WELCOME TO MY SHOP

In 2011, with help from my best friend Troy, and a few other friends and family members, I built my dream workshop in my back yard. It measures 28’ wide x 44’ long x 15’ high at the peak of the roof, and it sits on a concrete slab floor. The wall height is a full 10’, giving me plenty of headroom to maneuver tall objects, long lumber, and full sheets of plywood. The construction is typical pole barn style consisting of 6x6 pressure treated posts set 8’ on center, common trusses with a 4/12 pitch, 2x4 wall and roof purlins spaced 24” apart, and 36” wide painted galvalume metal panels as the exterior skin. I installed a dedicated 200-amp electric service, allowing plenty of power for my current and any future stationary power tools. Except for the six polycarbonate skylight panels in the roof, the building is completely insulated, including the 16’ x 8’ garage door. I have covered the walls in OSB to a height of 8’, allowing easy attachment of cabinets, shelves, and other objects. In 2018, I installed a used central air conditioning unit, making my shop a much more comfortable place to work in the summer months. 

While I very much love my shop, if I ever build another one, there are a few things that I would do differently. They're listed below in case they can be of help to anyone who is considering building their dream workshop. 

• Make it as big as you can. Much like a goldfish will grow in proportion to it’s environment, you will fill up any size shop you build. The bigger the shop, the more tools, workstations, projects and stuff you can fit in it. No one ever said that they wish their shop was smaller. 
• While we are talking about size, if you have the square footage, a dedicated dust-free paint and finishing room is really nice to have. Any future shop I build will incorporate this feature.
• For those makers such as myself who like to dabble in multiple mediums, separate dedicated work spaces for wood working and metal working would be nice to have. This really requires a large shop, but if the space is available, this is a great option.
• If you have the ability, keep a separate shed or garage for storing lawn equipment and non-shop items. When you are constantly tripping over stuff, your shop enjoyment goes way down.
• While polycarbonate skylight panels let in plenty of natural light, they are not insulated, and will condensate and drip on anything below them. This can ruin tools and equipment, as well as stain supplies and projects. I found this out the hard way. If you want natural light, consider installing transom style windows high on the walls. This will allow you to still let in natural light while not sacrificing wall space. The exception to the no-skylight rule is if you use a traditional insulated glass skylight instead of a polycarbonate skylight panel. Typically though, unless your shop is a stick-framed structure, it is harder to incorporate this style skylight. 
• I will install plumbing in any future shop I build. At a minimum, a mop sink for cleaning brushes or wetting glue rags is a must. A bonus would be having a shop toilet for when nature calls. The full dream is having a dedicated kitchen area in a saw-dust-free zone . This can also double as a prep area for any outdoor patio/grilling porch that may be adjacent to the workshop.
• Lighting, lighting, lighting. LEDs have become very affordable, and are the clear choice for shop illumination. Make sure you install plenty of fixtures, and consider wiring them on a few switches to control different zones within the shop.
• Heating and cooling your shop makes working in it year round much more enjoyable. There are many options out there these days including traditional central HVAC units, mini-split units, window units, etc. I used the old unit off my house when I replaced it with a new one after the heat exchanger rusted out. The AC part still works great and keeps my shop nice and cool. I have been using a kerosene torpedo heater in the winter for heating my shop. We have pretty mild winters in this part of Tennessee, so it works fairly well. Tailor your HVAC to your particular budget and circumstances. 

I hope I have given you some things to think about when designing your shop, and maybe some things to be avoided as well. I’m sure I will think of some more in the future, and if so, I’ll be sure to update this list. Until then, happy tinkering!