Hot Rod Forum banner

Building new garage/shop

16K views 64 replies 37 participants last post by  1984chevrolet 
#1 ·
I'm new to the board (any board for that matter), and may be needing info I could have found on previous posts, but I had no luck.
I'm about ready to start building a garage/shop detached from a home I recently bought. I plan to build 2 (clean) bays for parking and light work, and approx. 2 bays for projects and tools. Any suggestions as to width, length, layout, etc. would be appreciated. I also plan to buy a 4 post lift, so any comments about ceiling height, lift brands, etc. would be welcomed.
 
#2 ·
As big as you can afford, you can never have TOO much space. Also go at least 12' walls if you plan to install a lift. My neighbor built his with 12' walls and installed a lift that allows him to park another vehicle under it. Pretty cool.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the post. I know I'll build at least 10' high. I don't want to get too much taller than the house. I'm having some trouble envisioning how the interior of the garage would look with 30' depth vs. 24'. Do you know of any sites that show layouts with benches, tools, etc?
Have you heard any reports, good or bad, on the $1995 direct-lift? I saw one on display at NSRA Louisville last year and I can't tell any difference between it and $2995 lifts.
 
#4 ·
I agree, go with atleast 12' celling's, Higher if you have a truck you going to be parking on it. Glad you going with a four post lift, because if you were going with a two post you will have to have your floor (cement flooring) atleast 6 inches think (for bolting it down). Also when you put you lift in make sure you have it far enough the garage doors don't hit the car while it's up in the air.
My four post lift is a SuperLift. rated at 7000 lbs.

If your not wanting to put cars bumper to bumper the average garage runs 22 feet deep, double car garage is 25 feet wide. You'll have little room for a work bench with a 22 foot deep garage.
I guess it all depends on how many cars you'll have it there at one time. You can figure you'll have a body in one bay and a chassis in the other. So that will take up 2 bays. Unless you go double deep on depth. Then a chassis and body can share the same bay.
I don't know what kind of work you'll be doing but for small area work figure 22x22 room for cabnets, work benches, drill press, and etc along the walls, with a work table in the middle.
Since it's going to a detach might as well put in cable, bath room, heat, a/c, ( just incase you get into the dog house with the wife. You'll have some place to stay).
I will have to agree, you can never have enough space.
 
#6 ·
12' to 14' ceiling.
at least 30' deep(40' is better) by 60' wide.
and plumb it for water. and run some air lines in the floor.....you can never have enough air outlets......think about what your gonna do with the air compressor, i've seen em sitting outside in the weather, ive seen em outside in a little shack, ive seen em inside in a little shack, and of course, mine just sits in a corner, loud as hell.........
 
#7 ·
I just had my final inspection on my 28x35 detached garage I built. Im not sure where you live but i would make a appointment with the building department to discuss zoning. It took me 4 months to deal with the zoning issues . I had to deal with setbacks ,and maximum height, and square footage of lawn space the building would occupy.
Get as much electricity to the shop as you can with 3 times the number of outlets you think you need including 220 outlets. You will also need a bunch of light to illuminate a large shop. I would also mounts flush mounts lights in the walls .
Plumb all your airlines and build a separate enclosure outside of your shop to house the compressor.
The concrete should be a minimum of 6 inches and have the concrete crew cut your control joint with a saw. I would also install some anchor pots. I put mine in the driveway in front of my shop. It works great for chaining cars to for repairs. Maybe think about doing some kind of epoxy floor coating it makes it look clean and reflect lights well.
Dont forget about heating and cooling the shop insulating
would help to keep it comfortable. Run your cable , phone , internet and intercom from your main house.
Try to make it as comfortable and organized as possible
 
#9 · (Edited)
I have 30+X22X9"10" two big doors a two story. I plan a 40X40 x16" single story to accomadate a lift. I installed 8" floresect fixtures and some 4" at the work benches. I have a 12" beam with a crane running side to side for motor changes. I have filled 3 roll around tool boxes/ topnbottoms but that dosn't give ample storage for the phnumatic tools or the elect stuff either. I use two compressors, a 30gal portable and a 80 gal 220v hidden in one corner. 5ton jack, two 3ton jacks and smallet bottle and hydrolics for smaller jobs. And a 21/2 ton chain fall to help pull things my way! I stash a tig and mig welder a and plasma cutter at my dads and dearly wish I could have a lift!!!!! The garage has two 3 sided car ports and concrete floor and plenty of room out in the yard for doner cars.



Todd
 
#10 ·
Taller is most definitely better if you're getting a lift. My ceiling is 10ft., & I couldn't use a lift in there even if I could afford one. I've heard a story or two about people caving in their car roofs on 10ft. ceilings. A truck might hit a 12' ceiling. Try explaining that to the insurance lady. Also, on a lighter note, the bigger the garage, the less grass you gotta mow.
 
#11 ·
I guess size does matter! I'm a little surprised to learn that 12' ceiling is (almost) required. I hate to start making compromizes from the beginning, but I'm not too concerned about stacking for storage or parking. I just want to be able to get under the car(s) without the jackstands, lying on the back, etc. I was thinking that if I could just get 4' off the floor, I could work in the sitting position on an roll around seat.
As I mentioned before I'm a little hesitant about getting the garage taller that the house, due to codes and appearance .
My old garage was 24x30, with a 10 x10 add-on for the 220volt compressor, blast cabinet, and junk. So I know I want a least that, for my project space, plus parking for 2 cars.
I'm already starting to feel a little spoilled!--I know a guy here in town that has worked for over 20 years as a full time rod builder, using the basement of his house. He has built over 50 cars, sending them out for paint and upholstery. Several have been featured in the various magazines.
I really appreciate all the input - I want to get it right.
 
#12 ·
If you want to keep the height of the roof down to 10' go with cathredal trusses. I made a mistake of only going with an 8' height and really regret it. Bring your foundation up 2' (if you lay a block foundation) and build 8' walls on top of that. With the block up 2' you can still hose out a garage if necessary without damage to any drywall you may have if you finish off the walls. Make sure you sit and plan for everything you will need. Extra outlets, water if possible, bathroom if possible, cable tv, telephone, refridge. Even if you have some or none of these things plan ahead for if you have them in the future. My garage is 36' x 28' depth and I wish I had went a couple of feet deeper. When I have my extended truck in the garage with my compressor and drill press up front, there is only enough room to walk around and not much else. I can send you some photos if you want.

Kevin
 
#13 ·
If your onlu wanting to get your car up around 4 feet so you can sit under it. Then 10 ceillings will do. But sitting under the car will get old after awhile. Like Kevin said you could do the cathredal ceilling just over the lift. that will get your around 12 feet just in that bay.
 
#16 ·
I built a temporary garage off the side of the house using the driveway slab as my floor. I have space to walk around my car and 5 extra feet on the side for storage/working. There are no shingles on the nearly flat, one sided roof and no wall along the house, just a 2x4 brace. I installed a row of flourescent lights along the house. The people door consists of a 2x8' sheet between 24" center framing and the car door swings sideways on two hinges and is 8' wide by 6' high. The garage dimentions are 14'x20'x(8'8"-9'1"). I have a 2' overhang on the 20' wall and left the spaces between the roof and wall open for ventilation/light. Total cost was $572 canadian. Took me 2 days to put 'er up. Doing a high quality complete frame off restore of my '69 Camaro. BEAT THAT!
 
#17 ·
Lots of good info here. I would also suggest going with a 12 Ft side wall. I am not sure what type of construction you are concidering, but I would suggest steel. It is cheaper, and goes up much quicker. Also with steel you can go with a 1 pitch roof and keep the overall hieght about the same as your house.

I built mine 30x40x12. I used steel construction and alumnafoil insulation. Very easy to put up and has a R19 insulation factor. I have two projects, lots of junk, an room for my extended cab driver. It is tight, but the room is good. I still wish I had 10 more feet on the length. You cant have too much room.

Chris
 
#18 ·
Building your own garage - here are a few tips from someone who has done it

I designed and built my own garage several years ago. I agree with the other posts. One of the best things I did was to get some stakes and string and mock up the garage in the back yard with that. Drive your car in there and visualize where your workbench, doors, etc will be. I built mine 24 feet wide which is just right for the car and work bench considerations. Another thing I did was putting an electrical outlet every 4 feet about 6 feet high from the floor. When you fill you garage with junk, you can still get to your outlets. Another time saver was to put the work bench the entire length of the garage so you can lay your tools and parts down while you are working on the motor. Directly above the workbench, I have a string of individual trays to put the nuts, bolts, etc in all layed out where you can see them without opening and closing drawers on those bolt organizer boxes. Saves a lot of time. Also put up pegboard right behind the workbench, and hang your most often used tools up there. Big time saver. Another thing is security. In our area theaves would target a detatched garage. They would break in late at night, you would never hear them, and they would make off with all your tools. Plan on putting in some type of security system before you move your valuables in. When you have your concrete pored, use the fibered concrete in conjunction with the wire re-enforcement to keep the cracking down to a minimum. If the building code will not let you build the 12 foot high ceiling, consider digging a pit deep enough to stand up in and work on the car.
 
#19 ·
Remember, no matter how big the garage, sooner or later it will be too full of stuff to park a car in. Therefore bigger is better, & too big will someday be just right. In a similar vein, there is no such thing as too much electric service. Also, be sure they put plastic under the slab so moisture won't invade all your nice non-rusty stuff.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for the reminder on the construction poly under the concrete. Did that on the last one - never had a problem with damp floor or bare metal rusting. Had the site cleared this week - Had 5 huge (30 year old) pine trees cut, stumps ground, and removed. I've gotten in contact with 3 potential contractors to build the garage, at least to rough in and bricked to match the house. If codes will approve, its starting to look like we'll go with 28 x 50, with 12' walls.
I live on a 1 acre residential lot in Nashville, Tn. Pole barns, steel buildings, etc. are not allowed. Kinda miss living in the country, were I could have built more for less, had room for more project cars, etc. But family and job come first.
In my last garage, I used a 4 x 8 piece of t-slotted paneling called slatwall instead of pegboard. It is great for hanging tools, storage baskets, shelves, etc. It is the material you see used in a lot of retail displays. I'm looking for a CHEAP source for this. Would be great to find it cheap enough to use it more. Lowes and Home Depot can sell it, but they're pretty expensive.
 
#21 ·
Earl E..... Keep us posted with pics. Everyone is always looking for new ideas for a new garage or looking for ideas for an existing garage. One thing I would do if I were you and I've done it on my last two garages is build at least a 6' overhang on the front. Not only will you be able to keep your garage door open when it is raining it also gives you about 7' extra feet of dry space if you are doing something where you can't pull the vehicle all the way in. On mine it give me enough space to pull under when the weather is cold to keep the frost off of the windshield. You can't go wrong with an overhang. Get those pics posted. One other thing also...Do not put 2 single garage doors in. I put the standard 9' wide doors in and barely can get my car trailer in. 3" on each side clearance and a dually truck comes awful close to not fitting.

Kevin
 
#22 ·
I'll give the overhang some thought. I think it would be a good idea - if I can make it work with my space limitations on the lot.
I guess I could post a pic or two as it goes. I'll have to get my tech savvy son to show me how!
I'm planning on 4 - 10' wide doors, 8 foot high. That's a foot larger all around than standard. I'll have 2 bays to park in and stay clean, with a wall separating the workshop area of the garage. With 12' ceilings, I could park 4 (on two lifts), if I ever wanted to( and could afford it), and still have half the garage for the workshop.
 
#23 ·
Here's mine (built for the largest RV, which I don't own, but for resale).
Plenty of 110v outlets, flouresent lights, 220v outlets, phone, water, stereo, refrigerator, storage in attic and in loft above bathroom. This time I got stairs to the loft area so no more falling off ladders.
In the winter there is a commercial size furnace and in the summer, they ceiling fan and turbine fan move the air out the two bay doors. Build yourself a large workbench with low hung lighting over that.
The lift is what I consider a mandatory tool in any shop, especially if you have old tired knees. Mine is the SUPERIOR 7000# four post, but in hindsight I wish I had chosen a two post lift again for the versatility of a two post over the more convenient four post. The compressor is next in my priorities of importance...well, right behind the bathroom.
http://myweb.cableone.net/rottie3054/
 
#24 ·
Nice! The pictures help a lot. 5-7 ain't bad either. 5-5 post is on my build list. My 82 year old neighbor has a 37,000 mile 2 door post he plans to leave to family - I'm trying to get adopted. Can you be adopted over 50?
How deep is your RV bay?
Why would you prefer a 2 post lift? I can see where it would have somewhat better access to the mechanicals, but the drive-on ease of a 4 post seem appealing.
 
#25 ·
You can download a demo version of 3D Floorplan,3D Home architect, or Punch Software. I have used all three and they are not hard to learn. I like Punch the best. These programs are great for visualization. If at all possible, you might want to consider building the garage seperate from the house. This will alow more freedom in your roof height and will also allow you to deal with less strict building codes. I have worked as a contractor for many years and in my experience, the building codes and permits are alot less strict than the ones for attached buildings. My number one thing with garages is depth. I like to have plenty of working space in the front and rear of the car when it is all the way in the garage with the doors shut.
 
#26 ·
My RV side of the shop is approx. 46 feet deep x 22 feet wide. I preferred to have a deeper car bay than wider car bay so an RV would fit (for resale value). The walls are approx. 15 feet in height. The single car bay side is 26 feet deep x 20 feet wide with 10 foot walls. We placed the slab 1 foot below the top of the poured stem wall for additional height. The roof is peaked pretty steep for additional ceiling height. That gave me plenty of room in the loft storage area above the bathroom.
I prefer the two post lift for versatility mainly. You can remove tires/wheels for service w/o using a jack bridge as on my four post. There is more access to the undercarriage. You can leave the car on the two post lift to take weight off the suspension for extended periods of storage. A two post lift is generally capable of more weight than a four post. You can place longer vehicles on the two post lift than on a four post. The only real advantage to the four post in my opinion is the convenience of driving on to it and lifting the car w/o having to get down on the knees to adjust the arms.
I would strongly suggest that if a lift is in your future, start gathering brochures from companies now and study the vast differances in them. For very little additional money, a commercial grade lift is a better deal over a "hobby lift" if you plan to use it extensively (and you will). Your friends will also want to use it. Make sure that the company uses structural steel and has had their lifts tested by the independent testing facility (usually located in KS). My previous two post FORWARD MANUFACTURING lift was 9,000#. but it was a commercial grade lift and tested to twice that amount of weight. Most lifts only require 4" of aged concrete, but if you go to a commercial grade lift, use no less than 6-8" of steel reinforced concrete beneath the footprints of each vertical column. The vertical columns on my two post each weighed over 1,000# and I chose to have it delivered and installed by a distributor for just $300.00!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top