Ok, were gonna buy a place here shortly. My question is what does it cost to build a shop?, say 25x40 or around there. Its gotta be insulated, heated and wired for 220. What would i be looking at? Is there a local company that sells prefabs?

Thanks

Good luck, Joel. I can't help you with AK prices, but I built a very similar shop (36x42) in OR a few years back. I did all the foundation work myself (scraped the land flat with a buddy's tractor and then brought in lots of rock and spent a day with the tractor spreading it and a few hours with a rented compactor compressing it). Had the shop built around the rock work, then did all the rebar work myself (laid and tied the mats together 1' on center) and then had a concrete guy come in and do the heavy labor placing the concrete and doing the sawcuts to keep it from cracking. My shop isn't insulated, but does have 220 and multiple outlets and a loft, two 14' garage doors with electric openers, and a man door and I paid right around $16000 for everything. I dumped another $2500 into it last winter by building a man cave under the loft (sheetrock with texture and finish, bamboo floors, heat, LED lights, huge reloading bench, flat screen tv, furniture, etc). I got a quote for spray in insulation for the whole shop a year ago and it was around $3000. 1/3 of that was labor for moving everything out. If I did it again, I'd have had them put regular 6" fiberglass insulation in, just like I did in the mancave. Should be able to get that for a few thousand more.

I keep a 25 foot boat and my 1 ton truck in mine. When I went to build it, I was going to do a 24x36 and a buddy talked me into going as big as my space would allow (36x42). I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I could have gone bigger. I'm a huge proponent of building as big as you have space for - you'll fill it up, and if you don't, it looks that much more clean.

If you have driving access to a place like Anchorage, it'll be about half price.

There's a few different options. Price is dependent on if you will have to get a permit and inspections or not (engineering fee's-inspections 500 a pop). Also depending on whether you want any type of water in your building. No water, you should be able to do a slab on grade, provided you blue board the entire monolith, and have adequate overhang with your trusses, and provide proper drainage. If you want running water in your shop, you'll have to provide a foundation that meets frost depth requirements, or in floor heat, otherwise you'll have frozen pipes. Your choices are masonry, frame, metal, or a combination of those. The cheapest way to build it, is to hire the labor for cash while you pay for materials.

I'm in the same boat - bought a house without a garage, and need to build a shop. I'll be watching this thread...

I've kind of come around to the idea that you only have to pay for it once, and you have to put up with it forever. So, if it costs more than I want it to, I'm going to just deal with that...

Joel,

Are you in Anchorage or the valley? I have a good friend in the valley who specializes in remodels, sheds, cabins and garages. PM me if you would like his contact info.

Mart

Hummm, I just finished up my shop this past summer and building 40 miles from town cost $$ in these parts..�� 28x42x10� high with 12� wings for big boy toy storage full length on both sides. A 6� toy door on this end and a 12� x 8.5 door on the other �.. radiant floor heat (that I have yet to hook up/using monitor-toyo� 73� now) 2x8s 2� on center r30+ walls r60 in the roof with a 36� shower a chiter and a 6 foot 2 hole ss sink (like those used in a restaurant) shelves inside full length on both sides, inside and out��.. all of them above your head so as to not use any floor space��.�on Both sides of the 6� toy door in the pic below is 8� of counter top and cabinets and shelving btw;if its needed in a shop i put it in!....I - well me and the wife did all the work ourselves other that pouring the slab.75000.00 working on the house as we go�. It is slower and spendier �.. since the last house "I" have gotten 15 years older.... Slow and steady wins the race.

ps- cansome one .... DONE! thanks!

Thanks guys. I'm not looking for much (as of right now)..

Basically 1 garage door, preferably 12', a man door and enough room to pull an engine, etc in the warmth if its winter time. I'm just trying to come up with a ball park since I will have a set amount to spend on a house, property and a shop. Even if I get it up next summer and work on it in bit by bit.

I'm in the valley so it will make it easier having SBS, lowes and Home Depot nearby.

Check out the sbs website. They have some pre fab kits for shop building.I am not sure if any of them meet any of your specs. But, I have a buddy that just built one of there kits for a shop with a little woodstove and its pretty sweet. There are alot of companies down south that offer steel building kits at approx your specs. May have to drive down and pick it up though. I have been looking in Alaska and have not seen any. Might be a good bizz to be in...

That just saved you 10 grand on engineering, inspection fee's and permits

Here's atvalaska's pics... sorry for the delay.

If you choose to wire it yourself, let me know. I can give you a few pointers or even possibly some help.

thanks for posting my pic's! that center window on the right side of the house is 5x8 and at 482 lbs was a cuss fest putting it in...the one above that is a 4x8 1/2 round that matches the 2x4 1/2 round in my stairwell tower...

~$50k

You might want to look into Arctic Fox http://arcticfoxsteelbuildings.com/



Their 30X40 toy box would make for a fine shop, but even though the steel building is $17k, by the time you add foundation, heating, insulation, roll up door, fabrication, electrical et al you'll be close to $50k. A buddy in the valley had a stick built shop and he said all said and done is right around $50k. You could certainly save some $ by doing all the work yourself, but I'd budget at least $30k for materials.

That's why I keep thinking if I do move the new house will have to have a shop, because I know I won't have the coin lying around to build one. I'm still looking for either the right house with a shop, or the right land to build on.

Nice shop!!!

really nice. I like the cultured stone.

cool, its "foam"...fools everyone.... looks like the "shifts" soil i got here ..... wife wants me to do the stair well tower...of the house in it. http://www.genstoneproducts.com/simulated-stacked-stone-coronado

yep fooled me. Pic is too small to see the joints on the sill. looks good.

It's going to cost more than you have budgeted, take more time, and it won't be big enough... I can see I already need more space... noticed that before the slab was cured....

I'm working on a 32X40 with 16 foot walls, heated slab, 2 garage doors (one 12X12), bathroom - sans bath. Had contractors do the slab, framing, siding, roof installation, ceiling drywall, and garage door insulation. Still need contractors to do the boiler (on hand) hook up - including gas line from the house hook-up. I'll probably have him do the basic PEX bathroom plumbing at the same time. Also need a contractor to blow in ceiling insulation. Those two jobs are gonna cost upwards of $7K, I think. Then I can finish the beast off myself, given time and money.

I still need to finish some of the outside trim and inside wiring, wall insulation, inside wall sheeting and finish, install ceiling lights (on hand), and Epoxy (on hand)seal the bathroom floor. I probably have nearly all the remaining wiring stuff I need. Do not have the rest of the insulation, nor interior wall coverings (I want to back the sheetrock with 1/2 inch plywood - but may forgo that...). Also there will be a partial loft over the bathroom and part of the garage space, with outside entry from the future greenhouse on the hill side, at the 8 foot wall level. I originally designed it with 14 foot walls, but had to go with 16 to get the greenhouse door to fit - cost me another $200 in materials, but probably saved more than that in labor just not having to cut the T-111.

I designed this to be fairly readily convertable to a complete house, or a couple rental apartments in the future if wished or necessary.

I've burned thru the original $75 K budget already, plus a few K out of pocket, doing as much of the work myself as I felt competent to do and had the time for. (Kinda hard when one is living 500 miles away at the time.... :)).

Outside, I still have a bit of retaining wall, backfill, a partial loft, and then a heated-slab attached greenhouse in the future. Also a couple of the house windows to install, as we need to replace those- they are 5X8's so aren't going to be cheap, either. But the garage is enclosed and usable right now, even if unheated.

If I don't die first, and if I can keep the wife employed, I'll get this thing done yet... It's been a decade in the planning and implementation so far, probably take another one to finish, financially.

That should give you an idea of what you are getting into, here, Joel...

Joel,

I can not help you with cost in AK. However, personal experience and that of others, build it as big as you can afford. You will not regret it.

I had a 30 x 70 ft shed built on the side of my barn to house / operate a portable sawmill. I thought 30 x 70 was HUGE. Then I started moving equipment into it. First the sawmill. Then the edger. A skidsteer, an offroad forklift, slab racks, infeed deck for the mill... and... next thing I know, I am out of space and still have stuff sitting outside...

Good luck on your project !
.

Can't speak to Alaska but in general, plus-one on going bigger than you think at first. I went 24x32 and wish now it was bigger. Pour a thicker slab than minimum code. Good buildings start with overbuilt foundations.

If I were doing it again, I'd do gambrel roof (barn style) and put a loft up above. Also, even if you don't plan water, when you trench the electricity to it, do yourself (or some future person) a big favor and lay water pipe in the trench too. Just leave it empty and cap it off. Even with no formal drain lines put in (of course they'd be good too), a simple redneck mini-septic that can handle one dude washing hands and taking the occasional dump is not expensive or hard. At least in Oregon. My shop is below our septic system so it'd be a pain to get drains up to it...... which is why I didn't run water to my shop in my electrical trench.... and which I have regretted many times since.

Uh... what else. Go way oversize on your garage door. Spend the extra dough to run good high-amp circuits. No #14 wire for you!

About $30 per Sq ft.

Maybe 30 years ago...

That's for the stereo system.

Three years ago doing most the work our self. I'am sure costs are higher up there.

Exactly!

I had to add my 220V higher-capacity circuit for my machines. I just went in steel conduit (because I had a bunch left over from my wall tent frame) on the outside of the walls. It'd be more better to just do it inside the walls from the get go. However the cost of higher-amp wire and fixtures make many guys cheap out and de-rate to a step below what they should have used. In my misspent years as a realtor I saw lots of shop wiring called out as marginal or worse... just go large here IMHO.

Appreciate the advice and expieriance. Helps me figure out a budget (realistically).

FWIW, if you go with a steel framed building, you have to install grommets where ever "Romex" type wire passes through the steel members.

Some advantages of running surface mount conduit are that:

A)you do it after the shop is up and insulated (giving you more time to make up your mind)
B)it gives you more flexibility on changing stuff in the future
C)it is more damage resistant

Have you thought about doing a Quonset style structure? You can find them for quite cheap where people buy them and then never get around to building the structure. A friend of mines dad did this down by Kenai, and I helped wire it for him (running the pipe et al).

One more thing to think about, especially if you are planning on doing it yourself.

Leave as many options open for the future for yourself or a future owner. Document on hard copy or disc what you do, for yourself or resale. (I'm way behind on my wiring diagrams - but it's still all exposed).

Do NOTHING to minimum code - go well over. If - for example, code calls for an outlet every 12 feet, go 8 or less.

In my shop/garage, I went for a double outlet box every 8 feet, each outlet per box being on a different circuit, 6 boxes per circuit (I'm not going to be using them all at the same time, but by damn, I want to be able to use several electrical appliances at once from a near-distance location without blowing circuits). I also put them on a handy 4' high location - good for shops, maybe not so good for residential for obvous reasons both ways..

I do like the idea of exposed conduit. I could care less on looks, just functionability.

Right now there's a few options out here that already have a shop on the property. Saves money for a basic structure. I just gotta convince the wife on the house. Like I told her, the house is hers, the garage/shop is mine.

Good luck with the wifey! For myself, it always started out with the house was hers, the garage was mine..... Hah!

me to 4' high and every 4' to boot....i aint bending over for no body

Finish the inside before moving anything in. Extending the roof on one or both sides makes real good dry storage for toys etc.

A friend made benches along the side with triangular supports to the wall so he could sweep all the way under the bench without haveing to dodge around the uprights.

A dedicated 220v outlet with a long cord on it to power a table saw or a welder is real handy.