Opinions on shop layout

Silverado_Express

Silverado_Express

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Location
Clover, SC
Last year I built a 30x40 shop and of course it's not big enough. The problem is mainly if I want to use the lift, I have to open the front roll up door and nose the vehicle in that Bay out in order to have enough room for the lift bay behind it. So I'm going to add another 10ft section to the back.
Question is whether I should keep current layout and just push the lift back 10ft (option A) or move the roll up door to the side and put the lift essentially in the addition (option B)? One factor to keep in mind is the roll up door can only move in 10ft increments due to the framing etc. So it would mean the door would start 6in from the back right corner (6x6 post framed) which would mean you would have to drive in and do a squiggle to the left in order to keep the lift post off the wall and allow access around the right side of the vehicle to pull axle shafts, work on wheels etc. See pic of option B. This is what worries me most about this option.
Option B would allow for a future lean-to to be added the the back for additional storage. Option A is probably the cheapest since it would only require removing back wall, adding in 10ft, and installing the back wall in same orientation so material should just be for 2 walls and roof.

What says the nc4x4 masses?
Please excuse the drawings, im not an engineer, architect, or artsy
 

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I wouldnt want to have to turn to get on the lift.
 
Option A. I went through this same issue recently as I'm getting ready to set a lift in a 40ft deep shop. Setting it toward the back like yours currently is was my initial choice to maximize space, but after measuring out the usual vehicles that will be on it, I'm just dropping it dead center at the 20' mark. Existing electrical, space for pallet racking along the back wall and a few other reasons dictated this, but in a 50' space I probably would have pushed it to the back so I can pull something in behind it and be able to close the door.
 
I would vote option A also in order to not have to shimmy a vehicle in. I would want a straight shot to push a non-running vehicle in position to get on the lift vs trying to steer it in place. Option A also would still allow you to pull through the shop if needed.
 
Option B also puts the lift on 2 different concrete pads/ sections. Not sure if that matters. And it only yeilds about 8ft in front of vehicle on lift between bumper and wall, whereas if I do option A, I could clear out the vehicle in the front bay if needed and have ~25ft in front of it to pull engines, etc.

Thanks for the comments, I really want to think it through and get opinions so I don't say "what if I had done this" again. I wish I could just make it 60x100!
 
Option A. My lift is only 5" off the wall to the base plate. I've got plenty of room to get around the car and wall and do brakes - however - left side axle shafts get me unless I line it up with the doorway in the wall. Of course I'm skinny.. someone with a bigger physique would may have trouble working on the wall side.
 
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