Purchase Existing Pros

  • CheckmarkExisting loyal customer base
  • CheckmarkStart business immediately
  • CheckmarkPossibility of low price on foreclosed shop

Purchase Existing Cons

  • CheckmarkPoor service record associated with current location
  • CheckmarkAuto shop is confined to the existing design
  • CheckmarkMany are sold “as is” could mean problems

Build New Pros

  • CheckmarkYou can tailor the design of the building
  • CheckmarkSteel buildings are easy to expand
  • CheckmarkSteel is non-combustible = Lower insurance

Build New Cons

  • CheckmarkNeed to purchase land or lease a property
  • CheckmarkPermitting process could delay opening
  • CheckmarkPossibly higher upfront costs

Rent Space Pros

  • CheckmarkLower initial investment
  • CheckmarkMonthly payment may be less
  • CheckmarkCould be by existing traffic generators

Rent Space Cons

  • CheckmarkLandlord
  • CheckmarkNo equity accumulation
  • CheckmarkSpace may not be right for your business

Design Considerations for Starting a Mechanic Shop

General Steel makes starting a mechanic shop simple with easy-to-install steel building kits that are both durable and less expensive than traditional construction. As you begin researching auto shop building plans, here are a few design considerations to keep in mind:

Profitable Openings in an Auto Repair Shop

Most auto buildings have a series of doors down one sidewall. These doors are typically 14 feet tall in order to accommodate semi trucks and these 14’ doors require a minimum 16’ tall building.

Expert Insight

If you don’t need to accommodate semis, you can opt to go shorter on the eave height and door size to save money.

60x100 Auto Shop Layout
About Cross “X” Bracing in Auto Shops

Most steel building designs utilize x bracing in the sidewalls. In the plan above there are 4 openings (one in each bay) along the sidewall of the building. In the auto shop example below, while there are 4 bays available, the x bracing would eliminate one of the access doors. So when it comes to designing your auto shop, we recommend going with portal frames rather than x bracing to gain an access door into each bay. Contrary to x bracing, portal frames allow full-usage of every bay in the shop.

4 Bay Auto Shop Design

If you do choose to opt for x bracing instead of portal frames, you can use that space for additional storage, such as tools or small parts.

More on Bay Sizing

The bays in an auto shop never run smaller than 20 feet wide and never wider than 30′. This is one of the reasons why metal auto buildings are favored over wood buildings; metal framing eliminates the need for interior columns whereas wood buildings require a column every 7 to 8 feet.

60x88 Auto Shop Layout

Frequently Asked Questions

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