I am going to be building a shop this summer. It's going to be a decent sized one. I am looking at a 40' x 50' or 50' x 60' right now. I have a question that I can't seem to get a good answer to. I would like to know how tall the shop walls must be to accommodate a 2 post lift that is all the way up and has a truck with the hood up on it without hitting the ceiling. Also what is a good brand lift? I have been looking at the Bend Pak lifts. Also any ideas on things to do and not do with a shop would be helpful as well.

Jason

 

14 foot ceiling. that is what i have in mine and never had a prob. i was able to put semi;s in here till i put a lift in front bay

 

anywhere from 13-18 ft. 18 ft is tall though..

 

13'-18' sounds about right to me. My 9000lb two post rotary lift is 11'8" tall measured to the top of the safety bar on the top. I think the columns that house the cylinders are 11'4". My lift also has a couple of different mounting holes for the columns and the safety bar mount which I think will bring it down to the 11'-11'2" range. I would first determine what you are going to buy and go from there.

 

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Mine is 15', fits stackers W/AC, semi's & my big bucket trucks. 14' door.

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14' tall is a good number. I would recommend the shop being as rectangular as you can make it. Size like 50x60 is bad, because you have to have much stronger roof members to span that far unless you want a center column or two. You looking at pre-engineered steel or what type of structure?

 

I am looking at pre-engineered buildings. I really just started thinking about what I really want. So it looks like I need 14' walls and maybe a 40' x 60' or 30' x 50' or somthing like that.

 

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42 X 72, no poles, but the spans are frigging expensive. Great advice, thinner is better.
The new shop is probably going to be 40 or 50 X 100. Still fighting with wife.

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14 would do it for me ......depends

you could build the upper level open for a storage area

 

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My buddy made his with a 8' ceiling with the area with the lift, full height. He will never have an enclosed trailer or big truck. So he wanted to keep heating bill lower, and now he can stand up in the attic. Ton's of storage.

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In reality spanning 50' is no biggy. I just meant to minimize any span where you are able. We just put up a 100'x500' building that spans 100' with no columns. ******* nasty girts to do that.

 

We went with 14' based on the idea that we're gonna get a lift soon...

 

mine is 13' high. i have a Rotary 2 post lift that has a 1 foot extension on it.

i can put my 02 2500HD on it and go all the way up with no issues. i also have had a full size van on it and gone all the way up.

 

you can do it fine with 12 if your only putting up smaller car's I found if you want to work on pickup's and the such 16 is much more ideal. that is a lift without the top bar though that will determine the height if it has one.

 

14' minimum.