Specialty — Shop Buildings

Shop Buildings in the Tri-Cities

A shop is the building people are most specific about — height, door width, heat, where the compressor goes. Pelican builds shop buildings across Richland, Kennewick and Pasco in both steel and post-frame, and we start by asking what's going to happen inside rather than what size you had in mind.

Shops we build

01

Contractor & trade shops

02

Fleet & equipment bays

03

Personal & hobby shops

04

Shop with office or mezzanine

Most shops we build end up doing two jobs at once — working space plus storage, or a shop with a small office and restroom in one corner. That combination is worth planning from the start, because the mechanical and plumbing decisions are much cheaper before the slab goes down.

Steel or post-frame for a shop?

Both work, and we build both. Whether a steel shop building or a post-frame one is right for you comes down to span, loads and appearance.

  • Post-frame is usually less expensive for shops at moderate spans, and it insulates easily. For a typical contractor or personal shop, it's often the efficient choice. See pole buildings and post-frame.
  • Steel makes sense for wide clear spans with no interior columns, for heavier roof or crane loads, or when the building needs a commercial appearance. See steel and metal buildings.

We'll give you the comparison for your specific footprint rather than a general rule. If post-frame saves you money and does the job, that's what we'll recommend.

The decisions that matter most

After a shop is finished, the regrets are almost always the same four things. Worth thinking about before you call anyone.

  1. Clear height. The most common regret by a wide margin. Plan around the tallest thing that will ever come through the door — a lift, a raised dump bed, an RV — not what you own right now.
  2. Door size and placement. Overhead door width and height determine what the building can actually accept. Drive-through doors on both ends are worth considering if you'll be moving equipment.
  3. Insulation and heat. Far cheaper to build in than to retrofit. In Eastern Washington a working shop needs it, and vapor control matters as much as R-value.
  4. Power and air. Panel size, outlet placement and compressor lines are trivial to plan and expensive to add later. Same for floor drains if you'll be washing equipment.

How we build it

  1. Site walk and use review. What's going in the shop, what has to fit through the door, and how the site drains.
  2. Structure recommendation. Steel or post-frame, with the cost difference for your actual footprint.
  3. Engineering and permitting. Drawings and permits handled — Washington wind and snow loads included.
  4. Site prep, foundation and frame. Grading, concrete, and structure.
  5. Doors, insulation and finish-out. Overhead doors, insulation, interior finish, office build-out if you're adding one.
  6. Walk-through. One contractor accountable start to finish.

Building in Richland, Kennewick, or Pasco? We're a local, licensed Washington contractor working throughout Eastern Washington.

FAQ

Should my shop be steel or post-frame?
For most shops at moderate spans, post-frame costs less and goes up faster. Steel wins on wide clear spans, heavier loads like a crane, or a finished commercial look. We size the recommendation to your use rather than to a preference.
How tall should the shop be?
Plan clear height around the tallest thing that will ever come through the door, not the tallest thing you own today. It's the decision people most often wish they'd sized up, and adding height later isn't practical.
Can you insulate and heat it?
Yes, and we'd encourage deciding early. Insulation, vapor control and heat are dramatically cheaper to build in than to retrofit.
Do you build personal shops, or only commercial?
Both. Contractor and fleet shops, and personal workshops. We take shop projects that fall below typical commercial size thresholds.
Can I add an office or bathroom?
Yes — a shop with a small office, restroom or mezzanine is one of the most common configurations we build. Worth planning before the slab is poured.
What does a shop building cost?
It depends on span, height, concrete, doors and finish level. Our Tri-Cities cost guide explains what actually drives the number, and we'll give you a real figure after a site walk.

Planning a shop in the Tri-Cities?

Tell us what's going inside it and we'll tell you what it takes to build — including which structure saves you money.

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