The one spec that cannot be changed later.
Nothing in the middle of your floor.
Second gable door changes how you work.
Vapour barrier or insulation, specified at order.
Tell us where power and air go.
No credit check required.
A two-post lift needs roughly twelve feet of clearance to raise a vehicle; a four-post with a car on it needs more. Add lighting and overhead lines and fourteen feet is a sensible floor for a shop you intend to work in rather than just park in. This is the single specification that cannot be changed after erection, and it is the one we get called about most often afterwards. If you are between heights, take the taller.
Ten feet handles most vehicles. Twelve handles trucks with racks and most trailers. If a dually with a fifth wheel or a tractor with a mounted implement is in your future, measure it now and add clearance. A second door on the opposite gable turns a dead-end shop into a drive-through, which changes how the space works far more than the cost difference suggests.
An uninsulated steel roof over an unconditioned shop sweats. Warm humid air meets cold steel overnight and rains on your tools and your work by morning. This catches people out across the entire Southeast, not just the coast. Specify a vapour barrier or insulation package at order — retrofitting is more expensive and less effective than doing it at build.
We do not run electrical or air, but where openings and framing sit determines what your electrician can do cheaply. Tell us roughly where you want the panel, welder outlets and compressor, and we will place framing and openings accordingly. It costs nothing at design stage and is genuinely expensive to work around later.
About twelve feet of clear height for a two-post lift to raise a vehicle fully; more for a four-post with a car on top. Allowing for lighting and overhead lines, fourteen-foot eaves is a sensible minimum. Eave height cannot be increased after erection, so err taller.
30'×40' gives a two-bay shop with storage and is our most-quoted size. 40'×60' allows multiple projects, a lift and a parts area. If you are between sizes, extra length costs far less per square foot than extra width.
In the Southeast, yes — primarily for condensation rather than temperature. Bare steel over an unconditioned shop sweats overnight and drips on tools and work in progress. Specify a vapour barrier or insulation at order rather than retrofitting.
It depends on size, eave height, doors, insulation and whether your county requires certification. We price from current steel coil cost. Call (252) 375-3651 or send dimensions and you will have a number within 24 hours.
Tell us the size, your county and what you are storing. We quote from current steel pricing — no obligation, and we will tell you if a different size suits you better.
