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IndustryArena Forum > Community Club House > Building my shop, Found out that I'm not a good estimator.
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138

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

    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.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    1873
    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

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    Thats pretty much how my estimating is going. About double.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    383
    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!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    Quote 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*

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138

    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    847
    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.
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
    Check Out My Build-Log: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6452

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    421
    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    746
    You could always add to it as needed.
    If it's not nailed down, it's mine.
    If I can pry it loose, it's not nailed down.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    412
    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))

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    Quote 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.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    412
    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.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    13

    home shops

    This stuff is great! I wish there was a spot for just work shop pics and idea-since most of us are short on space and any ideas would help.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    Quote Originally Posted by Deviant
    Shop is mostly done.


    Wow!! your going up fast. It took me the better part of 2 days to get where you are at the end of one day. I built my walls on the ground and stood them up but I didn't have any help. Those 16' x 8 foot walls where heavy, I ended up having to use some old block and tackle and riding mower to stand them up myself.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    412
    I should finish the shop today.... roughly 2.5 days work.

    Excluding the time of the roofers. Roofers charged me 60 bucks + materials. They knocked out a lot faster than I would have. ((about 1.5 hours to put up 16 bundles))

    Tonight, have to build and hang the double doors, siding on one of the gables, soffets on 3 sides and the misc trim. Might not finish, depends how the weather treats me.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    847
    Quote Originally Posted by Deviant
    I should finish the shop today.... roughly 2.5 days work.

    Excluding the time of the roofers. Roofers charged me 60 bucks + materials. They knocked out a lot faster than I would have. ((about 1.5 hours to put up 16 bundles))

    Tonight, have to build and hang the double doors, siding on one of the gables, soffets on 3 sides and the misc trim. Might not finish, depends how the weather treats me.
    So, did you finish?
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
    Check Out My Build-Log: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6452

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    My building is standing, metal is all on and its fully enclosed. I started wiring it all up Sat and Sunday. I have 4 receptacles left to wire, insulation to install then its time for drywall of paneling (not sure which I'm going to use yet)

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    927
    Just a bit of info to ponder.....
    I used osb (3/8") to cover all my walls when building an enclosure...More durable and you can easily attach brackets anywhere on the walls. Drywall is fine for living space and pictures, (and for fire protection) but I liked the solid OSB board.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    138
    Quote Originally Posted by Bloy2004
    Just a bit of info to ponder.....
    I used osb (3/8") to cover all my walls when building an enclosure...More durable and you can easily attach brackets anywhere on the walls. Drywall is fine for living space and pictures, (and for fire protection) but I liked the solid OSB board.

    I thought about that as well, but I'm running out of money. I'm in for almost 5300 bucks in this little building (I'm shocked actually) when I first figured around 1900 bucks. I will have to start delivering pizza's to afford somemore equipment to put in there.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    412

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