Building a Backyard Shop. Your Ideas are Welcome!
- Thread starter UNSTUCK
- Start date
mombobuggy
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Highland
My buddy in Sandy just built a new shop in his backyard. Sandy city would not let him build it as tall as he wanted so he used those trusses that give you a partial vaulted ceiling, looks neat and it gave him a spot for a loft in the back.
I feel the same about when I get a shop built, how I want it to look like my house. What I really want, for some reason, is a big shop that is a Barn. There is a guy over in draper that has that and I have really like it. Ideally I am planning on building it with some type of steel frame set up inside the shop, if not the main supports of the shop, and then do a full crane that will go side to side and front to back. I loved having that at the fab shop I use to work at and if anything else, I can built all that myself since I use to build structural beams and erect structural steel.
Vonski
nothing to see here...
- Location
- Payson, Utah
I recommend a bathroom with a urinal. You're welcome. 
capt scotty
Active Member
- Location
- Riverton, Utah
maybe I missed it but the skylights in my garage are great. most cities wont let you put a floor drain in that is tied to the sewer. Make it as big as possible,mine is 30 by 40 they are never large enough.
I built a metal building shop 100 x 50 and devided it in the middle. I rent one side to pay for my side. The one thing I wish I had included is a big shop sink and a shower. Sky lights almost always leak over time, if your after light I'd install small long side windows at the top just under the roof. Keeps the building secure and allows light to get in. I raised the foundation walls up 3 feet so cars wouldn't hit the metal walls.
Jm2c
Jm2c
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UNSTUCK
But stuck more often.
Lots of good ideas here.
I have been talking with the city planners, and am running into a few problems with how I want it built. The property is zoned A-1 which, as I understand it, gives me a little more leeway, but not enough. The spot I want to put it is right between my house and fence line. The back of the house has a covered patio. So I wanted the shop to sit pretty close to the corner of the covered patio and the fence line. I am being told I have to have a set back from the fence that is one foot and then another foot for every foot the shop is over 14' high. So if the shop is 20 feet (max height allowed) high that would be a set back of 7 feet. The planner also said I have to be 6 feet away from the house, and that the cover over the patio counts has the house. So the distance between the corner of the cover and the fence line is 30 feet.
I don't want to move the shop back into the yard further, so we may take part of the cover over the patio down to give the 6' space. I also don't want the shop to overlap the house, so I have to make it as low as possible so I wont have such a big set back at the fence. If I had that 7' set back, I would only be able to make the shop 23' wide. I guess I could overlap the house a few feet and be okay. I'd like 2 or 3 feet of set back to make the shop 26-27' feet wide, but that would mean having to make it only 16 feet high. I don't know that it can be done and still have a 12 foot ceiling height.
And the real pain is that the shop sq.ft. has to be less then or equal to the sq.ft of the main floor of the house. Tax records show that my houses' main floor is 978 sq.ft. Putting a tape to it though, puts it at about 1400 sq.ft. So do I correct that number and have my taxes go up, or leave it along and make the shop smaller? I can do 26 x 37 and be okay. That seams big enough. Better then what I have now. And I should be easily able to work on two projects at the same time.
Anyways, I'm sure the planning of this will be way more complicated then building it.
Anyone know any work arounds to these issues?
I have been talking with the city planners, and am running into a few problems with how I want it built. The property is zoned A-1 which, as I understand it, gives me a little more leeway, but not enough. The spot I want to put it is right between my house and fence line. The back of the house has a covered patio. So I wanted the shop to sit pretty close to the corner of the covered patio and the fence line. I am being told I have to have a set back from the fence that is one foot and then another foot for every foot the shop is over 14' high. So if the shop is 20 feet (max height allowed) high that would be a set back of 7 feet. The planner also said I have to be 6 feet away from the house, and that the cover over the patio counts has the house. So the distance between the corner of the cover and the fence line is 30 feet.
I don't want to move the shop back into the yard further, so we may take part of the cover over the patio down to give the 6' space. I also don't want the shop to overlap the house, so I have to make it as low as possible so I wont have such a big set back at the fence. If I had that 7' set back, I would only be able to make the shop 23' wide. I guess I could overlap the house a few feet and be okay. I'd like 2 or 3 feet of set back to make the shop 26-27' feet wide, but that would mean having to make it only 16 feet high. I don't know that it can be done and still have a 12 foot ceiling height.
And the real pain is that the shop sq.ft. has to be less then or equal to the sq.ft of the main floor of the house. Tax records show that my houses' main floor is 978 sq.ft. Putting a tape to it though, puts it at about 1400 sq.ft. So do I correct that number and have my taxes go up, or leave it along and make the shop smaller? I can do 26 x 37 and be okay. That seams big enough. Better then what I have now. And I should be easily able to work on two projects at the same time.
Anyways, I'm sure the planning of this will be way more complicated then building it.
Anyone know any work arounds to these issues?
You might be able to ask for a variance to move the shop to the property line or within 1 foot if you get a letter from your neighbors that they don't mind you building to the line. Then tell the city you'll double 5/8 drywall (fire break) the walls that face your neighbors yards. You may need to go to a city planning meeting to request the variance.
As far as the porch remove the cover till the building gets the final inspection then replace the cover over the porch.
It's worth a try.
PS. Another thought. If I was building a garage in my yard I'd go 2 1/2 cars wide and a single garage door on the side to my yard for projects and access.
As far as the porch remove the cover till the building gets the final inspection then replace the cover over the porch.
It's worth a try.
PS. Another thought. If I was building a garage in my yard I'd go 2 1/2 cars wide and a single garage door on the side to my yard for projects and access.
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You may not have to take the covered patio down, we did a shop where they had the same issue getting it approved as a stand alone shop but as soon as we connected it to the covered portion of the patio and called it an addition to the existing home all the rules changed enough to make it happen the way we wanted. It was only connected where we brought the 2 patio sections together but that's all it took.
I'm a little late to the thread, and I think you guys have all the basics covered, but I'd add cable to the list. Internet can be handled via wireless, but I can see something like this becoming the guy's hangout area. Wrenching, BSing, watching a little football... As long as you have the basics: water (tankless water heater if necessary) and plenty of electricity you can build out the interior however you need it. Just make sure you have high up windows you can open to help with the summer heat, and good insulation so whatever method you use to heat it in the winter can keep up.
As far as house size goes, your taxes won't make a big difference at all. That shop is going to make your property taxes go up more than the correct recording of your house.
As for set backs, we had the same issue with our shop. Had to be away from the house, and 10' from the fence. I'm glad now, as it has been perfect for trailer parking down the side of the shop.
As for set backs, we had the same issue with our shop. Had to be away from the house, and 10' from the fence. I'm glad now, as it has been perfect for trailer parking down the side of the shop.
UNSTUCK
But stuck more often.
I just got the plot map. There are utility easements on every fence line except the one I want to build off of! I got lucky on that one. I've gotten two quotes from contractors. They were very close to each other. But they are over my fully finished budget. Not by too much, but there is a line I can't cross. Looks like I may have to piece this all together myself. I called Steve, the concrete guy that a few of you recommended from another thread. His rough quote was half the price of what these contractors quoted me. If that holds true, and I can then get my roofer buddy and electrician buddy to do me a favor, I should be within my budget.
Maybe we just need to have big, "build my shop and I'll build your rig" party.
Maybe we just need to have big, "build my shop and I'll build your rig" party.
TwistedRubi
New Member
- Location
- Clearfield
Had buddy who had radiant floor heat in his shop, I would never build one without it. Also couldn't agree more with getting the noisy compressor out of the shop in its own little shed, air lines are easy to run and you can put quick connects anywhere. I can get air anywhere in my shop with a fifteen foot hose.
I'm down with that!
Unimog
Eric
- Location
- Stansbury Park, UT
On the setback issue, consider what you are going to do with the space between the shop and the fence. If it is parking other vehicles/trailers, you well might want a little more than the 10' required setback (or whatever it is) to make it easy to walk around, roll garbage cans past, etc.