New Shop

[BadeMillsap]

Since around April 2012 I've been "working on" getting a new shop built ... that "working" entailed deciding where to put it, how big I wanted, what type of building I wanted ... how to afford it, checking with various building manufacturers (once I decided on steel), checking with building erectors, concrete contractors, electricians, the home owners association, the city, my wife .... it's been a "Long and Winding Road" ... taking the month of June off to tour Germany with some friends didn't help the scheduling at all ...

Regardless, after getting a necessary variance from the home owners association, confirming with the city I had to have an "engineered slab plan" and getting same, and then jumping thru the hoops called for to get a building permit (that required among many other things that the pitch of the roof, the color of the trim and the color of the building matches my house - regardless of the fact it can't be seen from the street ), fighting with the local power company to get them to agree to a 2nd meter loop on my property and on and on ...

The building will be 30'x40', 10' walls. 4/12 roof, 10'x8' rollup door, walkin door, 3 3'x3' windows ... fully insulated.

The slab setup now stands ready for inspection and if it passes on Monday (8/20) we will start the pour at 9AM Tuesday 8/21 .... I'm excited ... (more to follow as progress continues))

[Cochese]

I'm a sucker for shop builds. Subscribed.

[JR]

The building will be 30'x40', 10' walls. 4/12 roof, 10'x8' rollup door, walkin door, 3 3'x3' windows ... fully insulated.

Be still, my beating heart!

I can't wait to see the progress pics.

JR

[BobSch]

Okay, I'm officially jealous! I have to pull the car out to use my shop.

[big tim]

Wow, 1200 square feet. Nice!

Tim

[chopnhack]

Wow.... major congrats, hope all goes well with the build! With that kind of space will you be building any bigger projects?

[Crockett]

That is going to be one amazing shop! I wish you luck with the build and can only imagine your excitement!!

[wardprobst]

Congratulations,

I did a meter loop at a previous location and eventually had it rewired to the house power. Unless you are using a ton of power at both locations, one meter will handle it, in my experience. Don't know if you plan on arc welding or some such, just a thought from a guy who paid to have it done twice.
DP

[BadeMillsap]

The electric situation is the most distressing ....

@Wardprobst --- well ... the $%^&*(*&^%$%^& electricity has been the biggest challenge. To make a VERY long story only kinda long ... The service to the house enters a meter loop on the far end of the property from where the new shop will be. The POCO at first said "we'll upgrade your service to 400Amps and you can then run the shop off of that meter..." .... except ... would mean about 600+ feet of trenching that starts in my porch slab, proceeds across my back yard and across many sprinkler system lines and then across the feed to my septic lateral field .... I live in the beginnings of the Texas hill country and we have on average 1/2" of topsoil and then it's limestone rock ... trenching cost about $10/ft .. this was not an option.

After many meetings with the POCO "field designer" and back and forth with his supervisor they finally agreed I could put a 2nd meter loop on the other end of my property (where the building will be) at totally my expense. In this case I ONLY have to trench about 200' but thankfully nothing in the way except lottsa rock.

I will eventually have a couple of 50Amp circuits for my welders but for the most part it will be typical 20Amp and 15Amp services both 220V and 120V. The cost of the electric run has basically pushed my original estimate for this project about 30% over budget ... and that is with only very very minimal wiring done on the inside of the shop ... so for the first few months it will really be a big empty storage building until I can gather the funds to wire it like I want.

[Knottscott]

Okay, I'm officially jealous! ....

Definitely!

[wardprobst]

@Wardprobst --- well ... the $%^&*(*&^%$%^& electricity has been the biggest challenge. To make a VERY long story only kinda long ... The service to the house enters a meter loop on the far end of the property from where the new shop will be. The POCO at first said "we'll upgrade your service to 400Amps and you can then run the shop off of that meter..." .... except ... would mean about 600+ feet of trenching that starts in my porch slab, proceeds across my back yard and across many sprinkler system lines and then across the feed to my septic lateral field .... I live in the beginnings of the Texas hill country and we have on average 1/2" of topsoil and then it's limestone rock ... trenching cost about $10/ft .. this was not an option.

After many meetings with the POCO "field designer" and back and forth with his supervisor they finally agreed I could put a 2nd meter loop on the other end of my property (where the building will be) at totally my expense. In this case I ONLY have to trench about 200' but thankfully nothing in the way except lottsa rock.

I will eventually have a couple of 50Amp circuits for my welders but for the most part it will be typical 20Amp and 15Amp services both 220V and 120V. The cost of the electric run has basically pushed my original estimate for this project about 30% over budget ... and that is with only very very minimal wiring done on the inside of the shop ... so for the first few months it will really be a big empty storage building until I can gather the funds to wire it like I want.

Got it, I remember reading about it now. Good luck, DP

[LCHIEN]

30' x 40'... I presume that precludes any wooden full span members at 30', so are you going to have columns and steel cross members? or internal load bearing walls? is this a all wooden frame structure or what?

[cabinetman]

That's a nice size shop. Is it a quonset type steel building? Are you planning for any electrical in the slab?

.

[atgcpaul]

That's impressive. Seems funny that you have to get a home owners approval. Places with HOAs around here have the footprint of just your new shop.

[BadeMillsap]

Answering a few questions ...

@Loring -- it's an all steel building manufactured by Mueller as the link indicates it's their "standard" building type.

@Cabinetman -- It was my initial intent to at least run conduit in the slab for the table saw ... most of my other equipment will be close enough to walls that I can get by on that ... but ... simple economics reared its ugly head and I decided that other than the 2" stub to the inside of the wall for the sub-panel I'll just deal with the electrical needs after the fact. Not my preference but at some point you have to draw the red line on the budget.

@atgcpaul --- The HOA covenants specify that "any out buildings be on the back 1/3 of the property..." that would have put this another 300' from where I wanted it and since it is already blocked from view of the street by my carport that really made no sense ... the HOA was really very cooperative and the lowest hurdle I have had to jump so far.

As a side note ... it rained 2.5" here last night and the planned locale for the concrete pump truck is currently a small lake ... sure hope the sun shines all day Monday to dry it some since the pour is scheduled for 9AM Tuesday ... but we really really needed the rain so I'm not complaining.