Shop build · ballpark estimator

What might a shop cost?

Play with size and options. Numbers update live. Tuned toward Texas / Central Texas–ish ranges where sources allow; otherwise national midpoints with a note in About.

Not a bid. This is a rough planning ballpark (± plenty) so you can sanity-check ideas before talking to builders. Site work, soil, wind zone, permits, driveways, and “oops” will move the real number.

Size & shell

Presets

Length (ft) Width (ft)

Eave / sidewall height Taller walls cost more structure and doors.

12 ft

Building type

Foundation

Insulation

Electrical

Plumbing rough-in

HVAC

Doors & windows

Windows (count) ~installed vinyl / aluminum shop windows.

Interior finish

Contingency

Buffer for surprises Most people should leave 10–15% for site surprises and change orders.

12%

Customize rates

Tweak the midpoints that drive the estimate. Low–high bands scale with your mids. Saved in this browser only.

About the numbers / sources

Built for a Wimberley / Central Texas–area planning conversation. Shell pricing leans on 2025–2026 Texas and national shop / pole barn / metal building guides. Options use national midpoints when local quotes are thin. Everything is labeled as a mid estimate with a wide low–high band.

Rough basis used in the model

Pole barn shell: about $18–$28 / sq ft erected (structure-focused; foundation separate).
Metal building installed shell: about $24–$40 / sq ft inland Texas packages.
Stick-frame garage/shop: about $31–$54 / sq ft for comparable enclosed space.
Slab: about $6–$12 / sq ft reinforced shop slab; gravel pad cheap; piers often a few thousand for a small building.
Insulation / liner / drywall: roughly $1–$6+ / sq ft of floor depending on how finished you go.
Electrical: basic lighting package through a real shop subpanel / 240V circuits.
Plumbing: sink stub vs bath rough-in as flat allowances (not a house).
HVAC: vent-only through single mini-split (common shop path) to a heavier setup.
Doors: mid-grade insulated overhead doors, installed; windows as simple installed units.

Sources skimmed for ranges (read them yourself before trusting any number):

PoleBarnCosts.com — pole barn garage & vs stick-built (2026)
Post Frame Network — Texas pole barn cost drivers (2026)
AA Metal Buildings / Steel Building Kit — Texas metal building package & installed shell ranges (2026)
Steel Building Kit / Alan’s Factory Outlet / estimators.us — slab & foundation ranges (2026)
Current Cost / Garage Door Science — insulation, drywall, door install ranges (2026)

Not included (on purpose for v1): driveway, septic, well, fancy office build-out, crane beams, spray-booth codes, engineered retaining walls, HOA drama, or your cousin who “knows a guy.” Get local bids.