Minimum 2 bay shop size

[aarolar]

At the end of this year I am planning on building a nice shop and I am trying to get an idea of what I want/need size wise. My absolute requirements are that it be air conditioned and a nice vehicle lift. What would be the minimum size for a 2 bay shop be?

My uses will include a '68 El Camino I plan on starting to not necessarily restore but get up to safe operating conditions and then general maintence on the rest of the fleet around here also, plus I want some room for general projects and possible side work welding/decorative iron work. Construction will be a metal building.

 

[ultrarunner]

One of my retired car restorer friends has a very nice small shop that measures 24w x 32 dp and it is built on a down slope giving him about a 3/4 daylight basement area for the air compressor, supplies and parts.

This little shop has produced national award winning cars... has a converted lean to carport on one side he uses as a spray booth and for metalworking Spring, Summer, Fall...

How big can you go?

 

[aarolar]

One of my retired car restorer friends has a very nice small shop that measures 24w x 32 dp and it is built on a down slope giving him about a 3/4 daylight basement area for the air compressor, supplies and parts.

This little shop has produced national award winning cars... has a converted lean to carport on one side he uses as a spray booth and for metalworking Spring, Summer, Fall...

How big can you go?

I'm sitting in 50 acres my budget will determine that.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Having worked in tight spaces my whole life, I say 32x32. 16' wide bay with 10 or 12' wide door (x2), and 32' deep gives you room to work in front of the vehicle (pull motor) and still have room to move with door closed.

 

[ultrarunner]

Well... another retired friend has a beautiful shop I will do my best to describe.

It measures 40w x 96 and is like having 4 22 x 40dp garages side by side... each has a large roll up insulated door with the last bay having the life, potty and work bench... the first 3 bays are for the finished cars and future projects.

 

[aarolar]

That's nice keep the ideas coming guys I'm going to be thinking about this for the next few months.

 

[Clint S]

Build it as big a possible as it will never be big enough. I have a 24*24 where the DD's live and it can be heated in the winter. No need for a\c here. I have a 32*32 with a 10foot lean too that is pole barn stule that is full too. 12 foot ceiling for a lift. Seriously it will never be big enough. Lean too's off the sides can add open air storage and get stuff out of your work space that is climate controlled.

 

[aarolar]

Build it as big a possible as it will never be big enough. I have a 24*24 where the DD's live and it can be heated in the winter. No need for a\c here. I have a 32*32 with a 10foot lean too that is pole barn stule that is full too. 12 foot ceiling for a lift. Seriously it will never be big enough. Lean too's off the sides can add open air storage and get stuff out of your work space that is climate controlled.

Yea that's what I know but I don't want to spend an unreasonable amount on it and plus it being climate controlled is non negotiable and the larger it gets the harder to cool. I do have a large 20x60 pole barn out back for all the tractor equipment and stuff plus I'm planning on at least one lean to on the shop for storage/parking.

Mainly I need a big enough space to keep the El Camino in there full time and still work on projects and service other vehicles as they come. The El CO is going to need some major overhaul type repairs that won't be done in any short period of time basically a as money and time are avaliable deal.

 

[aczlan]

We put up a 30x40 pole barn last year with 12' wide doors, its a nice size to work in for 2 bays, but if I were to do it again, I would go 36' deep and 45' or 50' wide to have a little more space to work around projects (but you might not need that extra depth with a car vs a tractor or haywagon).

Aaron Z

 

[bucktaker]

Go for at least 12 ft doors if you ever see a rv or camper in the future, I would build a 40x60 14 ft then divide it up a little into bays that can be controlled as needed. dividing it help as you only finish what you want to be controlled

 

[ultrarunner]

36 to 40 deep seems to be a good size... that way you will have room for a bench across the rear wall with windows and still room for motor stand...

If you want storage on the side then 24 will too tight... what about 36 x 36 for the ultimate two bay workshop?

The Quick Lube guys have a 36 x 40 deep shop with two lifts and busy all the time...

For the record I have 5 vehicles in my 22 x 30dp shop... it really is too tight except when working at the bench at the back of the shop...

 

[newbury]

Design it well and you won't need to "climate control" the entire area. You could "partition" sections off with a transparent curtain, leaving most of it not being air conditioned down to a comfortable temperature but still storing all your toys.

I went from a 15x15 workshop in my basement in Virginia to 4 shops covering 5,500 sq feet.

And it's only taken me 4.5 years to fill it up.

 

[aarolar]

Here is some more topic for discussion 2 post or 4 post lift?

 

[mecan]

2 lifts, it seems like as soon as the project car goes up on the lift for a week or longer is when you need it for the daily drivers

 

[aarolar]

2 lifts, it seems like as soon as the project car goes up on the lift for a week or longer is when you need it for the daily drivers

Neat idea but that'll go over like a lead zeppelin with the wife

 

[flusher]

My 2-bay shop was 24 x 42 ft metal building, 12 ft walls, two 10x10 ft rollup doors, 1 man door, 1 window. Concrete floor 6" thick, 4000 psi concrete, #4 rebar on 18" centers. Building cost $16K, floor $7K. Built in June 2005.



Good luck

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a 30x30 and I find it plenty big for two cars. Right now I have my truck in one bay, my wifes SUV in the other and still have room to park my Goldwing and two rolling tool cabinets plus my welding machine in between and open both car doors with out hitting anything. On the side of the SUV is where I roll my 4 foot x 6 foot work bench for storage. I have 36" wide shelving along the back wall and some elevated shelves on each side. With my table in storage on the side of the SUV it is a bit tight to walk between it and the car. I also store my table say and pressure washer on that side.

If I had envisioned that I would have to put all that stuff in there, I would have made it at least 4 foot wider but for just working on a car or two it would be plenty big.

 

[TractorGuy]

I would say 30x30 minimum. Larger if you can afford it.

I get by in a 22x22 but only have room for 1 vehicle after tools in perimeter. I did have it insulated and ducted for CH&A.

 

[bigtiller]

30 or 36 wide & 40 deep

Big enough for several projects at the same time and not too big to heat.

 

[buickanddeere]

At the end of this year I am planning on building a nice shop and I am trying to get an idea of what I want/need size wise. My absolute requirements are that it be air conditioned and a nice vehicle lift. What would be the minimum size for a 2 bay shop be?

My uses will include a '68 El Camino I plan on starting to not necessarily restore but get up to safe operating conditions and then general maintence on the rest of the fleet around here also, plus I want some room for general projects and possible side work welding/decorative iron work. Construction will be a metal building.

Figure minimum size and then increase by 50%. With all the expense of putting up a small building going another 8ft or 16 ft costs very little and gains much