Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
Ever been in the position to design a facility to fit your exact business needs?
One contractor found a space he’d like to build on and looked to his peers at www.expired-link.com to get some ideas on the best ways he can lay out the space. Join the conversation.
Working Man: I’ve been looking for a new shop for a couple of years and have not found the right place to buy or rent. We do a lot of maintenance work and are growing the landscaping side of the business. I found a property that I can get a great deal on. I want to build on it and I’m trying to figure out how to lay it out. Looking for ideas on how to set up the property so that I can sketch something to take to the township for approval before I pull the trigger on the property.
I know that we need a shop (storage and mechanic), office, parking for equipment (seven trucks and trailers and a skid-steer), employee parking (10 to 15 cars) and some space for materials (bigger bay for salt). The property is 2.5 acres and has entry/exit to three roads (two of them are very busy). Here’s a picture of the property. Any Ideas?
JFGLN: Make it bigger then you think you will need.
On a call: Always leave room for expansion. Exposure is always a good thing … well, unless you are sloppy.
Efficiency: You sure it’s zoned correctly for your use? I doubt they want a contractor’s yard next to a retail strip center.
If you can make the lot work with zoning, take what you think is a reasonable number for costs and double it. There will be permits and inspections you didn’t expect. You will need things like a 6-foot privacy fence, a hard surface and a detention basin to handle runoff.
grassmasterswilson: Our city would require curb/gutter, landscaping, handicap parking, fencing, etc. I like that you are taking it to the planning/zoning people before buying. I might even suggest hiring a survey firm for a consultation to see about design and permit costs.
C & T Landscaping: I had a few extra minutes to mess around.
- The pink lines are gates.
- The lime yellow are a chain link fence/employee only.
- The lime green are storage bays for materials and salt.
- The blue/grey are employee customer parking.
That should be enough room for trucks to park and turn around and leave via the truck exit and not the employee lot. Reason for leaving via the truck exit is so that you can go to the light and turn left/right or go straight as opposed to the employee lot where you can only turn right and must make a U-turn.
C & T Landscaping: Here is another one I messed around with when I had more time.
PHOTOS: GOOGLE EARTH, WORKING MAN, AND C & T LANDSCAPING