The “200 sq ft” max “shed” build

[The_Lobbster]

My wife and I are trying for another kid, as such, I would like to clean out my garage so she can use it in the winter.

So I’m wanting to build a shed or small garage for my crap. Springville says I can build up to 200’ sq without a permit.

What I’m trying to decide, how I should build it. My Suzuki is about 15’ long bumper to bumper, so being able to shut it inside would be a plus. So I’ve been looking at 17.25’x 11.5’ with 10’ walls, 14’ or 15’ peak.

Construction wise, I thought about stick built, but steel pole barn style is enticing as well.

How would you all go about building this if you were to do it?

 

[The_Lobbster]

I’ve also spoken with Springville city, anything over 200’ sq requires a permit, and approved, engineered plans, plus 30” below grade foundations even for slabs. Overall, it would be thousands more.

Thats why I’m kinda trying to stick to 200 right now.

 

[N-Smooth]

How long do you plan on living there? Future you might want to pick present you’s ass for not spending the money- thousands or not.

No sane man has ever said “I’m glad I didn’t make this garage bigger”

 

[J-mobzz]

At my last house, I did a 12 x 16 just because of dimensional lumber and the added cost for weird measurements and then I did like a large awning off one side for a bunch of covered storage. A 10 foot wide rollup door. And then just a 4 foot wide barn style shed door on the side opposite end so I could access the front or the back. I used to park a four seat, RZR , and a few dirt bikes then kept a lawn tractor and a bunch of other yard equipment underneath the covered side. It was all on a concrete slab that I had poured and I had the slab poured large enough that there was a 2 foot sidewalk around the entire thing.

It worked great for Storage and occasionally doing some minor repairs on the RZR But I’m with @N-Smooth that if you’re planning on sticking around and actually want a spot to work in, you’ll never be happy that you did a 200 square-foot “shop”. I never built mine with the intentions of it being a workspace. It was more just to keep the toys out of the workspace.

 

[J-mobzz]

But I do think that if you want to do it on the cheap cheap I would probably find some recycled drill pipe or something similar. For posts, do a gravel floor and metal siding. I would probably do wood framing for the wall with the roll up door and stick frame the roof unless I could find some cheap angle iron to weld trusses out of. But no matter how cheap you do it it’s still going to be fairly expensive.

 

[The_Lobbster]

But I do think that if you want to do it on the cheap cheap I would probably find some recycled drill pipe or something similar. For posts, do a gravel floor and metal siding. I would probably do wood framing for the wall with the roll up door and stick frame the roof unless I could find some cheap angle iron to weld trusses out of. But no matter how cheap you do it it’s still going to be fairly expensive.

Drill pipe was the plan if I go the steel route. I'd love to build bigger, but we've discussed the possibility of moving to be closer to family in WVC already, so that's why I'm very on the fence of whether I just build it bigger to begin with. I have toyed with the idea of building it modular and bolt together too so I could move it if I decided later, but it's extra work, and I just want to make sure it'll be done before it gets cold as is.

I would definitely plan on an awning type lean to for additional parking or maybe hangout area with a fire pit though.

Springville is so dang strict, and I have neighbors get hammered on stuff from the city, so I suspect that it would be hard to get away without getting noticed, or at least for a while.

 

[Tebbsjeep]

If Springville is like Ogden(stupid) then they'll count any space around the shed (slab, awning, etc.) as part of the square footage.

 

[The_Lobbster]

If Springville is like Ogden(stupid) then they'll count any space around the shed (slab, awning, etc.) as part of the square footage.

Crap, didn’t think about that….

 

[Tebbsjeep]

Yeah I think it's insane. Anything attached, counts as part of the structure. At least in Ogden.

 

[Spork]

I think it's whatever you are comfortable building with. My parents neighbor kid had access to a bunch of 2" square tubing and built one out of it. Metal roof and sides with a door big enough to park their side by side in. I thought it turned out nice.

 

[1969honda]

My last place in Wellsville had the same 200' rule. I built a shed as close to 200' as possible, designed a set of gambrel trusses with a tall center height, and shallow pitch for the first angle. Once it was all complete, I sheeted the truss stringers. I had about 5' overhead at the peak and doubled my storage without anyone knowing until I sold the house. No permit, no complaints from the city.

 

[The_Lobbster]

My last place in Wellsville had the same 200' rule. I built a shed as close to 200' as possible, designed a set of gambrel trusses with a tall center height, and shallow pitch for the first angle. Once it was all complete, I sheeted the truss stringers. I had about 5' overhead at the peak and doubled my storage without anyone knowing until I sold the house. No permit, no complaints from the city.

That sounds along the lines of what I’d like to do. Any pictures of how it turned out?

 

[1969honda]

I don't sorry. I just tried to check google earth, but the maple tree in front of the shed totally hides it now.

 

[Tonkaman]

Sounds like a 20’ shipping container would be a better option. It’s temporary, holds its value, and the same size your liking for

 

[johngottfredson]

Sounds like a 20’ shipping container would be a better option. It’s temporary, holds its value, and the same size your liking for

Very often shipping containers are specifically prohibited by city code. If they are busting balls in Springville, likely you’ll want to double check that. Otherwise, prolly best way to get your money out if you move.

 

[STAG]

Sounds like a 20’ shipping container would be a better option. It’s temporary, holds its value, and the same size your liking for

We have a 40’ shipping container at my dad’s house 😅 it’s green so it kinda blends in visually and it’s somewhat hidden. We separated it into two halves with a wood-stud wall and added a man-door to the side. One half is your typical storage unit stuff and one half is storage for atvs, motorcycles etc.

We didn’t ask the city or any neighbors, just said YOLO and sent it.

 

[Corban_White]

We didn’t ask the city or any neighbors, just said YOLO and sent it.

This is the way.

 

[Johnny Quest]

20x10 for storage with a covered awning on the side

 

[glockman]

This is my dad's house in Springville, not to far from you I think (top of 4th south). That outbuilding was built 2 years ago without a permit. It's 18x20. There is a city planner on the street directly behind him. We built it fast. Put the walls up one day and then had the trusses up and shingled the next weekend. My cousin did most of it and works for Provo city. His advice was "don't have bare wood above the fence line for long, where people can see you are building". Do it by code and ask for forgiveness if they catch you. But I still have an open permit on my shop that I started in 2008. So maybe I'm the wrong person to offer advice

 

[The_Lobbster]

This is my dad's house in Springville, not to far from you I think (top of 4th south). That outbuilding was built 2 years ago without a permit. It's 18x20. There is a city planner on the street directly behind him. We built it fast. Put the walls up one day and then had the trusses up and shingled the next weekend. My cousin did most of it and works for Provo city. His advice was "don't have bare wood above the fence line for long, where people can see you are building". Do it by code and ask for forgiveness if they catch you. But I still have an open permit on my shop that I started in 2008. So maybe I'm the wrong person to offer advice

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I’m just north of center street. Two neighbors have gotten caught doing stuff without a permit, so maybe there’s a neighbor around close that is a snitch?

It’s pretty hard to see my backyard, so I’m kinda leaning towards the philosophy of do it bigger, but perhaps just bolt the steel frame to the foundation so I can easily change it if they come knocking.