Festus

Anyone ever heard of a shop (like on the farm) with living quarters? Better yet, have any pictures? Companies that build them?

displacedtexan

Morton Steel Buildings does them. I've seen them, but never been in one. They do very nice work though, a buddy of mine has a few of their buildings.

rip 112

We have local contractors that build them. Quite popular around here.

PistolWhipt

Hmmm .... your wife mad at you too, eh ?? I wish I had living quarters above my shop too ... I'm sick of having to sleep on the tablesaw when my wife kicks me out .

PISTOL

Raspy

I couldn't decide if I should build the house first or the shop first. Then I decided on a 48 X 60 steel building with a convenience apartment inside. Then I decided to just build it as a house with a large garage/shop inside.

So I deleted the steel siding and added a three foot overhang on one side and a twelve foot overhang on the other to get rid of the metal building look and make it much more livable. Then designed the whole floor plan. This is going to be a great house with big steel posts and trusses, radiant floors, a 12 X 60 covered porch, vaulted ceilings and a four car garage/shop.

Since it is going to be a house, the location on the property and the orientation became more important. It's a big expensive project, but a dream come true and a lot of fun.


John

Mule Skinner

Shop w/ Living Quarters sounds like the ultimate man cave - go hide for long periods of time

P.J

My neighbor at our old house had one. He just hired a pole barn company to put the whole thing up (shell). It had an approx. 600 sq. foot ranch looking thing on the one side, then a 1 BR 1BA apt. above the garage area. Whole building appeared to be about 35X60 or so.

Nice looking though, didn't looked scabbed together or anything. We did something similar (before the neighbor), but stick built a 28X34 garage with full height upper level. I assure you, I had WAY more money in mine than he did, and his was more attractive and had considerably more shop space.

roughstock

There is a morton style building near me that has the nicest apartment/living quarters. Nicer that most houses, actually the owners live in it, it is fully furnished, drywalled, full bath, kitchen, there is a huge shop as well, 3 big bays with heated floors.

My wife and I had similar idea, build a new horse barn, with living quarters we'd live in it until we finished remodeling our house then move into the house and rent out the barn apt. to a college kid who could help out here at the farm etc.

P.J

Probably a fantastic idea.

haulin-rv

Better make sure that saw is unplugged, if she's ****** enough to kick you out she may throw a switch.

tbarbee1

The only problem to consider with the (barn house) is its super hard to keep barn smells out side and house smells inside. I dont think it would be a problem with a garage or shop type application but a friend of mine has his horse barn built this way and there is always a faint smell of ammonia from the horse stalls its never unbearable but its always there in the summer.

dieselfuelonly

I would like to do something like this after I get finished with school and everything... buy a bit of land, and have a shop to keep all my stuff in/work on my truck, etc. and live above it until later on when I could actually afford to build a house.

Just thinking ahead... maybe a little too far though .

Howy

Well, I designed my old house/shop. The upstairs apartment was about 800 square feet. Below that was a four car garage and next to that part was a 20 foot ceiling shop that was roughly 30'x60'. I had a balcony with a railing looking out over the shop. Man, I can't wait to get done with school. Im building another one! Oh, also the 12'x20' deck off the front made for nice quiet evenings. If you need pics I have a few. I can also send over the plans if you really want to see them.

Have a good one.

KWhitelaw

I put a fouton and more important a beer fridge in the garage does that count?

Truckman0097

Thats a rentable apartment for a college kid....