Outbuilding Questions

I will be moving to a "country setting" this year. My dream place is a small house with a large detached garage. My hobbies include blacksmithing/welding, woodworking and vehicle maintenance. I need about 3 generous stalls with overhead doors for access, lighting and ventilation. I don't plan to install a vehicle lift; my work can be done with ramps or a hydraulic jack and safety stands. A strong back for the potential to safely use a chainfall to pull an engine would be nice but not necessary. A wood frame building is fine, I would apply concrete backer board or fire rated sheetrock with taped and mudded joints in the vicinity of any hot work. I will ensure the building gets 100 amp 240 service. I also have the abilty to apply my own siding, shingles and interior wiring (to code), so a "weathered in" shell with a concrete floor wouldbe fine. (I did concrete work in my 20's and didn't like it, I'm not doing more than a pad for an AC unit or backup generator these days!). I am in southeast Virginia. Any suggestions or builder recommendations are welcome.

If you are going to set up a welder and future equment I would think you would want more then a 100 amp service.

My "go to" machine is a 210 amp MIG welder that draws about 23 amps from the line wide open. My back up is a 235 ampAC/160 amp DC stick welder that supposedly draws 49.5 amps wide open but I've run it since I've had it on a 30 amp dryer circuit (I use 1/8 rods at about 120 amps DC). I joke about putting a 200 amp entrance service on a garage with a 100 amp drop to the house, but in reality, I think I'll be fine with 100 amps. It's a hobby, so I'm not on the clock.

Grass ala Mowed said:

My "go to" machine is a 210 amp MIG welder that draws about 23 amps from the line wide open. My back up is a 235 ampAC/160 amp DC stick welder that supposedly draws 49.5 amps wide open but I've run it since I've had it on a 30 amp dryer circuit (I use 1/8 rods at about 120 amps DC). I joke about putting a 200 amp entrance service on a garage with a 100 amp drop to the house, but in reality, I think I'll be fine with 100 amps. It's a hobby, so I'm not on the clock.

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No problems with what you have, but what if you want something more in the future. Can't be that much more in cost to go bigger. My first shop I went with a 60 Amp service and found after a air compressor running, lights, and welding at the same time I had to keep replaceing fuses. Now this is back in the 50's and I was useing a buzz box welder so they may of had more draw back then??

I'm not worried about the electrical service. I was hoping someone in the southeast Virginia/northeast North Carolina area would have already had an outbuilding and could recommend a company/builder.

Being I'm from the Northeast I can't help with a builder, but I can add to the electrical service comments. My house service is 200 amps. From the house I feed my woodshop 50 feet away with 100 amps. My table saw is 240 volts and 3 hp, the vac and compressor are also 240 volts. I also have a number of other stationary tools and have never had a problem even with dimming lights. I have 11 twin 40 watt floresent lights. From the garage (woodshop) I jump to the barn with 100 amps (200 ft away) There I have 12 twin floresents and a 60 gallon air compressor (240 volts) I have a welder 300 amp AC/DC, drawing a max of 70 amps. I have it wired for 50 amps never had to weld anything using the max amps. I have a car lift, plasma cutter, mig etc. Again I have never had a problem with power not even lights dimming. Of coarse, if I'm working in one I'm not in the other and I only use one machine at a time.

My newest shop is a machine shop and is also 100 ams, but its located in the house so no big deal.

Just my input.

Good luck on the move.

In my daily job I work with large, high voltage emergency generator systems, so the electrical side of a detached garage is the area I know the most about. I want a weathertight shell built quickly and professionally by a competent crew at a fair price. I'll handle the wiring, lighting and interior finish beyond the secondary electrical panel, one outlet and one light needed to get the inspector's signoff.