New garage, what dimensions?

[TremorSS]

Looking to build a shop at the house.

Currently thinking 40'x30'. Wanting to be 3 cars wide, with the middle spot eventually having a car lift.

From anyone's experience, is 30' deep enough to park the superduty, with room for a work bench? If you could do it different, what would you do?

 

[86skier]

Bigger.... then again, that's always the answer.

As for the truck: A 6.5' bed F250 measures just under 21 ft... so assuming 6" walls, and leaving say 2-feet behind it at the door, would leave you about 6' of space in front.

 

[Daimyo68]

I would definitely go bigger all the way around. By the time you add in the workbench, tool boxes and misc stuff your going accumulate over the coming years, that garage will be full and you will be saying "I should have gone bigger".

 

[2020Tremor]

Looking to build a shop at the house.

Currently thinking 40'x30'. Wanting to be 3 cars wide, with the middle spot eventually having a car lift.

From anyone's experience, is 30' deep enough to park the superduty, with room for a work bench? If you could do it different, what would you do?

I had sufficient room for a bench with my old 28’ garage 30’ would be even better. With a 2’ bench and space from hitch to door had about 4’ of working area between bench and truck. I’m in the process of trying to build a new house and due to design constraints will have to shrink to 26’ deep but can go wide and am planning on a different area for the bench since drawing the bench in front of the truck will be tighter than I would like. My experience bigger is always better, I have never said this garage is to big. Available building space, design constraints, and financial reasons often limit the size choice.

 

[shermanator2]

As others have said, go bigger if you can. Ask yourself what is constraining the size. Building codes?, Available land? Money? Aesthetics? Nobody ever says "I wish had less shop/garage space".

 

[MVI]

I'd go as deep as you have space for, target 35' as a min

 

[OmahaBravo]

I'm with @MVI - 35' min depth.
Only other thing i would make sure is your garage doors are 9' MIN.

If i had to prioritize, taller garage doors then depth. My 20x26 shed holds my truck just fine (even with tailgate down - its tight). I can work around my truck being a bit tight in places... I CANT work around NOT being able to get my truck IN the shed.

**likely i'll be airing down. Thankfully its not a DD

 

[TremorSS]

So this is actually for a house I'm about to close on. So I have plenty of room, and not a ton. Have 10 acres on this house, but the house is on top of the hill side of the property. The red box is 40'x30'. Attaching to the existing casita/shop. Current shop is really just a parking spot in size. I could go wider, but I start digging into the hill to the SE. Property drops off to the NW after the water tank.

Height is not an issue. I was planning of 15' at the eaves, 20-25 at the ridge.

 

[pickleknuckles]

Looking to build a shop at the house.

Currently thinking 40'x30'. Wanting to be 3 cars wide, with the middle spot eventually having a car lift.

From anyone's experience, is 30' deep enough to park the superduty, with room for a work bench? If you could do it different, what would you do?

I split shop space in a building w some buds and I've got the smallest area at 30x50' and could always use more. I have two antique trucks and a 22' camper in there and storage is up on several sections of 4x10' pallet racking, w the remaining +/-20x30' open for projects.

 

[HeavyAssault]

Wall thickness is a mute point, you need to measure off the inside dimensions you require. Honestly a 40' inside would be a better fit to help with extra space in front or behind the truck. Sure we can measure off a CCSB, but you never know when you will move to a CCLB truck. I taped it for myself to read I need at least 25' end-to-end minimum for a CCLB. Now add to that space for walking, workbench, tables, just space to move. On a 40' space that's about 7' extra on each end. When you just read numbers it seems enough, when you start laying out a plan with tables/countertops, that space gets small real fast.

Given an inside space of 40', if you don't need the thicker walls 6" for construction, ends up an extra 1' total. Am I correct??

Now you got to figure out the door openings per each opening you want to include space for a standard walk through doorway. Of course the project has a budget so just factor in a few different things and see where the numbers fall.

 

[shermanator2]

I guess it will all come down to budget, but I would seriously look into cutting into the hill and making it 40x40 or bigger.

 

[MarlinMan]

Based on my experience, if you have the room and the money, I suggest taking whatever size you think you need and multiplying it by one and a half. I built a 40'x40' shop when I was building my house several years ago. I thought it would be plenty of room for my truck and boat, but I was wrong. I have my boat, several ATVs, tractor, smokers, work benches, tools, and a lot of other miscellaneous things stuffed inside the shop now, and I can no longer fit my truck in it. I wish I would have built it 50'x60'. It's harder (and more expensive) to add on later, so I always tell people to do it right the first time.

 

[sarj]

From anyone's experience, is 30' deep enough to park the superduty, with room for a work bench? If you could do it different, what would you do?

Interestingly, this question was asked and answered on an old Kung Fu episode. Grasshooper Caine posed the same question to Master Po. Master Po was blind (thus a non-driver), so he took the question to Master Kan. Master Kan gave it a moment...and replied: " Young Kwai Chang... garages are like gun safes... bigger is better."

 

[Silver-Bolt]

40x60 for me. Shops are like gun safes. They are never big enough.

 

[2020Tremor]

40x60 for me. Shops are like gun safes. They are never big enough.

I hear you there, unfortunately neither is most people’s wallets . 40 x 60 sounds great though.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

I hear you there, unfortunately neither is most people’s wallets . 40 x 60 sounds great though.

Hope to break ground in the spring.

 

[Cuervo]

I am building a 40x60. It is 16’ at the eve, 14x10.5’ doors. Roofing goes on Thursday, snap lock metal fully insulated. Gutters in two weeks or so, and hope to have concrete done by the end of the month.

So what kind of lifts ya all put in your shops?

@Silver-Bolt are you planning on a lift?

 

[Silver-Bolt]

I am building a 40x60. It is 16’ at the eve, 14x10.5’ doors. Roofing goes on Thursday, snap lock metal fully insulated. Gutters in two weeks or so, and hope to have concrete done by the end of the month.

So what kind of lifts ya all put in your shops?

@Silver-Bolt are you planning on a lift?


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I will be doing lifts. Bendpak is the only brand that I have experience with so likely going in that direction again. The dream is two lifts. A two post and a 4 post. See how the funds go.

 

[Whaler27]

I will be doing lifts. Bendpak is the only brand that I have experience with so likely going in that direction again. The dream is two lifts. A two post and a 4 post. See how the funds go.

Remember to allow for man-cave space. Nuthin fancy, but a guy needs room for a fridge, a wood stove, a couple couches with washable camo-covers, a coffee table, and a big screen. Bare minimum. And a head — gotta have a head out there. And a wall for various mounts.

In another 8 months I’ll be available for consults on man-cave design. I’ll work for beer. And whiskey. Or Tequila.

 

[TRAMPER]

Remember to allow for man-cave space. Nuthin fancy, but a guy needs room for a fridge, a wood stove, a couple couches with washable camo-covers, a coffee table, and a big screen. Bare minimum. And a head — gotta have a head out there. And a wall for various mounts.

In another 8 months I’ll be available for consults on man-cave design. I’ll work for beer. And whiskey. Or Tequila.

I’d agree with this with the exception of a wood stove. A solid fuel/ combustion stove at ground level in a garage is a pretty terrible idea. If you ever have a gas/ fuel leak you’re going to lose your garage and anything it’s attached too. If you notice most shops have high hung gas heaters because gas vapors stay low.

Personally I have in floor heat in mine. Its amazing! Oh and I have 12x12 doors. The bigger the better!!! You never know! If i built from scratch I might do a hanger style door lol.