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Going to build a shop in the near future and wanted to see if anyone had any advice.

Here's what I plan on wanting:
30'x40' painted metal building
5" concrete floor
Thinking probably 12' wall height
10'x12' rollup door (on one end of the 30' sides) or would it be better to got 12'x10'
1 access door on side
2 windows on side
insulation
probably heated by wood burning heater

Thinking about subing out all the work myself to save money. I've gotten a quote from a group out of alabama to build that shop but with a 4" concrete floor for $15k.

Any advice or names of guys that you had good experience with in this kind of work would be greatly appreciated.

If younever done it probally want save that much money ...let the pros do it ...get it quicker that way....why do you need 5" concrete

Just a suggestion, but I'd get a sealer put on your floor. It'll get slickern owl schit when wet, but oil and other spills will wipe up clean.

Good idea with the sealer. Someone else had mentioned that to me as well. As far as the concrete thickness goes I'll probably end up going with 6" in the end. I just don't think that 4" will be enough in the end. Could be putting 10k lb tractor on once and a while. Plus we're only talking 3.7 more yards of concrete for each inch added to the thickness.

IF you want to look on how to save money, compare the price of building systems.

wood studs with trusses.

angle iron stee trusses on wood walls or posts. with wood perlins and steel roof and walls seems to be cheapest i have prices. and fasted to build

or you could go with all metal.

id price it each way if i were you.

Build it as big as you can afford, you will always wish for more room.

Make the walls as high as you can.

I would go with a least a 12x12 door - my door is this size and although uninsulated is very light and easy to open. No matter the size of the door, if you insulate it well it is going to be really heavy and you'll have to have it on some sort of automatic opener or a pulley. The commercial grade automatic openers to handle a door that size will run around $1200.

You can buy a good force type heater for not too much. The woodburning stoves are nice but take awhile to get it heated and heat the room. It's nice to be able to just turn the heater on and be good to go in 20-30 minutes are so. I would actually go with both if you can.

Plan, plan, plan and then overbuild. You won't regret it after you're done and in it awhile.

My kids are jumping on a 14 ft trampoline they got for Christmas with the heat on at 8:00 at night. We'll move it outside after the weather warms up.

I just had a new one built about a year ago. A few thoughts...

-Go with the biggest door you can...you never know what you will need it for.
-If possible put another door on the opposite wall. Just big enough for a 4-wheeler, ranger, jeep etc. I wish I had done this so I could load and unload a trailer inside without having to hook up to the truck and pull it outside.
-If there is room put in an upstairs for storage. My upstairs is small and 18 feet off the floor, but its great. Its where I store decoys, extra tool boxes, etc...
-Make sure you leave room for a built in work bench and plenty of wall space for shelves. I have shelves and full fridge on the wall with the door. A work bench, sink, and cleaning table on one wall. The other wall has 8 built in boot racks, a gun rack for 4, and a place to hang ramps, and straps. and plenty of hooks for wet gear and jackets, etc...
-Think long and hard about windows and if you do them put them up high. I chose not to simply because that is just another place that someone can break in. I also can only access the large door from the inside, and the side door is metal with no windows. This way I am comfortable leaving guns and everything else in there.


Hope this helps...

Great info guys... keep it coming. Pics if you got'um

If you do metal, spend the money for galvanized steel. Painted or oxide primer won't last.

IMO 10x10 door isn't big enough. I have 4 doors on a 40'x40'. On the front two 10x10 and one 10x20. On the back a 10x10. I HATE the 10x10s. trying to get trailers in and out without taking out shelving and such on the edges of the building are very tough. 12x12 would be 1000 times easier.

+1 on the elevated attic/loft

Build it big enough for a bathroom. No matter how close it is to the house you will get tired of having to run to the house and Momma will be glad you ain't coming in and messin up her house.

Call ACI in Batesville. They will design and drop ship all necessary materials: steel and such already cut. All you have to do is have someone anchor it and bolt it together. I wouldn't concern myself with the thickness of the floor so much as the depth of the footings. Go the extra mile on the footings. Its well worth it.

Put a drain in the middle - will add $10 to your costs.

You might want to go with the fiberglass tin up high on the walls, strategically placed, to let light through instead of windows. Some people put it on the ceiling, but in the winter, condensation will drip off of it. I also agree with a drain, sink a 5 gallon bucket in the slab when you pour it and plumb it with 4" pipe. Put your pipe high in the bucket and it will act as a trap that you can clean out. You can cover it with a disk blade. As far as heat, we have a 80x80 with 20 ft cielings and use a heater on a 20lb butane bottle. It will keep it comfortable to work on the coldest days, but we are in there every day so it usually doesn't get below about 50 degrees.