How to Plan for a Metal Shop Building
Planning for a metal shop building is an involved process. You must ensure that you have all the proper permits and clearances to operate a business, especially one that may deal with explosive welding gases. You first must check that the property is cleared for a commercial-use building and for light industrial work. Noise regulations may also be a factor because of the noise of lathes and grinders.
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Instructions
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Check the zoning. Consult your local government or zoning board for information on what your property is zoned for. Most jurisdictions have zoning restrictions on land to prevent industrial buildings from being built next to homes. You may need to obtain permission to use your property for a metal shop if it is in a mixed zone.
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Consult a surveyor. Hire a surveyor to take measurements of the layout of your property and of the soil composition. The design of the building will depend on the shape of the property and what infrastructure you need, such as a feeder road or a power line. You also need to know how much moisture is in the soil before pouring concrete or placing steel anchor beams.
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Consult an architect. Look for one who specializes in industrial design. Give him your requirements for the metal shop building, how many employees you will have, how much metal stock you will be taking in, how much product will be shipped out, the machines you will be using and their electricity and water requirements.
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Provide the architecture plan to your contractor. The contractor may make suggestions on changes to the plan. Discuss with the contractor any possible changes to the materials to be used as well. The type of concrete and steel is of vital importance especially if your metal shop building is on the coast where there is a lot of moisture.
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References
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