Shop Houses in Johnson City, TN

Shop houses are the original barndominium idea: a big working building with living quarters inside it. Around Johnson City we plan shop houses for contractors who park equipment at home, farmers who need a dry place for a tractor, and people who want room for an RV, a boat for Boone Lake, a woodworking shop or a home business.

Two kinds of space, two sets of rules

The living side is a dwelling and is permitted and inspected as one. Tennessee's state residential program covers one- and two-family homes, while barns and detached garages that are not used for living do not need a state residential permit. Once the shop and the home share a roof, the building is a home, and the shop side gets designed with that in mind.

The wall between

The wall and ceiling between shop and living space matter for fire, fumes and noise. We plan that separation, a solid door, and the heating and ventilation for each side so the house does not breathe shop air.

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Doors, height and slab

Size the doors for the biggest thing you will park, plus room to grow. Taller eave heights let you add a lift or a mezzanine. Shop floors often need thicker concrete under heavy equipment, floor drains, and a slope toward the doors. In clay valley soils, a well-compacted, well-drained pad keeps that slab from moving.

Power and permits

In Sullivan County, electrical permits come from the State Electrical Inspector assigned to your power board (AEP, BTES or JCPB). A shop with welders, compressors or a car lift needs a service planned for it from the start.

Keeping the shop dry

An unheated steel shop with big doors opening into humid summer air is a recipe for condensation dripping off the roof panels. Insulation and vapor control in the shop matter almost as much as in the house, especially over tools and vehicles.

Driveways and runoff for a working shop

A shop house sees trucks, trailers and equipment, so the driveway matters. In Sullivan County a driveway permit comes from the County Highway Department, or from TDOT when the access is on a state highway, and Carter County asks for a driveway agreement from its highway department before it issues a building permit. A large shop roof and slab also change how water leaves the site. Sullivan County requires a TDEC construction stormwater permit when more than an acre is disturbed, and Carter County requires a stormwater permit for excavation, cut and fill and concrete slabs. We plan the apron, the turnaround and the drainage together.

Shop first, living space later

Tennessee's state residential permit does not apply to a detached barn or garage that is not used for living. If you build the shop first and add living quarters later, the building becomes a dwelling at that point and needs the residential permit and inspections, so we design the slab, plumbing stubs and wall layout with that change in mind.