David, a Great Western customer in our home state of Colorado, wanted to bring his dream woodworking and hobby shop into reality. In addition, he wanted a residential space that he could rent out for medium-term uses. So, when he reached out to Great Western for his building, we were happy to custom-design a phenomenal building that brings together the worlds of a Barndominium, shop, and garage all into one. The end result is a 40 x 50 ft. steel building with everything from a dust-collection and ventilation system to a stunning, fully furnished living space near Rifle, Colorado.
David told us that his choice to go with steel was based on a few factors. These include the cost and, of course, the longevity. David says his building package was $94,000 as designed, and that cost was well worth the lack of maintenance and added durability of a steel building for his dream project.
“Besides the cost of it, it is also super fire-resistant, which is a big concern in Western Colorado. It actually helps you save money on your insurance, and it also has no maintenance because I love doing a really good job up front,” David told GWB.
David is correct! In many cases, one of the biggest advantages of steel over wood in new construction is that steel structures are often substantially cheaper to insure due to their inherent fire resistance, overall strength, and longevity.
David also explains that the building came to be because of his need for more space for his woodworking and gunsmithing hobbies.
“I was tired of building things next to my wife’s car in my tiny garage. She was tired of that, too. So, that progressed to “okay, well, I have a wood shop, and I want to have a sink and a toilet in there,” said David.
He continued to explain that things snowballed until it became the building we see today. Frankly, we think it’s pretty awesome!
David decided to go all-out when it comes to his shop. After all, if you’re going to do it, you’d best do it right!
“I did an epoxy composite floor to make it easier to clean…I did a dust collection system to protect your lungs…and really put some quality shop tools in it. If you’re going to do quality work, you really need quality tools to do it. So, finally in retirement, I’m able to have the things I’ve wanted,” said David.
Beyond the shop space, the residential space above the shop is absolutely stunning. Truly, this building represents the extreme flexibility of a steel building. Whether you’re looking for a simple shop or a complex residence, a steel building truly can do it all!
“Upstairs, we did a really nice additional dwelling unit. We hope to rent it for midterm rentals, actually, like traveling nurses, and tried to put a lot of character into it so it doesn’t feel like a cookie-cutter home. It kind of ballooned from a little tiny thing into something relatively big, but it’s kind of cool,” said David.
We’re thrilled to have been a part of this project. David and his wife built something truly special, and the fact that it all started with a Great Western Building puts a smile on our faces!
Looking to build? Reach out to our team, and we’ll do everything we can to bring your dream into reality, too. If you have a vision that demands reliability, flexibility, and a partner that can move fast, we are here to make it happen.
You can get started by designing your building with our 3D Building Designer tool, requesting a quick quote, or contacting our team directly with your project details.
You should receive your estimated quote by email shortly. Please keep in mind that this is just an estimate and does not include snow loads, wind loads, county specific code requirements, delivery or design specific engineering calculations related to the structural soundness of the building.
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