Walk out basement vs shop out back?

SHINTON

SHINTON

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Triad area of NC
We have a house plan already in mind, and as we are looking at land, I have been adamant that I wanted a full walk out basement for me to put the toys! I am hoping to get some feedback from those with experiences from either perspective and ball park numbers?

The house itself will likely be about 2700sf, 4 bedroom, split design with Master on one side of the house, 3 bedrooms on the other with LVR, Kitchen in the middle. 2 car (or more) garage out back behind the 3 bedrooms.

Basement option, my assumption is the land would slope down towards the master bedroom side, away from the garage and an entrance then from side or rear, etc. I "think" a full unfinished basement, which would be most if not all of that same 2700sf as upstairs, would cost about $30-40k? Superior Walls / poured concrete, something really good to keep out dampness now and forever! Height will be as much as the land would support but hoping for 12-14' if I am that lucky so I can put in a lift. So at $30k, 2400sf (40x60) that is $12.50 per SF. $40k takes us up to $16.67 per sf.

Pros: Included in overall house cost, so no issues with mortgage / construction loan! Would add 'value' for appraisals. Walking downstairs to do the work, and temps would likely be consistent year around without much heating / cooling?

Cons: Could not really expect to do any painting / stinky, and NOISY air tools, compressors and other such could cause wifely issues. Cost is much higher than metal building!? Land MUST be sloped perfectly and/or fill dirt if it is not?


Metal Building option: I am seeing these with concrete included at $8-10 per sf, but I assume insulation will be another $1500-2000? Then any cost of adding a heat / cooling (wall unit?) source. So for $11,625 I see an ad locally for 30x48x12 with two garage doors and walk out door. I am not sure I "need" the extra room of a full basement, 2400 sf versus this 1440 sf?

My dad has a nice workshop 24x32 that cost $30k years ago but is 1.5 story, built onsite, wood walls, and full vinyl/brick to match the main house. He is always wishing he had more room than the 768sf he has and it is tight. We have a carport out behind it for overflow and my poor topless jeep is under there a few nights this week as the garage was FULL.

The workshop is much stronger built, we have a hoist in the ceiling, I assume a metal building would not support that for lifting stuff (like engines and other things) or I would have to build an internal frame, etc.

Pros: Cheap per SF. Can paint / set aside a "paint booth" if desired. Taller / so lift would fit for sure.

Cons: Not sure this extra $15k would be included in my original mortgage / construction loan? Heating and cooling issues for winter and summer? Possibly considered "ugly" by the wife.


Ok, so that is the first iteration of this, wanted to get feedback, especially on my $30-40k basement figures that I threw down here?
 
SHINTON said:
Cons: Could not really expect to do any painting / stinky, and NOISY air tools, compressors and other such could cause wifely issues. Cost is much higher than metal building!? Land MUST be sloped perfectly and/or fill dirt if it is not?
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You forgot the most important one.FIRE!! A cutting or welding spark could ignite a fire and you lose the whole house just not a garage.Mine is block w a tin roof and I still worry about it catching fire when Im cutting on some ol pos truck.
 
Hey Sam! Long time no see man!


Lots of reasons IMHO for a separate "shop" over a basement

  • Grading cost: Hit a vein of granite and you've doubled your basement budget
  • Water: It takes a LOT of supervision during construction to get a basement that stays dry. I spent a small fortune waterproofing a 1962 ranch basement, and still had high levels of moisture. Easier to control in new construction, but still....it may be a factor.
  • Smells: I could fart in my basement and my wife would use that as an excuse to have to eat dinner out that night. And the way I use brake cleaner, the EPA may STILL come knocking after a trip to the gun range this week
  • Fire: (see post above)

I've got 2 buddies who built a house and a shop with one loan. They didn't seem to have issue getting funding for it, nor with concrete drive back to the shop incorporated into mortgage
 
I cast my vote for a separate shop. I have a 2 car basement garage now that houses my toys and my tools and my old house had a 1 car in the basement. My biggest issue is the smell associated with doing almost anything. Then comes the noise. Hard to have my compressor going and using an impact or air hammer at midnight.
 
With all of this in mind, the "wife's" storage comes to mind, she was going to be allocated a VERY small portion of the basement for her crap. The house is all one story, but isn't adding bonus room type storage over the garage and/or the whole house a matter of just getting the 'right' trussing and having it all walled / floored in? So if I go for the shop, we could still put her junk upstairs out of the way... Liking the shop concept more and more here...

Any ideas on the "cost" of the basement? Is my 30-40k a good number? This goes to negotiations on why I NEED a 40x100 $30-40k shop out back! :)
 
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Let me add this. I would do a sperate shop. Leave basement unfinished except I'd add a bathroom. Even if it is just stubbed out

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I love having a basement for the fact it stays cool, and I like the idea of being able to access water pipes and such easier than a crawlspace or built-on-slab. That said, at our new land we will be building a house without a basement and a separate shop for all the reasons previously listed. I don't NEED a basement and we will just have some storage rooms upstairs in the house for the wife's stuff (Christmas decorations, etc etc). That and for where our house will be building a basement would be REALLY tough.
 
Both I say!

I'm lazy and hate having to walk back to my shop when it is really cold out, but it is also nice because you can make all the noise you want and it doesn't effect the house.
 
I'd love a basement, but wouldn't put vehicles in it.
Last year my father-in-law was working on his truck in their basement. The truck caught fire and caught their home on fire. Fire dept arrived relatively quickly, but wouldn't enter the house to fight the fire because the truck was still in the house. His neighbor brought over his trail rig, and they crawled on the basement floor with a chain, hooked it up to the truck, and pulled it out. By that time, there were no rubber tires left, only steel wheels. Then the fire dept entered and put out the fire. They were displaced from their home for months during the extensive repairs.
 
You can never have a shop thats too big.If your using a basement for a shop your limiting yourself for sure.Hard to build on to a basement when you run out of room.My shop is 24X40 w a 12 foot ceiling and while its not huge its bigger than others.I would love to put another 20 foot on it.
 
Basements rock. We have a fully finished basement and our oversized two car is next to it. Sound wise is not too bad. Basement/Garage is separated by block/drywall so it keeps the noise down. The wife is adamant that I build a detached garage to store the Willys/other projects. I would get an unfinished basement and then use the leftover money to build a detached garage.
 
I have a full basement, partial garage.
Partial finished.

Basement garage sucks.
 
Both

The shop to work in and the basement for storing all the things that end up in a shop taking up space. I also like the basement for working on small projects that don't stink or involve flames because it's not to hot in the summer or cold in the winter.
 
Both.
Garage for garage stuff - basement for basement stuff.
Do your marriage a favor and let Wifey have part of the basement.

I had a basement garage in Lewisville and while it was awesome during winter do be able to just go downstairs and work... I couldn't do loud stuff at night or smelly stuff while the family was home.

I think this horse is dead.
 
Ever broken in a stroker with an open header in your basement shop?
Or narrowed and shaved housings in the basement?
Even better, set up countless ring and pinions in your basement?
Noise, dust and smell throughout the house was enough for my wife to encourage me to have a separate shop (albeit rental commercial property).
My next house will have the work shop detached so the basement can be used for lawnmower, tractor and beer fridge.
 
Ron said:
I have a full basement, partial garage.
Partial finished.

Basement garage sucks.
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Similar to my setup, except I love it.

Infamous1 said:
View attachment 241520 i love my basement for tinkering but dont do any welding or grinding....
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This would not pass inspection.

I have a 40x60 rectangular house with full basement. 10" thick, 10' tall poured walls. Garage entry is from one end and garage is slightly over half way. Back is semi-finished. Code/inspection required dual layer of fire rock between garage and living space and every crack sealed. The door to living space is a well sealed exterior door. I paint, weld, grind, etc and never smell anything upstairs.

Garage portion is under kitchen/living/dining and bedrooms are on the other end. If you're being really loud you can hear it, but not bad. I can faintly hear the air compressor from my bed if I forget and leave it on. House floor is trusses with thick insulation so that helps with the sound.

Temperature stays 60-80 year round. Back portion is conditioned so I can open the door between the two if needed.
 
I wouldn't want a shop in my basement, but I love having a basement. We have superior walls with spray insulation above. Basement stays about 2 degree cooler year round,air handlers are down there but not open to basement. Never had a drop off moisture. I have a single door for classic truck, atv, and mower. All unfinished, garage area sheet rocked for code. I can't remember what ours cost but I think you are a little low, but it was worth it. You can add a detached later, kinda hard to add a basement.....
 
Jody Treadway said:
Ever broken in a stroker with an open header in your basement shop?
Or narrowed and shaved housings in the basement?
Even better, set up countless ring and pinions in your basement?
Noise, dust and smell throughout the house was enough for my wife to encourage me to have a separate shop (albeit rental commercial property).
My next house will have the work shop detached so the basement can be used for lawnmower, tractor and beer fridge.
Click to expand...
Tell her that's the smell of money!! I think Tonya has gotten use to it,she don't mention the smell any more.But its not in the house just in the driveway.
 
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