Custom Muscle Car Garages - Build Your Own Garage

The good news about buying or leasing an industrial or commercial space is that you aren't starting from scratch-the building is already up. Usually these places have concrete floors, roll-up doors, an HVAC system, and lots of current coming into the building. Plus, there will be bathrooms with running water, and offices or smaller rooms that can be used as storage or "hangout" rooms. Noise regulations usually aren't a concern in commercial or industrial areas, either, so it's unlikely the neighbors will be calling the cops if you're grinding or using the air hammer in the middle of the night.

Plan to be visited by city inspectors, but don't expect to be harassed as long as your place conforms to the zoning codes. Plant says the city's concerns mostly center on pollution and environmental hazards. Don't leave gunk lying around on the floor, don't pour crap down the drain, keep the place neat, and they'll have bigger fish to fry than your little hobby shop. Be aware that certain jobs like bodywork are not permitted in all commercial or industrial zones. If you're planning a lot of bodywork, be sure to find a place that specifically allows it.

One last option is for the entrepreneur. You could buy an existing shop and open your own business. Fix cars to pay the bills during the week, and fix up your cars in the evening and on weekends. That's what Matt Delaney of Huntington Beach, California, did. "I was working in a salvage yard and had accumulated a lot of cars. The yard went out of business and I had no place to keep them." So he bought Bay Automotive, an existing repair shop, which operates out of a multi-unit automotive business park.

The upside to this is that everything is already in place-specialty tools, lifts, and air compressors. If you're a good mechanic, you can earn a lot of money fixing people's cars. The downside is that because you are fixing other people's cars, it may also feel like work when you're working on your own car. In addition, there are a number of costs involved in running a repair business-insurance, payroll, taxes, and hazardous waste fees.

Building your own shop is a huge task. But like restoring a car, it can be done if you research the job and plan and budget properly. Talk to people who've done it before. Look at the layout of dealerships and independent garages that you frequent for ideas of the kind of place you'd like to build for yourself. Help is also available online. Check out The Garage Journal (garagejournal.com), a message board dedicated to the construction of cool garages and workshops. Surf over and prepare to be inspired.

By Courtesy Bottom Line Steel Buildings

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