how big is your facitily

[ColoPrinthead]

I just broke out my tape measure and its bigger than I thought, 15.5x30ft. If two people had to work in here, there would be murder. I'm hoping to get another cutter and extra set of hands by 2013 and will probably get more space when that happens.

 

[Signed Out]

we are two weeks into our 3rd year and have been in a 36' x 28' (1008 sq. ft) building that used to be a maintenance 3bay garage. we (my partner and I) gutted the place and took out 2 of 3 overhead doors and with a little paint and floor epoxy turned it into our shop. at first the place was huge but for the past year has been getting smaller and smaller and now with plans to get some help in here this coming spring we have mad the decision to expand and are in the process of nearly doubling our shop size wtih an addition that is 36' x 26' which will be a grand total of 1944sq.ft. next on the list a 20'x65' install bay on one side of the building with a 14' overhead door but thats a few years out.....

some ways we save space build shelves under your tables and all over you walls build vinyl storage racks and get a shed to store substrates in aswell as the drops that you want to keep. also we pile as much as possible on our desk haha

 

[SD&F]

We moved to a better laid out building that was set up as quads.
It is about 20,000 sq. ft. and we added 2 blasting and priming booths that extended out to the side of the sanding quad. I think that no matter how great your design is, you will always find that something was not planned for. Good luck

 

[mnapuran]

We are in 2700 sqft.... and it would be pretty good if we could re-lay out the office space area. As it is, our production room is just too small. Printer, laminator, cutter and work table in a room that is 24'x13' is just too small. We are about 1300 sqft of office, and 1400 sqft of warehouse space.

 

[Fatboy]

My motto......small is beautiful, provided you own it.

 

[jasonx]

We moved out of mums lounge room and into 690 square metres. Movings a pain in the *** always aim bigger.

 

[SightLine]

Just bought an moved into a property with 4 buildings totalling 21,500sf. Really only going to occupy and use about 10ksf for the sign business. Other uses planned for the rest....

 

[jayhawksigns]

5000sf here right now and we are out of space. Getting prices on putting up a 40'x40' building to do sign construction/metalworking in and to have a place we can work on vehicles up to semi trucks out of the weather. Plans are to expand it to 80'x40' eventually.

 

[TwoNine]

Just got some new digs ourselves. Moving in December to 6500sf. 3 Phase and air drops EVERYWHERE! 2 roll up doors (both automatic now), an overhead 2 ton crane, screw type compressor, paint booth on-site (external from mentioned square footage), solvent paint disposal system, access to two major freeways, ~1/8 arce yard, dedicated 'clean room' for vinyl (this is a big deal for us) and 4 new offices! Plus a little room upstairs that is going to be a 'family room' for my son and wife to have and decorate with a nice little couch, tv, coffee table, etc! We are looking forward to the new place - but not so much the actual moving process itself - a lot of work in store!

 

[Vital Designs]

Just shy of 10K sqft. I just recently moved from a 100' x 100' to a 60' x 160'. The new facility is setup much better. The first 70' is showroom and production. The rear is a combination of heavy production(CNC, welding etc) and bays. Front and rear are individually climate controlled which is great. We are still cramped.

Bare in mind we do Signs, Wraps, Embroidery and Screenprinting so equipment takes up a large amount of space.

If you do any vehicle graphics/wraps you need at least a climate controlled bay for 2 vehicles. The longer and higher the better.

I agonized over placement of equipment and workspace to optimize workflow. There are so many things to take into account. Power location, environmental considerations (printers especially), safety factors etc. You have to figure out what would be your largest project you would do.

Obviously outward appearance and showroom would be very important if you had customers coming to your location.

Ultimately having a solid business plan should dictate your space requirements.

 

[Suz]

Well, I have a few work areas now, trying to condense it down. Rent is going up in January if I stay where I'm at in my big shop.

My big shop at Industrial Park is about 2,100 sq.ft, My office at home, about 120 sq. ft, and my Art Studio (built for business behind house) is about 400 sq. ft. Can't believe I used to do everything in that 400 square foot studio!!!

I'll be moving out of the leased space soon, which is the largest space I have. going to downsize to a 600 sq ft. facility, but I'll still have the Art Studio and office space at home. Art Studio houses my screenprint set up with carousel printer and all associated screenprint stuff!!!

At the new location, I have not signed a lease yet, but Landlord is laying in the Electrical to fit my layout, which does include those (2) 20 amp dedicated plugs I need for my HP Latex. So, I won't have to have anything done special, it is being done special for me.

Getting excited and stressed out about moving in the middle of winter! Things are slow with $ right now, but still busy. Hope we can do it quickly when we move!

 

[TwoNine]

Well, I have a few work areas now, trying to condense it down. Rent is going up in January if I stay where I'm at in my big shop.

My big shop at Industrial Park is about 2,100 sq.ft, My office at home, about 120 sq. ft, and my Art Studio (built for business behind house) is about 400 sq. ft. Can't believe I used to do everything in that 400 square foot studio!!!

I'll be moving out of the leased space soon, which is the largest space I have. going to downsize to a 600 sq ft. facility, but I'll still have the Art Studio and office space at home. Art Studio houses my screenprint set up with carousel printer and all associated screenprint stuff!!!

At the new location, I have not signed a lease yet, but Landlord is laying in the Electrical to fit my layout, which does include those (2) 20 amp dedicated plugs I need for my HP Latex. So, I won't have to have anything done special, it is being done special for me.

Getting excited and stressed out about moving in the middle of winter! Things are slow with $ right now, but still busy. Hope we can do it quickly when we move!

Love the vinyl storage area.... Cute little colorful rolls laying around everywhere!

 

[Suz]

Love the vinyl storage area.... Cute little colorful rolls laying around everywhere!

I know, I know, gotta store those better! So, cute works! LOL!
Not mentioned is the fact that the ceilings in the space are about 20 feet high. Gives me plenty of room for storage up the walls, or in a loft with a ladder or something! Perhaps an elevator?

 

[TwoNine]

I know, I know, gotta store those better! So, cute works! LOL!
Not mentioned is the fact that the ceilings in the space are about 20 feet high. Gives me plenty of room for storage up the walls, or in a loft with a ladder or something! Perhaps an elevator?

Totally - Goes without saying - but no shop is complete without a vinyl elevator!

 

[threeputt]

Just a nick under 5,000 square feet.

We are bulging at the seams. We have some stuff so high up on shelves we use a 12' step ladder to reach it.

Need a bigger space. But the location is killer.

 

[Fatboy]

Its not the size of your sign shop, its what you do with it that matters.

 

[legacyborn]

Just a nick under 5,000 square feet.

We are bulging at the seams. We have some stuff so high up on shelves we use a 12' step ladder to reach it.

Need a bigger space. But the location is killer.

have you thought about a second location?

The company I work for (for all of another 30 minutes) has a retail shop (2000sf or so) and a production shop that is in BFE so the rent is dirt cheap(no idea how big it is)

Seems to work for them.

 

[eforer]

22,000 square feet. Started in my parents garage in 2004 when I was just out of college, moved to a 900 square foot unheated space with no windows or plumbing, then moved to a 3,000 square foot lace mill and then to our new space 3 years ago. I thought we would never outgrow it and now we are out of space again.

 

[Mosh]

My building is 90'x120' and then I have the place next door that is 24'x90'...I use 20% of it at this time. The rest is getting filled up, my daughter thinks I need to call American Pickers to come in ....

BTW it is paid for in full....

 

[ForgeInc]

BTW it is paid for in full....

You da man Mosh!