I have browsed the net for days looking at all the configurations and prices on steel frame and full metal garages. I am planning on a 30 x 50
or longer garage and I just can't seem to google an answer.

Question:

What do you have and what do you like and dis-like about it?

Robert

I have a 15 x 40 foot single car garage and it has enough room to park a car in and work on it and a nice shop at the far end. I have it filled with a lathe, mill, drill press, solvent tank, arbor press, compressor, grinder, parts and heat treating ovens. I have had a 66 Mustang in the garage for the last 19 years while I "modify" it for street use. I would prefer a larger space - 45 feet wide would be about right with it 40 feet deep.

Hey Robert,

I've got a 40 x 40 metal, pole-barn style shop. If I had it to do over again I would put a trench drain in it from one side to the other. As it is now, I've just got two regular round drains, and I don't care much for them. I'd also go with 12 foot ceilings. I have 10 and would like to have the added height for a lift later. I'd definitely have them insulate under the roof metal while under construction. Some folks don't do this, and in the spring and fall, with the big temp changes from daylight to dark, the roof will sweat and it's like rain inside the shop! I also went with 8ft tall doors instead of typical 7ft tall ones. I did this so that there are no clearance problems at all when backing my truck and trailer with the car on it into the shop. Get a full-size breaker panel. If you don't need the spots, don't use them... but you will need them! Run twice as many electrical outlets as you think you will need... I did, and have never regretted it. Beats having to use extension cords all the time.

That's all I can think of right now, but if I think of anything else, or if you have any questions, fire away.

Later,

Hey Robert,

I've got a 40 x 40 metal, pole-barn style shop. If I had it to do over again I would put a trench drain in it from one side to the other. As it is now, I've just got two regular round drains, and I don't care much for them. I'd also go with 12 foot ceilings. I have 10 and would like to have the added height for a lift later. I'd definitely have them insulate under the roof metal while under construction. Some folks don't do this, and in the spring and fall, with the big temp changes from daylight to dark, the roof will sweat and it's like rain inside the shop! I also went with 8ft tall doors instead of typical 7ft tall ones. I did this so that there are no clearance problems at all when backing my truck and trailer with the car on it into the shop. Get a full-size breaker panel. If you don't need the spots, don't use them... but you will need them! Run twice as many electrical outlets as you think you will need... I did, and have never regretted it. Beats having to use extension cords all the time.

That's all I can think of right now, but if I think of anything else, or if you have any questions, fire away.

Later,

...and of course...:thumbs2: w/window and floor drain. :yup:

...:party3:...

I went to a show this past weekend and talked to a gemini lift dealer, and he recomended 12 foot also.....that is what I had planned on having was 12 foot side walls and 10x10 door. Went to look at a carolina carport dealer here in town, looked at their 24x24 demo unit that they had on the lot, got there price lists and also went online to configure the garage....If I go with them I will have 4' on center sides.

I dont think they have insulation packages....guess you could always call a foam sprayer guy and have 3 or 4 inches of that sprayed on the inside roof area.
As far a electrial I have my current 24x24 carage loaded and the new one will exceed that. I have already got a 1000' + of 12-2 and 250' + of 14-2. I also plan on having at least 2 places to plug in the welder, one in the back middle and the other between the 2 doors. the welding cart I build has a 20' cord of 8-3 on it so I can get it where I need it. and I am going to have a dedicated meter on the garage with a 200amp service. My current garage is feed off the house and is limited to about 30 amps.
Robert

There is nothing I dislike about my Morton building. But if to do over, I would have 12' ceilings instead of 10'. And I would have made it twice as big. 36'X 45' is not big enough.
Dan

although mine isnt metal, I would definitely say to go for as much as you can swing space wise, I dont think you can have too much room.future projects, tools, materials,ect all eat up space quickly.

I have a 42 X 70 Wood structure insulated with heat and all amenities with 13' ceilings I LOVE it. When I built it I thought it was too big now it fits perfect.

not here to add anything intelligent to the thread. but ya know what they say... the bigger the space, the more stuff you need. i had a 2500 sq. shop outside of my normal 2.5 car garage, 2 20 x 20 outbuildings, and i still needed more room. i could of gone on forever. god bless us all for saving stuff. i love stuff.:tiphat: cant get enough stuff.

...and of course...:thumbs2: w/window and floor drain. :yup:

...:party3:...


Got more pictures of that garage and footings?.....looks like the carolina carport I just looked at....I like that yours is up on a couple of courses of blocks.
Robert

Got more pictures of that garage and footings?.....looks like the carolina carport I just looked at....I like that yours is up on a couple of courses of blocks.
Robert

Robert,
i went to 6 places before i could get them to put it on a block wall. it is bolted to the wall and it's full of cement. the wall was to make it match the foundation of my house. there is a 12"Dx16"w footer around the outside. where the lift feet are there are 4'x4'x 8"D pads. specs. called for 24"x24"x5"D...
in the pic. of me ...waterproofing...the walls you can see the bolts.
...:party3:...

In Dallas your only allowed 25% of the dwelling structure size as a storage or "other" building not attatched and it has to be made of the same type material and have the same shingles, at least that is what I was told :mad:!

Looks good, who is the manufacturer?
My back yard sometimes sit in an inch or two of water on heavy rain, I thought about raising it up a block or two.
Robert

Looks good, who is the manufacturer?
My back yard sometimes sit in an inch or two of water on heavy rain, I thought about raising it up a block or two.
Robert
that's a different type foundation than mine. you will have to pour a footer, lay the block, back fill and then pour the slab. your building will be sitting on the slab, not on a block wall like mine.
...make sure that your slab is the same size as the outside of the metal frame...that way the metal on the outside will hang over the edge and not let water run under the frame...


...:thumbsup:...

in the pic. of me ...waterproofing...the walls you can see the bolts.


Can you believe Effie let Frank take the brush from her and pose there like he was doing the work? We all know who does all the work around there. :biglaugh:

who is the manufacturer of you garage?

You are a little more south than me, so you stay a little warmer, didn't
see a stove or A/C . Up here if I insulate and have heat and air they permit goes from $90 for 1500SF building to $1500....:mad:
that is our local goverment at work.
Robert

Looks like you laid down some 12" floor tile, how come you didn't put down the epoxy type coating?
Robert

Looks like you laid down some 12" floor tile, how come you didn't put down the epoxy type coating?
Robert
How else would he play checkers? :rolleyes:
Yea, why?...

Looks like you laid down some 12" floor tile, how come you didn't put down the epoxy type coating?
Robert

i read the directions first...:yup:

read where it said ..."may need touching up in 2-3 yrs.".
i could have used...$10 gal. floor paint ...and done this..

...:huh:...

Well today I start movin dirt, having a small backhoe delivered this morning. Nothing like playing with big toys.:rofl:
I have to widen a ditch and lay in some pipe for a new driveway plus widen the ditch so the garage stays dry.

Haven't decided on a garage yet. Found these guys this week.
http://www.weatherguardtn.com/aboutus.htm
They have a local dealer here in town.
Robert

Well the ditch is widened and the grade stakes are out, after fighting for 2 weeks to get a quote from WeatherGuard($17,000) on their building, and getting a quote for a VersaTube($11,500 self Installed), I have basicly decided to just sick build the dang thing. I stopped by the local hardware store that sells the WeatherGuard building and I was talking to the sales guy (went to high school with him) he asked one of the guys that quotes building material for contractors how much to build a 30x50x12 clear span with 2 large doors, 1 man door and 4 windows, well 15 minutes later he says around $7,000 for the materials minus the garage doors.

So I guess the savings between stick built and metal will be spent on more toys for the garage. Now I just need to round up a couple of friends to help build it.:rolleyes:
Robert

As a framing contractor wood is a good choice. The price of steel is out of site. Good luck with build.

Robert,
...$4.66 sq. ft. :hmmm:...that doesn't sound right to me...12' tall and the beams to span that distance. i think i would get a few more quotes.:yup:

...Frank...:Handshake

That didnt include the concrete work or foundation for either style, and the stick built means I have to depend on friends for labor

the engineered trusses are about 60 bucks each. I was shocked too when I got the quote. Of course it isnt all of it, but it never is.
Robert

Robert,

Do you have a plan sketched out? Shoot me a PM with your diemensions, where you want windows (sizes), doors (sizes), your spacing on your trusses, spacing on studs, etc... and I'll whip something up for you to take a look at. It will help you to get a better idea of your total materials involved before you go and purchase everything. Send me a phone number too, so I can give you a call about it. It will probably be tomorrow before I can give you a call though.

Wont take long to do, and it will make a huge difference.

Later,

30 foot deep by 50 foot wide rafters on 2ft center walls on 16 centers out of 2x6, 4 3-0x3-0 windows 1 man door 36 steel...have that in shed already, 2 standard garage doors 10x10.

although they quoted smartpanel siding I may opt for vinyl siding to match the back of the house.
I will also sheet rock it after the final inspection and insulate it. If I do that up front the permit department charges $1 per sq foot for the permit. as it stand now for an estimated $15,000 cost it will be $68 for the permit.
Robert

Trusses spaning the 30' width... what about spacing on trusses? What pitch on the roof? Standard gable roof? OSB for decking on the roof with shingles, or are you going with the metal on the roof? If you go with vinyl siding, are you going to use OSB sheeting for your sides or what? 4x8 sheets or 4x12? What about the block wall? Are you still going that direction? If so, how high do you want the blocks? 8" block or are you going with 6's or 10's?

Sorry so many questions, just trying to get a better idea of what you're wanting.

24" centers instead of 16" will save you a bit of money, not much difference in strength either...

Trusses spaning the 30' width... what about spacing on trusses? What pitch on the roof? Standard gable roof? OSB for decking on the roof with shingles, or are you going with the metal on the roof? If you go with vinyl siding, are you going to use OSB sheeting for your sides or what? 4x8 sheets or 4x12? What about the block wall? Are you still going that direction? If so, how high do you want the blocks? 8" block or are you going with 6's or 10's?

Sorry so many questions, just trying to get a better idea of what you're wanting.

Trusses are 2ft on center 4-12 pitch gable roof, osb all around and shingles for roofing.

Not sure about the wall spacing they quoted 160 2x6's....just a rough guess that is 16 on center. When I was talking to the guy he heard me talking about having 4ft of block then use 8ft material, but I think I will use 16ft 2x6's

Here is the big items they quoted, I stopped at home depot to check their prices today and created a spreadsheet.
Robert



Description,Quantity,Price Per at Wilburn,Line Item Total at Wilburn,Price Per at Home Depot,Line Item Total at Home Depot
2x6x8 Spruce,160,$3.95,$632.00,,$0.00
5 1/2 x 50 Seal Sealer,4,$5.55,$22.20,,$0.00
2x6x16 #2 Pressure Treated,10,$9.95,$99.50,,$0.00
2x6x16 Spruce,20,$8.35,$167.00,,$0.00
2x4x16 Spruce,20,$5.20,$104.00,,$0.00
2x6x12 Spruce,10,$6.10,$61.00,,$0.00
2x12x14 #2 Pine,3,$16.30,$48.90,,$0.00
2x12x12 #2 Pine,12,$13.70,$164.40,,$0.00
36in 6 Panel Steel Door,1,$129.60,$129.60,,$0.00
4x 8 Smartside panels,50,$25.92,"$1,296.00",,$0.00
7/16 OSB Board,65,$6.35,$412.75,,$0.00
7/16 250pk Strong Tie,1,$11.35,$11.35,,$0.00
3-0 5-0 Window,4,$110.00,$440.00,,$0.00
15# Felt,5,$13.25,$66.25,,$0.00
Owens Corning Shasta White,64,$13.10,$838.40,,$0.00
Roof End Trusses,2,$72.10,$144.20,,$0.00
Roof Trusses,24,$57.21,"$1,373.04",,$0.00
9x7 garage Door,2,,$0.00,$350.00,$700.00

Maxx you've been quite for a couple of days....was that enough info?
Robert