# Building a new facility



## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Let's hear some ideas of what your ideal shop would have. 

I am at the drawing board. Thinking 80' x 80' with a 14' eve height with a 35' x 80' room in attic. 

What would you include.........


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*that would be ideal*



ILPlumber said:


> Let's hear some ideas of what your ideal shop would have.
> 
> I am at the drawing board. Thinking 80' x 80' with a 14' eve height with a 35' x 80' room in attic.
> 
> What would you include.........


 
a pole barn of that size would be great for us.... as long as the side metal was as thick as boiler plate to keep out the theives it would work....

perhaps a furnace with a back up 
wood burning stove inside the place

I have heard that they are cheap to build, 
 we are still waiting for our back building to fall down...

I dont know what keeps it from imploding into the basement underneath it,,,  its been standing since 1860..


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Heat will prolly be in-floor radiant.... 

The 2nd floor might be hot water coils mounted in air handlers. It will also be air conditioned.

Half of it will be my office. The other half???


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

ILPlumber said:


> Let's hear some ideas of what your ideal shop would have.
> 
> I am at the drawing board. Thinking 80' x 80' with a 14' eve height with a 35' x 80' room in attic.
> 
> What would you include.........


 A magical portal that automatically returns unused parts to the Supply House at the end of a rough-in -- I sure as **** can't seem to train my guys to do it for me.:furious:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

ILPlumber said:


> Heat will prolly be in-floor radiant....
> 
> The 2nd floor might be hot water coils mounted in air handlers. It will also be air conditioned.
> 
> Half of it will be my office. The other half???


 You could grow pot in the other half and retire a few years earlier than previously planned.:whistling2:


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

I'm in the process of building a shop myself. Metal building, sprayfoam insulation, OSB interior to slow down thieves with can openers. Infloor heat, wet lab for testing. 14'x 14' garage doors at each end so wholesaler can just pull in and unload. I'm only going 40' x 60'. All shelving will have product bar code and minimum amount of said item so delivery guy can just scan and go, thereby eliminating a good portion of my ordering duties. A welding area, and enough room to park 2 to 3 work vehicles in the winter. Alot of my plans are made with cold weather in mind. And a mechanic pit so I can start changing my own oil again. I'd like to try to incorporate a small showroom for fixtures, just not sure if that's in the budget. Fair sized office with a full bath. And a small urinal room in the shop area. I think that's it. Oh yeah, small wash bay for trucks.


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## dayexco (Oct 12, 2009)

go at least 2, maybe 4' taller..you're going to want a 14' door to back a semi trailer in to unload maybe someday...if you put any pallet racking in, you may get a forklift in there...look at it this way, you've already paid for the roof, for the floor....just a couple of feet more of tin on the sides. you won't regret the height


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

My shop at my house has 13' clear ceiling, with 10' high doors. ( two are 10' wide, one is 12' wide)

The Cat 420D goes in, but you gotta lower the stick. 

My new shop in the industrial park has 18' ceiling in the front. slopes to 16' in the back, with a 12' high door. That is what you want. My door there is only 10' wide. 12 would be way better. I have to pull the mirrors in on the truck. 

So, to sum it up. 12' high x 12' wide door, minimum. The higher the roof, the better. You can stand up sections of pipe, you can load the pipe on the truck in the shop if the weather is bad. high shelving for more storage.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

A tool room with a workbench and welding area for storing and maintaining equipment, we used to fabricate our own specialized brackets as opposed to having a welding shop make them.

I would put in a vehicle lift, or at least an oil change pit, for vehicle maintenance, we never thought we would use it till we put it in, it was used all the time.

Air pipe the shop area, including the tool room, so that you don't have to hear a compressor run while your trying to talk in the shop, it beats the hell out of stringing out a hundred feet of hose to fill a tire.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I was thinking like a dart board. You guys go all out. That's why im here. To learn from the elders. Rock on.


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## Proud Plumber (Sep 15, 2008)

A custom are for your little one in your office would be a plus, perhaps a pint size drafting board.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> I was thinking like a dart board. You guys go all out. That's why im here. To learn from the elders. Rock on.


 I still just want to grow/smoke pot and play Classic Rock on my '63 Rickenbacker 425.

If I had the money to build my own shop, one wall would be floor to ceiling Marshall Amps.:thumbup:


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Flex space with a private entrance that can be set-up to sublease if necessary. During slow times or even during boom times, not a bad idea to have another company pay for your building.

During boom times, a back door escape when the disgruntled employee comes looking for you would be nice. :yes:

RSP obviously does not know you well - a dart board, sheesh. You need a place for your animals to assist in estimating. 

Almost forgot, don't forget a 'cushy' place to chill when you are in the doghouse at home.


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

I just recently rented a 2000 sq. ft. office/slash warehouse space because the wifey couldn't deal with it in our house anymore (I was pretty sick of it too). 

Now I'm wondering what to do with the extra 1000 sq. ft. that I don't need  :laughing:.


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

Maybe a dartboard.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Worst part so far is finding property. I'm trying to leave the city to get away from all the zoning BS.

There have been some good ideas. 

This group is an excellent cross section of the plumbing profession.......


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## spudwrench (Sep 15, 2009)

garagejournal.com The good, bad, and ugly of any kind of shop build.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I don't like it.

First issue: 14' eve. I would go with a high bay metal building. I know you don't run box trucks but it's nice to be able to pull an 11" tall box into a roll up commercial door and have plenty of ceiling clearance to spare. It's nice to have steel overhead to hang heavy loads from.

Second issue: By going with the above design, you have way more possible second story square footage.


As killer stated, separately housed air compressor with lines ran at regular intervals with air outlets. Service pit and lift(need those high bays for that). 

Second high bay roll up door with recessed loading dock in close proximity to pipe racks. I never appreciated a loading dock until I had one. 

Central vacuum system.

Exhaust fans.

Fresh air intake fans that push through filters (if you do any painting there).

Internet linked DVR surveillance system is a nice touch if you want to blow a few extra grand:thumbsup:. Might save your A** one day in a property owner liability lawsuit.

I would sound proof the heck out of the office area since this will be a new build. Double stud the walls with a space between the studs filled with loose fiberglass fluff. It's nice to be able to have a distraction free conversation on the phone when someone is running a saw or grinder in the pre-fab shop.

An intercom system should speed up productivity and reduce walk around times looking for people.



I don't know exactly how you run your operation nor how many people will be on site regularly so it's hard to think of anything else.






ILPlumber said:


> Let's hear some ideas of what your ideal shop would have.
> 
> I am at the drawing board. Thinking 80' x 80' with a 14' eve height with a 35' x 80' room in attic.
> 
> What would you include.........


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

If you have employees make sure you have a restroom that comes off the shop not the office area. Neither you,a future secretary, or a visiting customer wants to deal with what a plumber can brew up:whistling2: Seriously though a good heated wash/repair bay makes a big difference as far as keeping equipment in good shape.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

lots of well lighted paved parking with big driveways/entries with controlled access.

tall privacy fencing or high walls.

signage.

recreation/gym space.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Plumber said:


> lots of well lighted paved parking with big driveways/entries with controlled access.
> 
> tall privacy fencing or high walls.
> 
> ...



Jeebus.

And I thought I was the only stoner in the mix.

When you get a minute, next-day-air me some of what you've been smokin'.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Would a higher bay metal building be nice? Of course! Unfortunately I do not want to sink that much capital in my headquarters. 

It would be around $100,000 price jump. 

The main reason I am going with wood frame is the invisible (to the tax man) second story. 

Everything I own will go through a 10'0" door. 

There will be 2 truck docks. 

Keep the ideas coming. Thanks....


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Is your rock crawling toy going to reside there as well?


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Redwood said:


> Is your rock crawling toy going to reside there as well?


 
Yes. It will reside on it's trailer in the corner.:laughing: Since I never seem to actually drive it anymore.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

Spend the money, and commission a nice oil painting of yourself," taking the bull by the horns." Make it a centerpiece in the shop, so your guys know who they're dealing with.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

ILPlumber said:


> Would a higher bay metal building be nice? Of course! Unfortunately I do not want to sink that much capital in my headquarters.
> 
> It would be around $100,000 price jump.
> 
> ...


 


Thats what I thought, too. 12' door is cheap when your building it, not so cheap to retrofit it.


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## dayexco (Oct 12, 2009)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Thats what I thought, too. 12' door is cheap when your building it, not so cheap to retrofit it.


 what you all are forgetting. height is cheap. your floor and ceiling are already paid for. you say a 12' door is adaquate. why not a 14' so you can get a semi trailer in there if the occasion arose...or to make it a MUCH more marketable building should you decide to rent/sell it? my building has 16' sidewalls, wish they were 20's...i have a 14' x 14' door...i wish my door was 16' wide now.


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## Lifer (Nov 23, 2010)

Redwood said:


> Is your rock crawling toy going to reside there as well?


 

Ok I'm gonna need to see a picture of this rock buggy ....


Lifer...


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

12-29-2008, 05:32 PM #*1* *ILPlumber* 
Moderator

 

Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,774 

 My Photos 








*The random pic thread* 
I'll start off with my Jeep junk. Got a cool photo? Show it off.:thumbsup:
Attached Thumbnails


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Thank you. I think it starts off the random pic thread.....

There have been minor changes. That's pretty much it though...


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

LEAD INGOT said:


> Spend the money, and commission a nice oil painting of yourself," taking the bull by the horns." Make it a centerpiece in the shop, so your guys know who they're dealing with.


Duh! I have a 4' x 8' mural on my ceiling, and when I build my shop I will have a bigger one made.

Like you'd even need to ask anyone that!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Maybe a lift for when you work on your toy...
You could always have a adjustable height work platform on wheels rest on the arms for when you aren't working on your toy...

Prolly get a used one cheap these days...


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

ILPlumber said:


> Thank you. I think it starts off the random pic thread.....
> 
> There have been minor changes. That's pretty much it though...


Does it say "if you can read this please flip me over" on the back glass.

Sweet jeep


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