Design
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Read moreA metal shop built for a two-post lift needs enough eave height to raise a vehicle fully, a bay wide enough for the lift’s footprint and open doors, a slab thick and strong enough for the lift’s anchors, and building anchoring specified for the loads a lift puts on the floor. Most of that can’t be changed after the building is up, which is why we ask about a lift before we quote a shop.
Height
Most two-post lifts stand roughly 12 feet tall at the columns, and you need working room above the vehicle at full rise. In practice that means a clear height of at least 12 feet and an eave height taller than that to allow for trusses and lights. A 14-foot eave is a common starting point; a taller truck or van pushes it higher. The number to check is the lift’s overall height in its manual, plus the tallest vehicle you’ll raise.
Width and depth
A lift bay needs room for the lift’s footprint, the vehicle, and open doors on both sides with a person working between them. Plan each lift bay wider than a normal parking bay, and leave depth in front of or behind the lift for a workbench and for walking around a raised vehicle.
The slab
Lift manufacturers specify the concrete their anchors need. Many call for at least 4 inches of 3,000 psi concrete, cured, with no seams or cracks under the columns; some call for more. Check your lift’s manual and build the slab to it. Concrete is where this company started, so ask about the slab when you ask about the building. See foundation options.
Anchoring
A shop floor holding a two-post lift sees loads a storage garage never does. The building’s anchoring and the slab under the lift should be specified for that, not copied from a standard carport spec. This is one of the first things Metal Dreams asks about when quoting a shop.
Doors
Overhead doors should clear the tallest vehicle with room to spare, and be placed so you can drive straight onto the lift. A 12-by-12 door is a common choice for a mechanic shop with trucks. Put a walk door near the lift bay for coming and going without opening the big door.
Power, air, and lighting
Plan the wiring chase for the lift’s circuit, the compressor location, and lighting over the bay before the building is built. Those are easy to run while the framing is open and awkward afterward.
“I don’t have a lift yet”
If there’s any chance of one, build for it now. Taller walls and a lift-rated slab cost a little more today and nothing compared with a second building later. Tell us when you request a free estimate, and read why clear-span framing matters for a working shop.
