My company is opening a new domicile in Boise and we're considering making the move.
Combining that the kids are getting closer to moving on, with retirement No more than 10 years off, we're imagining how and where we want to live, and more property is the number one desire.
That property has to have room for an escape for me, or a Doghouse for her to send me to.
The plan is to build a LARGE barn/garage/Auto and other hobby Shop where I can store the boat or an RV. I need to have two different car lifts (4 post for working under the car, and a two post for suspension work), as well as room for at least 6 cars under various stages of restoration.
As such it'll need 240V, air lines, De-ionizing water system and a Laundry area for work clothes. Figure I'll put an auxiliary waste oil heater for the used engine oil that I'm really getting tired of running to the recycling tanks.
Being it'll be a dog house, I figure I'll need a place to sleep, which means at least a 3/4 bath, efficiency kitchen where I can brew beer (Yeah FR I like beer), and a man cave/loft for just chilling. Probably put in a "wine cellar" for fermenting and storing the beer.

We're anticipating the oldest to be a bounce back, as he is still not 100% from his car wreck at 16, so the Barn could be a good place for him to be independent, but have us available.

So how big, and what features would you design into it.
For any of you who have watched Holmes on Homes (or it's follow on shows) he did a project Barn for himself, which had some really nice things that I won't be able to really afford, but want to try.

Silverbullet, what part of Boise should we be looking that is about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes from the airport, but isn't too bad for traffic. It's the Traffic that's getting worse here that is driving the desire to leave.

One thing you didn't mention that I would definitely have is a clean room with a workbench to rebuild engines and parts. One of my friend's father built one on the back of his 2-car garage and it was REALLY nice to have somewhere that was not always dusty and dirty where you could plunk a part on the table to work on it.

If you are going to paint, think about air handling and being able to partition off a smaller booth.

I would also think about a beam hoist, though finding the best position for it can be a challenge.

For me, the only reason I would have a 4-post lift was to store one car on top of another easily. For working under the car, I would prefer the 2-post lift, and as you mentioned, there are a lot more tasks that can be done using the 2-post model.

Size -- as big as possible. Did you even have to ask???

You're making me jealous already.

Traffic is growing here, but nothing like the city. I would probably look in Star or South Nampa. Star is more horses and fields which is currently being built up. South Nampa is more ag production with horse properties thrown in. They have some feed lots, larger farms, etc.

If you want to be in the hills. Look at wilderness ranch. About 45 minutes to town but close to the lake.

If you are going to store an rv you want at least 12' wall. If you are consider a 5th wheel 14' walls.

Radiant heat in the slab would be nice.

Trench in slab.

This is an area that I'm TOTALLY unsuited for so I won't give any advice, but I will say that I want to come down and help you sample your beers when you get it all done.

I'll trade you that for a day on the boat!

We might actually get a Boise babc get together.

Real good idea. Probably put a Parts washer, hydraulic press, and small blast tank in that area. Probably that would be a good place for the Shop sink


Maybe large enough for sandblasting frames? Would it be possible to use it as a washdown area and paint area or is that asking for too much multitasking?



Initial guess is 40 -45 wide and 60-70 deep. But that is a total anal extraction number. Will expand as y'all come up with more need to have stuff, or shrink as budget realities come up.
10x13 foot door for boat parking on one side with the tower up. Either a 20 wide x 10 high door, or a sliding barn style door in the middle, and no door on the other side as that would be the "clean room" and finished car parking area. Daily drivers will be in the attached garage of the house that will be built after the barn.
Picture a true barn, with the ground floor as the workshop, and the Hay storage loft as the "living quarters/dog house."

I would not want the parts washer or blast tank in that room as they are too messy. They would be in the general work area, as they have been in my past and current garages.


My preference for a painting area would be one that could be easily cleaned before preparing to paint. Anything that makes dirt or dust would not be there, though parking daily drivers might be an acceptable compromise.

One bay for parking cars that could be converted to a paint booth, a second bay for long term working on cars with lift(s), and a clean room would make me happy. All the fabrication tools like sanders, welders, and such would be in the work bay.

My garage is basically a work area, so cars are parked in the driveway and when it is time to paint I have to set up a redneck garage in the driveway.

Will this be a two story structure?

Yep,
Ground floor will be garage/workshop
2nd level apartment/man loft.

Design your garage to be divisible by common material sizes. For instances make the roof slope and length so you are either using full size or half size sheets of plywood for sheathing in order to minimize waste.

I like the heated slab idea as it will keep your feet warm and thus radiate through your body.

Add a bathroom so you can clean up in the garage rather than going through the house.

Last but not least, a few rocking chairs so you can have buddies come over and drink some adult beverages.

Boise probably isn't happening. Bad experience when we went to Boise look at property and what we are looking for is too far away from the main part of downtown, as in 1.5 hours away.
Basic plan for the barn is slowly coalescing as a Gambrel style barn about 45X80, with an open main bay. On one side we'll put utility hookups for the bathroom and beer brewing area, which will allow utilities to go to the 2nd floor "apartment"
The opposite wall of the garage will have a 15X80 "Lean to".
front 55 feet will be for parking of the Boat and Truck, while the back 25 feet will be broken down into a 15X15 Engine room , and an aft entrance 10X15 storage shed for your typical lawn and Garden tools.

That's what i call a barn. Wow

I think you are missing something. No woodworking shop with all the right power tools, portable and stationary, gluing area, finish room, exotic wood and other necessary supplies?

What will you be using for heating/AC?

Before I had my garage custom designed to match the house (Admiral's orders), I was spending a lot of time on the Barn Pros website.. You might find some idea there.

I can't even draw a straight line, and even with a table saw fence I can hardly cut one. Consequently, I'm not big into woodworking. That means the exotic woods, gluing area, and finish room are out.
I do have a few basics such as Table Saw, chop saw, scroll saw, and even a ShopSmith collecting dust in my garage my dad sent my way when he got tired of clearing the dust off it in his garage.
With that said, I do need to find a spot for the basic wood working and storage of said tools.

Our true desire is Natural gas, with a waste oil burner to augment that to help dispose of used engine oil. Lack of natural gas in the area that was 1.5 hours away from the Boise airport was one of the things that put Boise further down on the list of where to settle down.

Further thoughts. In excavating a room for a beer aging cellar, do excavate even more to build in a concrete encased "safe room?" Would it be better to store and reload ammo in that type of room with fire suppression available, or to have the reloading area above ground?

If you have enough property & the right conditions geo thermal heat is another option.