How much did you spend building your shop?

I think when all was said and done I think we spent somewhere around $20k plus or minus a few thousand on ours, 270 square feet, 19’x16’ external, but it has climate control, serious insulation and sound control, excessive electrical service, and a living roof (which added a heck of a lot to the cost).

And our walls are at least 2 hour fire walls: staggered studs, 5/8” gypsum panel on both sides, and HardiPlank siding.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Shop size is like clamps, can never have enough. I’d go with 24×24 if you can. Considerations are the size and number of tools you have, projects you make (size) and lumber storage. Power, heat and security also come to mind.

-- If you believe you can or can not do a thing, you are correct.

I would like to get the following in to my shop without tripping over the equipment

Large tool chest
lubber rack
Unisaw with 52” rails
Jet 16-32 drum sander
Bandsaw
40 gallon compressor
Dust Collector
CMS on bench

I currently have all above in my shop with the exception of the bandsaw (I don’t own one yet). It can be a bit challanging moving things around but not too bad which is why I think I can get away with 16X24. I would love 24X24 but from a permit and inspector point of view it may add more cost by requring a different foundation and 2X10 instead of 2X6 joists.

From what I am seeing from local “shed” companys I can get a 16X24 shed for about 7K installed. I think the best I could do building 24X24 is about 12K. Both of these do not include electric, drywall and insulation.

Asking how much someone spent building their shop is a personal question…..Some may tell you, others may not…..I will tell you this…..I spent a lot to get the shop I wanted, but it has everything I needed in a building….Go to my woodshop and read my blog on it…....

-- " There's a better way.....find it"...... Thomas Edison.

How much are building trusses down there, there used to be a cheap outfit near me that you could get nice delivered and installed and it only cost me around 2-3k if I remember and my garage is 32×24 and they did a small patio roof for me also.

-- Nick, “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.” – Vincent Van Gogh

I guess I have close to $40,000.00 in my shop with the tools.
The shop itself is probably between $30 and 35,000.00.
The shop is 24’x30’ fully insulted whit heater and AC.
http://lumberjocks.com/b2rtch/workshop

-- Bert

I am going to be building as soon as I sell the farm and get moved. For some reason a 23×23 is about $3000 less than a 24×24. I have been quoted $14000 for a 23×23.

I suppose one reason is the roof and decking. 24 sheets of decking gives me the 9/12 pitch I want with 6” eave overhang all the way around with no waste. I’m doing trusses with a stand up attic storage room down the middle.

I have about 35,000 in my garage. I still need to put something on the walls and get a heater. It is 33X30 with a loft.

When we bought the property we’re on now, it had a 16×24 building with a gambrel roof that had been used as a shop/garage/whatever. We added 20’ to the width to make it 36×24. I kept every receipt for everything I purchased to build the addition, but never built the spreadsheet I intended to track the cost. I’m guessing it was about $10,000 to $12,000 in materials. I did at least 90% of the labor myself with a neighbor helping with some heavy stuff. The only thing I contracted out was the roof decking, felt and shingles.

I stick built it with the exception of the roof trusses. When I contacted a local truss company, they gave me a price for engineered trusses for a hip roof that cost no more than if I had bought the material and tried to build them myself.

Before I started the addition, I contracted an electrician to run 100A service from the distribution panel on the side of the house. It was about 180’ underground in PVC and cost $2,100. The previous owner had never run electric service out there. I did all of the internal electrical work that probably included another $1,200.

I already had most of my tools, but spent around $1,000 on materials to build benches surrounding my table saw.

It was gratifying to do most of the work myself. I sure didn’t have to butt heads with a contractor about where I wanted electrical outlets, wall covering, etc.!!!

-- Bill, Thomasville, GA

• Insulate to the max.
• Incorporate heating and A/C
• Plan for plenty of outlets

I am working in my shop (actually a one car garage) year round now. When it is 100 outside, it is 77 in the shop! :-)

-- Handcrafted by Mike Henderson - Channelview, Texas

I think you should concentrate on doing it frugally and doing as much of the work, yourself, as possible. I would suggest you look into garage “kits” at your local lumberyard. They come with plans that will pass most local building codes. Contact the inspectors, file a copy of the plans, and get any required approval on the plans. If you couldn’t build a darn good shop for $10,000 you are not doing enough of the work yourself

Mine is attached to the home, well lit, fully insulated, lots of elec., ceiling fans, plenty of lighting, has separate toilet room and utility sink, cvt floor on slab. Roughly 20’ x 20’ which is adequate for my needs.
Computer wired, but not equipped w/ HVAC. I did not want to bother with trying to control dust in an AC system, and with all the insulation, it is not an issue. Fans and oil filled radiators do a great job of keeping the shop very pleasant even with the Mississippi weather.
I can’t separate the cost, but with the home total coming in at about $110.00/sq. ft., I feel that that is a good estimate.
I did all the trim, shelving, etc. myself.
Bill

-- [email protected]

How much depends on several factors. If you build it yourself, will you will have access to free labor? Will you be building on a concrete slab, or a raised platform? Will you be doing your own electrical? I built my 24×48 shop myself with the help of my son and a friend. It is on a concrete slab; has 200 amp service; fully insulated, A/C cooled and heated. I probably spent around $10000 or $8.35 a sq ft. Thats a pretty good price. The A/C and heat was salvaged from my house when I upgraded it. We did all except for the concrete and site preparation. That was over 10 years ago. The siding is T-111 plywood. I have a 10’ high ceiling and 2 sliding doors. I later added a 12×16 wood deck so I can work outdoors. I may add a patio cover if I get around to it.

I would go with a metal roof.

I ain’t telling (my wife might see the answer). Let’s just say 56×30 steel clad 2×6 ladder framed (40×30 heated with radiant infloor and finished with bright white steel on the walls and ceiling) was much less than the price of the house she wanted (and worth every penny of it on both ends). Since we built them at the same time, I never separated the plumbing/electrical/materials bills that closely but I’d guess without tools it was probably around 40,000 or so with me doing most of the electrical work, laying the infloor tubing and building the interior wall between hot and cold. No regrets.

I didn’t keep track – it probably would have been too depressing. But I started with a 24×26 “kit” from Sutherlands. I don’t know where you are, but a local farm/hardware store might sell such a kit – I know Menards does. It was a few grand for all the lumber and connectors, shingles, doors, windows. I paid someone else to lay a foundation, bought the kit, raised the walls myself and called for help on the roof trusses. Once the roof trusses were up I finished enclosing it myself. It’s quite doable and I saved a ton on labor. Once it was dry I was able to take my time with the wiring and drywall. I’m sure the total cost was under 10K.

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