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Posted

Currently I have been working nights and weekend out of my two stall garage, but that is soon to change. I just got an excepted offer on some property and am planning a new shop for in the spring. The problem I am having in figuring out the dimensions of the new building. I am leaning towards something around 40' x 60' with 14' side walls.

 

So what is everyone's opinion on how deep and wide should each bay be? Is there a standard that is used out there somewhere?



Posted

Currently I have been working nights and weekend out of my two stall garage, but that is soon to change. I just got an excepted offer on some property and am planning a new shop for in the spring. The problem I am having in figuring out the dimensions of the new building. I am leaning towards something around 40' x 60' with 14' side walls.

 

So what is everyone's opinion on how deep and wide should each bay be? Is there a standard that is used out there somewhere?

 

How many bays do you intend to have? Will you have overhead doors for indiividual bays or one main entrace and exit? My advice would be to go and visit as many shops as possible and pick up as many ideas as possible.

Posted

How many bays do you intend to have? Will you have overhead doors for indiividual bays or one main entrace and exit? My advice would be to go and visit as many shops as possible and pick up as many ideas as possible.

I am thinking 4 bays to start with individual doors. I am laying it out so it can be expanded latter.

 

I really am not sure what the main draw is to a single entrance since it requires a bigger building to get the same number of bays. The shop I currently work in for my full time job is double bay deep and I am really not sure I can understand the draw to that either. Please chime in if I am missing something.

Posted

I am thinking 4 bays to start with individual doors. I am laying it out so it can be expanded latter.

 

I really am not sure what the main draw is to a single entrance since it requires a bigger building to get the same number of bays. The shop I currently work in for my full time job is double bay deep and I am really not sure I can understand the draw to that either. Please chime in if I am missing something.

 

Our shop has one entrance and exit. We were forced to build in that fashion due to our commercial subdivsion rules. I didn't like it because I thought it was more expensive just like you do. However, there are some advantages.

 

1. First there is much less heat loss than with doors on every bay. Our utility bill is about the same year round. It doesn't costs me much more to heat our shop in the winter (gas) than it does to cool the office area in the summer.

2. The other thing is that overhead doors can be expensive to install and maintain. In the twelve years we have been open we have spent quite a bit on door maintenace and have even had to replace one door. I would hate to see the cost if I had six or eight doors.

3. We have a lot of room to bring cars in at the end of the day. We park almost every thing inside.

4. Our shop has seven bays but there times that we are working on another 2-3 other cars in our drive through area. It is wide enough to do that. I have even toyed with buying a roll around sissor lift to use in this area.

 

If I ever build another building I will have one way in and one way but it will be ten feet wider than I am now.

Posted

Great advise Frank. Let me add that when I built my new shop, I made the bays 25 feet by 15 feet with 20 ft ceiling and extended height lifts. The reason for the high ceiling was to insure that we had enough room for vans and SUV and light trucks and for a second floor loft, where we built a break room and training room, plus office space.

Posted

The second floor loft is also a great space for storage and inventory. We warehouse our tires on a second floor loft over the office, restrooms, and brake area. If I ever build another shop I will have a lift capable of handling slightly larger vehicles. Currently a 3500 dually is our limit.

Posted

Currently I have been working nights and weekend out of my two stall garage, but that is soon to change. I just got an excepted offer on some property and am planning a new shop for in the spring. The problem I am having in figuring out the dimensions of the new building. I am leaning towards something around 40' x 60' with 14' side walls.

 

So what is everyone's opinion on how deep and wide should each bay be? Is there a standard that is used out there somewhere?

 

 

I agree on the 20 foot high ceiling it is very expensive to ever add it later, I have six bays with 6 doors , yes doors need maintenance but the convenience of being able to access any bay with a tow truck to move a vehicle in is well worth it. Also we can pull 6 cars in front of the bays for small work while you wait for parts or authorization on the bigger jobs inside. I would leave 3 feet or more between each bay door this makes it easier to move equipment around and tool trays and engine hoists around. We have our training and break room above the office since our current shop is 17 feet high which utilizes the space well. Putting in all of the doors upfront is a lot cheaper then retrofitting them later , Use at least 12' doors on some of the bays. I would build my new shop with at least 15' clearance from the front of a vehicle to the wall , Go out and measure some crew cab super duty's and box vans to get an idea of where to place your hoists so you have enough clearance at the rear of the vehicle when the door is closed. Currently our bays are split on 2 sides with the office in the middle which is sometimes good or bad, If you do this allow at least a 6 foot hallway between the two sides and 8 feet of height in the thru way then it is easier to put in a waste oil heater in the future and run ducting to each side. Looking forward to seeing what you can come up with. Industry experts say it now takes 6 bays to turn enough work to afford the diagnostic tools needed to keep up with the current vehicles. Having at least 6 bays allows you to leave a vehicle on a rack while waiting for parts rather then pushing them in and out. We utilize all 6 of our bays and the outside of them everyday with only 3 technicians.

Posted

Be sure to install an exhaust system to allow you to be able to run vehicles indoors during cold months. Tow trunks can pull right into our shop and off load a vehicles and we push them in the bay. Our bays are set at and angle.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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