What size shop works for you?

[Splinter Puller]

I'm happy with my 20 x 30 shop with the exception that I wish I had an additional 10 x 10 finishing room and a 8x16 lumber storage room.

[Wild Turkey]

BloomingtonMike was dead-nuts-on about checking into zoning regulations.

I was in the city Engineering office this morning, found out we're in an "R-3" zone.  Also found out that their plats don't show us as having bought an adjoining 1/2 acre 35 years ago. 


Big reason I was there was to find out if we could get a sewer connection to the proposed building location.  Should be able to but they gotta figure out if the slope, etc is within boundaries.  New septic fields are no longer allowed in the city limits so that's a make or break decision.

Good news was that they're planning to widen the road in front of our house (and the proposed new house location) and may waive some of the sewer connection costs if we do it before they do the street work (sewer is on other side of road).

So all is up in air pending sewer determination.  Hoping for the best!!

Thanks for the input.  Having a range of opinions will help convince LOML to let me make it big enough (but not as big as we'd all LOVE to have
 )

[meackerman]

I have a 30x40 building and I thought it was big enough when I built it, but now that I've filled it up it doesn't seem big enough anymore.

[Dennis Puskar]

18 x 32 work just fine for me.

[EdL]

I was in the city Engineering office this morning, found out we're in an "R-3" zone.  Also found out that their plats don't show us as having bought an adjoining 1/2 acre 35 years ago. 

You just answered your own question.....


Ed

[iublue]

Several replies here has mentioned ceiling height.  I am trying to ascertain why that is important beyond a certain point.  I could see having maybe 9' ceilings just in case I would ever need to build any 8' cabinets/furniture but any more would seem to just increase the cost of construction and operating expenses for heat without any added benefit.  My ceilings at the moment are 7 1/2' and it is great to be able to reach the ceiling to anchor jigs, plug in a cord or do whatever is needed.  What am I missing?

[Bill Wilson]

Ceiling height is sort of a Catch 22, at least for me.  My shop is in the basement and I have just under 8' clearance from floor to joists.  However there is a beam, heating ducts and some plumbing that hang below the joists, reducing some of that clearance.  It isn't usually much of a problem, I learn to live with it and don't give it much thought, until I step into my BIL's shop, which has 10' ceilings.  It's nice, if for no other reason than I don't have to worry about hitting lights when swinging stuff around, like long pipe clamps, boards, etc.  OTOH, I like having the convenience of using the joists and joist bays to hang stuff I can readily reach, without getting a stool.  For instance, I have a couple dozen quick clamps hanging in-between joist bays, right over where my bench is.  It's great to be able to reach right above my head to grab an extra clamp, when needed.  It's not a huge deal, but having a relatively small, cramped shop, one learns to utilize as much of the available space as possible.  I suppose if I were building a dream shop, I would make it big enough that I wouldn't need access to the ceiling as much, so I would probably make it 9-10' high.

[Stwood_]

Higher than 8' ceilings are handy. Flipping 12' boards around for planeing, jointing, and standing up 8-9' cabinets, etc.
Pulling the engine out of your hotrod.....

[LoftGuy]

My shop is 30' X 50' with 15' ceilings at the center. Works fine though I do share it with ag equipment and a classic car.

[Steve N]

32 x 48 x 12' interior height has worked for me for the last 4 barns. A little room in front to keep the lawn equipment, and most of the barn for woodworking. The current digs.