Building my shop, Found out that I'm not a good estimator.

[trilect]

Well My original fun house was totally blown down during a storm quite a while back, so when I finally managed to save up some cash I started building a new one.

Nice and small (12' X 16'), wanted bigger but you know how finances and wifes are.

Dug up the yard for the pad = free (except for wifes wailing)
framed up the form = free half rotten wood from previous shop.
concrete= 496.00 for 6 yards (I poured her s nice sidewalk to hush the wailing)

Lumber, nails, misc hardware = 804.00

Hospital visit due to shooting nail thru hand with nail gun = awaiting bill

Wife saying I told you so = priceless.

Metal = approx 560.00

Have yet to purchase drywall, mud, insulation, razorwire (theft deterrent), lights etc.

I figure I'm over budget by at least 600 bucks.... So I'll have to start selling plasma or blood.

Here are a couple pics, I haven't taken any pics of my framing work yet.





I'll post an update in a couple days or so. I have one more good weekend to work on it, then I have some contract work that is going to keep me busy for a week or so, then I hope I finish up.

[Ken_Shea]

Well with a number of DIY projects under my belt here is the formula that I find accurate.

It will take three times as long as expected and cost twice as much

[trilect]

Thats pretty much how my estimating is going. About double.

[Swede]

Unwritten, "secret" shop rules:

1) There will never be enough outlets
2) The installed electric sub-panel will be too small
3) It will be too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter
4) lighting will be inadequate
5) Most important - it will have 1/2 of the floorspace you will ultimately need!

[trilect]

Originally Posted by Swede Unwritten, "secret" shop rules: 1) There will never be enough outlets Got that one covered, outlet every 24 inches, 240v every 6 ft. 2) The installed electric sub-panel will be too small Well perhaps not covered, 100 amp panel, 100 amp feed off my 200 amp house service 3) It will be too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter 10,000 btu AC, 10,000 zero vent propain heat, R13 insulation thru out, and plastic wrapped building. 4) lighting will be inadequate I'm figuring for 150 ft candles of fluorescent and a couple empty Jboxes for additional if I need it. 5) Most important - it will have 1/2 of the floorspace you will ultimately need!

Yep I will not have enough space, I wish I had more cash to make it bigger. Hell I wish I could make it a 12' x 16' 2 story with a basement...

Hmm I think I'm going to do some tunneling research. I might be able to find an underground cavern.... *Ponders*

[trilect]

Metal is now up.

I know its dark but, thats when I finished driving all those dang awful metal screws.



I know this is boring, but heres a pic of my stud construction, and the strap bracing I threw up at the last moment.

Next week, wiring, insulation and drywall. I hope.

[JavaDog]

Shop looks like it is coming along great! Nice job, I'm jealous - my "shop" is a spare bedroom in my Apt. My upstairs neighbors hate me.

[DieGuy]

Nice one,

I live in a homeowner association neighborhood with visual requiements. So I figured I would go out for bid on a 25X20 building, for a locked shell with stucco exterior and tile roof, no wiring, no insulation, no drywall the bids came in at over $25000. These contractors are high on crack I swear. That is over $50 a sq. ft. Looks like I build it myself.

[2muchstuff]

You could always add to it as needed.

[Deviant]

lol, looks better than my shop.

Got the wood today, here's what it looks like.

http://www.legendarylands.com/shop/1.jpg
http://www.legendarylands.com/shop/2.jpg

Hoping to have it finished by sunday. ((minus interior etc))

[trilect]

Originally Posted by Deviant lol, looks better than my shop. Got the wood today, here's what it looks like. http://www.legendarylands.com/shop/1.jpg http://www.legendarylands.com/shop/2.jpg Hoping to have it finished by sunday. ((minus interior etc))

Did your shop come as a kit? I looked at the kits at a few lumber yards and thought that I could have built it cheaper but I was very wrong. A kit is probably the way to go cost wise.

[Deviant]

Shop is mostly done.

You can see the end of day one at

www.legendarylands.com/shop/3.jpg
www.legendarylands.com/shop/4.jpg

Need to pull new pictures off the camera, it has shingles on now. Only have to finish the double door, a bit of siding and the trim/painting.

In retrospec, it would have been cheaper to pay Home Depot to come build it.

I had alot of nickel and dime stuff that pushed my cost up.

Also, they were out of some lumber, which caused me to increase cost to buy replacements.

Ended up with about 15x19 floor with 8.5 foot celing. Loft area is around 8x19 with 5 foot clearance in the peak.