to put up the structure for you. Stick with standard framing and side it to make your house if you can, it will make resale of your property easier down the road. Depending on where you live, getting a building permit and meeting building codes for your area can be difficult. Your city or county should have on their website their requirements.
gdblake
I built my small shop (16 X 24) about 7 years ago. And as I recall, that was less then a year after FWW ran their annual Shops issue.
And in that issue, there was a profile of a shop that was even smaller than my plan. It had been done in an existing garage, but the garage was older and smaller than modern one-car structures.
My first piece of advice is to build it with ceilings taller than 8 feet. (Ten is good, 12 great, but even 9 is better than 8.) This is particularly true if one of your major projects will be cabinets.
Because cabinets are made from sheet stock which is 8 feet long. And if you can't flip your stock vertically, in a small shop you might ned to take it outside, flip it, and go beck inside.
Second, plan to have just about all of your machines on wheels. My bandsaw, jointer, planer, and dust collector are all moveable. The tablesaw is the only truly stationary machine.
I used T-111 siding for my interior walls, and its been great -- I can use a screw or nail anywhere to hang anything.
I insulated as best as I could afford, and I can heat my small shop with a small oil-filled plug-in radiator. And I can cool it with a $100 window air conditioner. (I'm in NC, not too far from Raleigh.)
I built mine with a wood floor, using two layers of 3/4" ply. The floor is amazingly strong, but still resilient enough to avoid sore feet, knees, and ankles like I'd get with concrete.
As for the layout of your shop -- I won't presume to know. This is what makes your shop yours. But I'll say that you should play around with some graph paper and cut-outs. And think about tasks and workflow -- not just about what fits.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
(Having now read the replies from others, I'll add..........)
The budget thing..... hmmmmmm
Yes, it might be difficult to build your shop for 15 grand. A huge factor will be your building skills, and your ability to learn.
I built my shop myself. There were two days when I needed some help -- one was when using the water level to find and make marks on the batter-boards before digging. A water level is dicey when you're alone. My mother in law was great at this.
The second time was when I had rented a plate compactor to tamp the gravel down. I didn't need help using it, I needed help lifting that beast back into my pickup -- it weighed almost 200#. The former marine down the street came to my rescue.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, my shop is 16 X 24. It is built on treated sleepers that lie on the compacted gravel. The floor system is treated wood, with one layer of treated plywood, and one layer of non-treated. The siding is vinyl, the roof is low-slope with cheap shingles. I made the mistake of building with an 8 foot ceiling.
And mine cost me about 7 grand, about 7 years ago.
So, my point is that it can be done. But you need to think about how much of the work you can do (not just skills, but physically -- can you lift a 20 foot wall into place -- can you carry sheetgoods to the roof by yourself, have you ever set trusses), and how much time you have to do it. Mine took about 7 or 8 weeks, and I didn't have a job at the time.
Others have suggested that building costs can be as high as $200 per square foot. True for houses, depending on location and styles. But houses are regularly built in some locations for about $120 a foot, and shops can be done for a lot less than that. (No water or sewer service needed, ingress and egress codes are easier, fireproofing standards are much looser, etc.)
If you think you have the time and skills, put your head down and start moving. If not (and that's OK) do as others have suggested and call a couple of contractors to get estimates.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
Why not add on to your garage? Then one wall is ready there. I built my shop back in 98 for a cost of $700.00 its 24x24 but, my wife and I did all the work except the foundation we live in the northeast.
Why not add on to your garage?
Excellent idea, one wall is already done and utilities are close by too. Grab your Skilsaw and have at it, after the concrete of course. Did you go below the frost line or set it on pillars?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I had foundation done below the frost line. I have a small tractor so I dug the hole myself.
I can't add on to my garage because of setback requirements. I'm leaning towards a 16x24, 18x22, or 18x24 layout with 10-ft. ceilings and a gambrel roof with about 7-ft clearance on the second floor/loft. I'm reasonably handy. I've gutted and remodeled a bathroom, built too large decks, and installed sliding glass doors in an outer wall of my previous home. I do plan to a lot of the work myself. I would like to contract out the foundation. I would like wood floors but my yard sometimes has two inches of standing water in the spring. In winter the ground freezes for 4-6 weeks (I live in eastern Maryland). So I want a frost proof foundation with a wood floor and I want enough clearance off the ground to avoid wood in standing water yet not too much clearance because this structure is already approaching 18-ft. in height. My best idea so far is to contract out a frost-proof monolithic concrete slab and then build a wood floor over insulation and runners as described a the recent Fine Woodworking issue. However, since I'm building this from scratch, perhaps I can avoid putting down the concrete slab if my goal is a wood floor. Any ideas?- Lyputs
You could do a poured foundation leaving a crawl space under and stick build your deck on that and your building on that just as you would a house.
Really if you want clearance off the ground and wood floors your asking for a perimeter foundation and floor joists. It does cost more, but on the other hand I don't know if stretching a slab to do what you want it to is very efficient. If your ground feezes you'll probably need stem walls to get below the frost line anyway, so backfill and more concrete vs. joists isn't as big of a cost difference. Also, if you contract out the slab to the cheapest bidder . . . I've seen some pretty rough slabs. Either use a licensed contractor or someone whose work you've seen up close.The more of a square box you make, rather than a rectangle, the more square feet you get for the same amount of materials.Brian
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled