Garage into Welding Shop

Posted by The Daring Dufas on October 21, 2009, 4:41 pm

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>> wrote Re Re: Garage into Welding Shop:

>>> You need a business permit from the town, you may need a welding permit
>>> from
>>> the town, you need business insurance, the building must meet fire code
>>> for
>>> welding. That may or may not mean a sprinkler system. If you employ
>>> anyone, you have to have workman's comp and meet OHSHA requirements.
>>> Before commiting any money to this, talk to the building inspector, the
>>> fire
>>> mashall, and your insurance agent. Oh, and plans for any changes to the
>>> building may have to be drawn up by an architect before they will be
>>> approved. If you have zoning laws or land use laws, talk to those people
>>> as
>>> well.

>> Now I see some of the reasons that products made in China are so much
>> cheaper.
>> --
>> I filter all messages from google groups.

>
> In 2007 we moved our business from one location to another. While the town
> as very good to work with, it still required a lot of paperwork and
> oversight. as did many other branches of government. A homeowner pays 1% of
> a project cost for inspection fees. Commercial pays 3%. That adds up when
> you are talking $75,000 for electrical work alone. Twice a year we pay $150
> to have backflow preventers tested, Four times a year we pay $800 to have
> the sprinkler system tested. Hoist inspection, fire extinguisher inspection,
> and more.
>
> All of our contractors, such as welders had to be certified, etc.
>
>

OH MY GOD! OSHA is coming! Hide all the dangerous stuff!

TDD

Posted by dpb on October 20, 2009, 7:40 pm

Tony wrote:

> Would there be any building code applicable if I want to section off
> part of my garage for a small welding business? Or is this something I
> get business insurance for and they tell me the specs.?

Well, since you later (why later???) allowed as how you're not in an
area w/ zoning and in TN, insurance for business use of the dwelling
specifically will be required, obviously. There's the question of
liability as well, of course.

Depending on the specific County you might not be required for a
business license but probably are. You do need to do all the other
stuff tax- and registration-wise for State and Feds, of course
(including sales tax, self-employment FICA taxes, etc., etc., etc., ...)

--

Posted by on October 21, 2009, 8:41 am

> Tony wrote:

> > Would there be any building code applicable if I want to section off
> > part of my garage for a small welding business? =A0Or is this something=

> > get business insurance for and they tell me the specs.?

> Well, since you later (why later???) allowed as how you're not in an
> area w/ zoning and in TN, insurance for business use of the dwelling
> specifically will be required, obviously. =A0There's the question of
> liability as well, of course.
> Depending on the specific County you might not be required for a
> business license but probably are. =A0You do need to do all the other
> stuff tax- and registration-wise for State and Feds, of course
> (including sales tax, self-employment FICA taxes, etc., etc., etc., ...)
> --

It's more than just an issue of business insurance. It's an issue of
any existing insurance on the property and what effect this has on
it. I hope the garage isn't attached, as I seriously doubt any home
insurance company is going to cover the house with a welding business
in the garage. And even if it isn't attached, the garage is likely
covered as a structure on the existing policy.

Since he's living in no mans land where he says there are absolutely
no zoning or building laws, which I find hard to believe, I'd start
with talking to the current insurance company.

Posted by SteveB on October 21, 2009, 11:24 am

> Tony wrote:

>> Would there be any building code applicable if I want to section off part
>> of my garage for a small welding business? Or is this something I get
>> business insurance for and they tell me the specs.?

The answers are yes, no, definitely, maybe, I'm not sure, and I don't know.

It starts with zoning. And it ends with neighbors. You are allowed to do
some work in your own garage. But in most zoning codes, you may not
increase the traffic to the neighborhood by having customers come. You may
not have supplies of your "stock in trade" stored. You may not produce
noise that neighbors can complain about. Your activities cannot be visible
from the street. Just SOME things in SOME zoning laws, maybe not where YOU
live.

If you live in a rural area, or a neighborhood where a lot of people already
do this, then you can probably get away with it. It all comes down to the
neighbors. Once one of them call you in, and there's a paper trail, a code
enforcement officer MUST write a disposition of the case. So, a lot depends
on your neighborhood.

The next thing is safety. Welding is a highly dangerous business, and NO
insurance company will cover losses even if you are just hobby welding your
bumper in your own garage. No zoning commission is going to give you a
variance unless you live in such a rural area and have enough property and
the shop is a ways away from the rest of the house. It doesn't come under
home occupation permit.

Next is the insurance issue. If you are doing something you shouldn't be
doing, and you have a loss, it would be like calling the insurance company
and saying, "Hey, my meth lab blew up, and I need an adjuster to come look
at it and fix the half of my house that burned down." Insurance companies
vary, but most will not write policies for commercial activities in
residential zones. Welding is its own bag of snakes. Then you have to have
liability insurance if you go out and do work for others at their site.
Then there's vehicle insurance, unemployment insurance, worker's comp
insurance, FICA, TIN's, etc, etc, etc.

Now, if your shop is going to be a Shade Tree operation, and your
neighborhood is conducive, and your neighbors are not anal complainers, you
might be able to do light work and get away with it. I got into becoming a
steel erection contractor by starting off in my garage, and making
ornamental metal there. I was in a rural area, and my neighbors all had
shops and it was a farm type atmosphere. One could barely hear what was
going on the property next door, as it was 1.25 acre minimum, but most had
more than that.

Lastly, don't let anyone piss on your dream, and don't limit yourself. If
you think you can do good, find a way. I evolved from my garage and a used
truck to a full fledged business, but the biggest blossoming occurred when I
took the risk and got my contractor's license and got a shop where I could
do the work and not be limited. It opened me up to a commercial market that
I could not touch previously. Before, I had been dealing with tire kicking
homeowners at a thousand a job max for a week's work, and on the commercial
side, I took in five times that some days. Two tips: do all you can for
cash and Fuck Obama and all his taxes, and employees are the kiss of death,
do all you can by yourself, or one or two other trusted people if you can
find that many.

Steve, retired steel erection contractor. Welding since 1974, and still
have a shop where I make cash in an Ag-1 zone. Underwater welder, 1g, 2g,
3g, 4g, 6g, 6gTIG, and 2g caisson certified with 6010 open root and 72 pass
cover with .072" wire and argon shield on 1.5" wall thickness 36" diameter
pipe.
(this ain't my first rodeo)

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on October 21, 2009, 12:38 pm

I googled business within a mile of me once, some 30 all in
residential area.

everyone is trying to make a buck to survive

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Garage into Welding Shop - Page 4