we want to build a workshop. I am thinking about 60 x 40. want a steel building for good bay height in the center, but keeping it lower overall to lower its visual impact on the property. It will be placed a few hundred feet in front of our home on a narrow, long 5 acre plot. we will store a 18to20 foot boat, tractor, a toy car or 2 or 3 in the hopefully distant future when I get the collection from my father. I also am a bit of a wood worker/fabricator/etc. and would like dedicated shop space for building things or pulling in a car to work on, etc. so a mechanics bay and wood shop space. thinking about this, 3 20 ft. wide 40 ft. long spaces. far side is boat and tractor storage. middle is maybe the slide in truck camper in the back sharing space in the far side with the boat and lift/mechanic space in the front. next bay is wood shop in the back and car storage in the front. also thinking of cutting the size down on the width to 50. 3 16.5 ft. bays should still get me plenty of space for 2 cars in the back of a bay and one in the front, as cars are generally around 6.5 ish feet wide, at least anything i want to keep long term. i have a bit of reference as my dad has a barn with the collection in it, but I'm trying to think long term. we are young and I only want to do this once. I am really only dead set on it being a steel building, keeping the peak height lower and having 2 ft. over hangs with gutters for longevity of the cladding and water management around the foundation. it will be insulated and heated. I am also keeping it a bit lower to lower the interior volume for heating costs. the back of one bay will probably have a room dedicated to a battery storage system for a future ground mount solar system. also considering some kind or bridge or cantilever hoist inside, and solar on the roof instead of ground mount. likely will have the main panel in the barn and the house running off a subpanel with a big breaker next to that. meter is on a pole in front of the house, so that should not be a huge issue with co-op.
what am I missing? besides about another 50k! haha. plan on raising the building myself. my father has built a few pole barns and the steel building guy says its easy if you have any skill at all. ill get the concrete done by someone else. bro in law is an electrician and does commercial stuff, so should be good there, he will also be using the space. what is on your "should have" list. everyone says go bigger bigger bigger, but i really am quite good at keeping the number of things to store at a constant level, save for inheriting some old iron and a wood boat, but planning for that now.
another idea is to cut the width 10 feet and add 10 feet lean to on the side outside covered storage. this would be fine for the truck camper, implements, etc. not sure on cost difference though and if its not much, i would just have enclosed space.
a 16 x 40 space should store 4 cars a bit tight. with some length left over. 20x40 would be a lot of space in-between.
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