Art & Inspiration Shop Space, how much is enough

I have a shop, that is 30X45. It was a pole barn but now has concrete floors and electricity. I am hoping to add 30X45 on one side (two story with 17' main floor ceiling) and another 12X45 on the other. This will give me 42X45 of open space to store stuff under roof and the new 30X45 will have a 30X14 paint booth and a 30X30 heated work area. The wife asked how much space do I need? I think this is enough.... for now. What do you think?

 

That’s more space under one roof than most of the buildings I’ve worked in. Or all the houses I’ve owned. I’m jealous.

 

There's never enough space.

Until you decide to get rid of all that stuff that you're not really working on...and won't be working on any time soon.....

 

30x45 concrete with electricity sounds fantastic to me

But I'm sure I would eventually want more. Right now I'm just working under a sheet metal roof carport with no walls. Which is an upgrade from previously working in a single car driveway under a tree, and front yard (or sometimes the street).

 

I agree, but this sounds reasonable for now. I have been collecting the things I would like to work on: Boats, cars, a truck or two (most of them OT for this site). I like looking at something with an engine and imagining what it could be. I love taking the time and realizing that what it could be by making it so. Some things will be moved along because I always find new things that need to be loved. I would love to have a roadster, but something would have to go before one could find it's way to the house. I really hope to turn the storage space into working space in the future and have people over working on their projects with each of us helping each other with our own unique skill sets.

 

Space, the final frontier.

 

It doesn't seem to matter how much space you have, you always need a little more.

ironandsteele.com​

 

30x25 is enough room for me to work on one car. If it's a really serious project, with separate body and chassis that need to be separate, then add another 10 feet to one dimension.

The other stuff...parts and other cars and other projects and whatnot, will take up more room. How much is limited only by how distracted you let yourself become.

 

So true. How many square feet would you say?

 

I have a 30X40 shop. It's less than I want, but more than I need.

Now, if you're talking storage space, it's a whole different ball game.

 

33x45 12 foot ceiling. Enough for 2 lifts at least 6 cars plus has room for 3 toolboxes, tire machine ,air compressor and 50 ton press.
You have to stack 2 cars on the lifts.
Also have shelves for storage.

 

I used what I had*Made it a enough!. My first shop*,was the weeds behind the house*< Built two,between 57 too 61,;28A bobtailed roadster powered by Y-Thunderbird, an a Full custom Henry J powered by Olds Rocket 88.
My work in the weeds,was helped by Cardboard Box for slid under creeper,and scarp plywood for jack n stands so not sink in the dirt.plus a trap for rain n cover.
My Dad let me do my stuff behind the house out of site,when he could of said no way! Now an then I could use Dad's car port out front for part of a day,then go out back again.
Got a wife in 65,and a used house of our own by end of that year,an fix it up,,by taking over a VA mor.,with a one car garage,in 78 added a padio* out back+ another two car= total of 3 cars of spaces,plus driveway. Owned my Speed shop biz. < 40 years "Comp Tech" was 4 bay garage,but did not keep any of my own racecars or hotrods at the speed shop=that had to be all biz.

 

I have relocated to another state and had to give up a 60 X 100 building. I had purchased a place that has a 60 X 120 riding arena with 16' high walls. I am in the process of permitting a remodel to ad a heated floor , finish the interior with a full bathroom and a office. I will be adding a paint booth along with my machine shop / fabrication equipment and get back to building cars. This will be my dream building to do all my projects in.
Vic

 

Depends on what you want to do, and how keen you are to do it. You can build a FED, on it's tilt-trailer, in a single-car asbestos-cement shop if you try hard enough:



I built the avatar the same way, on a car trailer, in the same shop. I consider myself fortunate - its an upgrade over working on cardboard in the dirt.

Cheers,
Harv

 

I've read that, a trait of human nature is , We always need to fill up our available space

 

I am happy to have my 2 1/2 garage.. .have a 1/2 acre too…

 

How many times have you seen a video of some dead guys collection? He’s got building after building of crap then one building of cool ruff barn finds. Then another one with projects that will never get finished and then finally a small shop with tools and lift with almost complete cars in it. It might have a dozen completed motors for the projects in the works on hold, and a collection of treasured parts with actually very little space to work.
You build space you fill it up.

 

My wife got her share & a few others share of that " human nature" !! The only thing she hasn't figured out how to clutter up is the ceiling !

 

I have a shop space fetish. On my property I have 2 shops. The first is my work space, which is roughly 50x100’. In this space I have my upholstery shop, lift , paint booth and metal fabrication area. The other shop is 30x90’ . In this area I have storage for 12 cars, as well as a 30x40 shop space for my friends to use. I have plans of expanding the friend area, but my work space is at its maximum size.

 

Shop/garage space, the dimensions you listed are way more than enough IMO. As a kid I like many started out in the backyard which was no fun as Wisconsin has a legit Winter season, then made do with a 2 car garage space, heated and AC for my entire adult life till I retired at 62, the dailey drivers sat outside. I ran a successful race operation that way for 21 years and not once did any racing publication come and take pictures of my "shop" The funny thing, most everyone I raced with had a similar deal. I spent my $$$ on what was needed to have a competitive car, engines, tires, etc. never had the big truck / trailer deal everyone has today. I built some nice hot rods in that space after racing so you can make whatever you have work. I planned for my retirement home and now enjoy a garage 24x44 and a 30x54 12' sidewall pole building, now everything is under roof, a nice luxury. I spent 5 winters in Az. you cannot beat their Winter weather, but sold that this year because I missed my garage/shop, I have a few projects left to finish and have spent nearly every day out in the shop as I missed it so much. I owned a Tool & Die/Pattern shop business for 36 years, again started and ended with a smaller building, so again 5# in a 2 bag# the story of my working years. I guess my point is, make it happen within your means, a big building is useless if it runs you out of $$$, remember you have to heat/cool that space to work in it. If it's within your means, definitely go for it as there is never enough space or too many cars.

 

I built my garage when I moved in with swmbo, 24 by 30. Have to keep one bay for her Miata, and put a stairway to the attic so she can store her crazy amount of outside furniture. Wish it was bigger but it was as much as I could get
from zoning board of appeals. As many have said stuff expands to fill the space.

 

All I know is that I can fill up pretty much any open space I have with junk...then that junk becomes a burden. That is one of the reasons that my shop now isn't as big as my previous one that I had built. However, that is also a matter of perspective as well. My shop now is 42'x60' with a 12' lean too all the way down the back side. So, it isn't like I downsized to what most would consider a small space either. I would love to be able to fit in a smaller space...but am not there yet.

 

LOL!! Some of you folks just have too much! MONEY!! Happy you do and glad you don't hoard it.

Ben

 

30'x52' 16' walls...now completed, yep, already filled up.
House when completed will have a 3 car garage with tandem, netting additional 1 car space, totally 4.
Can't have too much space.

 

I'm in the process of building a 60'x90' shop, will it be enough? Probably not .

Larry

 

Our attached garage is 38' wide by 32' long with 3 10'x10' doors and 12' ceilings. It's way better than any garage I've ever had. My dream is a small addition with room for an office, the air compressor, and some machine equipment. I also have a 32x42 building for car storage. All but one in there run, the other is a project.

Have some other outbuildings where I store parts and stuff. Car hauler sits outside.

 

Someone down the road from me is building a HUGE 30x50 shop w/12' ceiling and a three bedroom house on top. Both my house (20x40) and garage 920x32) would fit inside there with room to spare!

 

Rear bumper is hard against the back wall.

I can walk in front of it with the front bumper off.

It's enough if you want to find a way.

I could expand it, but the same time and money put into the shop would finish the car, so I just move forward.

Not sure how I'll paint it yet.

 

Hmmmm

 

So 20 x 22 isn't enough for two projects cars AND other projects?!?!



...and the motorcycle isn't even in the pic!