Shop Building

[John Brown]

If I'm understanding the electric company correctly, they will run overhead to my shop. Depending on the situation, which is why the need to come out and see the location, the can either place a pole for my meter or put the meter on the side of my building. If the can put the meter on the building, all I will pay for is the disconnect box that they install with the meter. I can get either 100amp or 200amp service. The box is about $150 for the 100amp and bout $250 for 200amp. I'm thinking 200amp, then I should be covered for whatever I end up doing. What do you guys think? Also do you see any issues with the meter on the building?


Thanks again guys!!!

[Ron Pope]

Yes you definitely want the 200 amp service. Here are some thoughts. If you are going to have a lift you need a higher ceiling. You don't need a high ceiling in the whole shop. Thinking about cooling and heating this building. Our shop only has an 8' ceiling, easy to heat an cool. Changing light bulbs on a 14' or 16' ceiling can be a challenge. Lots of insulation in the ceiling and not so much in the walls. You will need an outside shed for the air compressor. Seems like that compressor is wired to the phone. The phone rings and the compressor comes on. We put ours out back in a shed.

[Jim Tolbert]

John, I don't know if it's an option with your power co, but I had the meter put on a pole outside my shop and then ran the line underground thru a stub-out in the floor next to an inside wall. This way the c/b box is inside,easy to get to and secure.

[angie milton]

John, just come see our shop the last weekend in April. You will then get to know what size shop you need~ We take reservations...

[Krovette]

Have them put it on the building, then you just have to go thru the wall into your circuit breaker panel with a short piece of conduit. The wire is stiff and hard to bend but it's done all the time. If you trench it in and want to run your phone line in the same trench make very sure you use sheilded cable for the phone line or you will have a terrible hum in the phone.
If you are going that tall are you planning a loft for storage ?

[Bill Holley]

it may be obvious but worth saying .. IF u do underground... make sure u do a plot plan of the wiring.. measure where the location is.. keep even numbers no 6" stuff. in the future u can find it by pulling out a tape and marking it so as not to dig there.. power companies are going to smart meters so they never need to come out and read any more.. so put the meter where it cost less to hook up..

[John Brown]

Keith, that's exactly the was I was thinking. Put the meter on the building, and put my breaker box up just inside it. Lots less of the big wire for me to buy. I'm going with 14' walls for a few reasons. I have to have at least 12' for a lift. With 14' I'm planning a 10' x 60' loft on the back side of the building. I'll have a bathroom/kitchen/tv/office area under it. Figuring that will end up about 10'x30' with walls, widows to the inside, etc. Then the other 10'x30' will be a work bench/toolbox area. When an engines on the stand it will be in the low that area. When a get a weld table it can be there etc. That leaves 30x60 for the actual work area for the cars.

I priced the difference from 12' to 14' walls and although I can't remember what it was, it wasn't much.

[Kevin Seward]

just like others have said, build it as big as you have money to do or building codes will allow. I don't care how big you go, it will sooner or later be to small or too short somewhere. I have a good friend who went with one 40' X 100' about 3 years ago and already he wishes he went larger for the area where the cars go, but the codes won't allow anything bigger in his area.

Hitec

[Lugnut]

Another thing to remember and this may have already been touched on...the higher the ceiling, the more cost to heat the area. Myself, I would have the ceilings to be at least 10' and an area somewhere in the back where the ceiling is a bit higher for a hoist. No need to have the ceiling go up to 14 foot. Unless of course you are planning for a loft...and that is really a good idea, but then too, the loft can be towards the back of the building.

One final note...do NOT skimp on electrical receptacles....one can never have enough of them....sux tripping over extension cords! I have plenty of receptacles, but know of shops that do not and yes...they TRIP over their owns cords.

LN

[Big Bill]

When I built my shop I discovered that if I ran a line from my service that fed my house I could save money, at least in my area because of two reasons. The more power you use the lower the rate and if you have low power usage you may face a minimum charge on your shop. I increased the house service amps to cover both and installed a new breaker box making the house more modern and safer in the process. My shop is fed by a 200 amp line from house to a sub panel in the shop.