Bathroom in the shop

[etpm]

When I was a kid we would visit my Grandparents in Santa Monica, CA. Santa Monica is pretty much next to Beverly Hills. Not very rural. My Grandparents had a 5 car garage and two of the bays were my Grandpa's workshop. In the workshop my Grandpa had a toilet installed. Being a kid I didn't understand why he just didn't walk to the house.
When I got older my wife and I bought some land and the first thing that was built was my machine shop. The shop is about 300 feet from the shop. Nevertheless I took what I learned about my Grandpa's shop and put in a bathroom. I even put in a shower. I am so glad I put in that bathroom.
I have two doors into the bathroom, one from the shop and the other from the outside. So when working outside and I or my wife or anyone else gotta go sit on the pot it is very convenient. We have plenty of trees that I "water", and if there is nobody about I can pee anywhere I like. But when ya gotta sit down, and your boots are muddy, and things are urgent, why that outside access to the bathroom is great.
When my neighbor built his shop I encouraged him to put in a bathroom and tie into his septic. He coulda used my backhoe and there was enough elevation change from his shop to get the proper slope to his tank. He did not put in a bathroom and complained for years about not having one.
So if you are building a new shop or barn or whatever I strongly suggest you consider putting in at least a toilet and sink. Especially when you get older the outdoor accessible bathroom is great. If you have power in the shop you can buy small water heaters that hold a couple gallons which will give you practically instant hot water. And if you put in a utility sink the little water heaters can supply enough hot water to mix with the cold so that the sink can be filled with water that's still hot enough to be almost too hot and is great for cleaning stuff you don't want to take into the house.
I know, a long winded post. But I have found my shop bathroom so useful I thought I would pass along my experience.
Eric

 

[Jstpssng]

I have a bootleg outhouse up by my garden, with a 55 gallon drum for the tank so that I don't worry about it leaching someplace I don't want. It saves me running 1/4 mile to the house. I keep planning to put a bathroom next to the door so that I can walk in, take my wet clothes off and drop them into the washer, and step into the shower.
It hasn't happened yet though.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I put a bathroom in my barn years ago when I built it , toilet, laundry sink, and shower, I even used left over tile from the house and tiled the floor.

 

[Doofy]

When I was a kid we would visit my Grandparents in Santa Monica, CA. Santa Monica is pretty much next to Beverly Hills. Not very rural. My Grandparents had a 5 car garage and two of the bays were my Grandpa's workshop. In the workshop my Grandpa had a toilet installed. Being a kid I didn't understand why he just didn't walk to the house.
When I got older my wife and I bought some land and the first thing that was built was my machine shop. The shop is about 300 feet from the shop. Nevertheless I took what I learned about my Grandpa's shop and put in a bathroom. I even put in a shower. I am so glad I put in that bathroom.
I have two doors into the bathroom, one from the shop and the other from the outside. So when working outside and I or my wife or anyone else gotta go sit on the pot it is very convenient. We have plenty of trees that I "water", and if there is nobody about I can pee anywhere I like. But when ya gotta sit down, and your boots are muddy, and things are urgent, why that outside access to the bathroom is great.
When my neighbor built his shop I encouraged him to put in a bathroom and tie into his septic. He coulda used my backhoe and there was enough elevation change from his shop to get the proper slope to his tank. He did not put in a bathroom and complained for years about not having one.
So if you are building a new shop or barn or whatever I strongly suggest you consider putting in at least a toilet and sink. Especially when you get older the outdoor accessible bathroom is great. If you have power in the shop you can buy small water heaters that hold a couple gallons which will give you practically instant hot water. And if you put in a utility sink the little water heaters can supply enough hot water to mix with the cold so that the sink can be filled with water that's still hot enough to be almost too hot and is great for cleaning stuff you don't want to take into the house.
I know, a long winded post. But I have found my shop bathroom so useful I thought I would pass along my experience.
Eric

Good advice for any age group.

 

[3Ts]

I have a bathroom in my shop as well as a washing machine for clothes that my wife doesn't want in her washer in the house. No shower in the shop, but I do have plumbing in-place for an outside shower. And the water heater provision is a good idea as well, our water gets pretty cold at times.

Another suggestion for the shop: I have a separate sink in the shop from the one in the bathroom that is readily accessible. I have an eye wash station attached to it. I am careful to use face shields but sometimes bugs (and other stuff) get in my eye and the eye was station is very handy.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I built my shop with the intention of adding a bathroom. I did add the bathroom about 2 years after building the shop. This is also about the time I added full time employees. It has a shower, sink and toilet. It also has a sink on the outside of the bathroom, but still inside the shop for washing hands, parts, etc.

I was able to tie into my house sewer plant by adding a small tank with a pump to push the solids to my home system.
The shower has been used maybe 10 times over 16 years, but I'm still glad I added it.
I also have a commercial ice maker in my shop. We use ice every day.

 

[Torvy]

I have a bathroom in my shop as well as a washing machine for clothes that my wife doesn't want in her washer in the house. No shower in the shop, but I do have plumbing in-place for an outside shower. And the water heater provision is a good idea as well, our water gets pretty cold at times.

Another suggestion for the shop: I have a separate sink in the shop from the one in the bathroom that is readily accessible. I have an eye wash station attached to it. I am careful to use face shields but sometimes bugs (and other stuff) get in my eye and the eye was station is very handy.

OSHA would be proud. We put a small bathroom in our shop plans. Toilet, sink, corner shower. Also running lines for washer. Building is slow walking thanks to the steel prices and logistics issues. I was hoping it would be done by October... Now January would be a surprise.

 

[bindian]

I am building a sawmill shed. It will be 40x60 or 80. I am planning on a toilet, but the shower and hot water heater sounds like a good idea also. A door from inside the office to the toilet sounds like a good idea also.
hugs, Brandi

 

[scaredychicken]

the first extra in my 30 x 40 ft BARN DESIGN, planned for 5 yrs, building next yr ... is a two piece bathroom. Absolutely, - the house is too far away when I'm busy with tractor, equipment, animals, or vehicles. Convenience saves time; especially in Winter.

a shower is a great idea also, but not practical for me.

 

[bindian]

the first extra in my 30 x 40 ft BARN DESIGN, planned for 5 yrs, building next yr ... is a two piece bathroom. Absolutely, - the house is too far away when I'm busy with tractor, equipment, animals, or vehicles. Convenience saves time; especially in Winter.

a shower is a great idea also, but not practical for me.

I never heard of a two piece bathroom. Is that just a toilet and a sink?
hugs, Brandi

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I put a toilet and big sinks in my shop too. For hot water I installed a tankless water heater, on the idea that I could use it for hot water cleanup. I tried that once and found garden hoses don't do well with hot water. I haven't got around to shopping for better hoses.

 

[mikester]

What, too good for a plastic pail and a few ounces of oil to control the smell?

 

[GSVette]

Put a 3/4 bathroom in my shop when I built it a few years back- had to put my newly drilled well into ‘beneficial use’ as a result of an idiotic WA state Supreme Court decision on domestic wells. I also did the laundry add as it keeps really grimy work clothes out of the house laundry room.

Wouldn’t be without it. Nice to be able to take a hot shower after working on a project.

 

[scaredychicken]

I never heard of a two piece bathroom. Is that just a toilet and a sink?
hugs, Brandi

yes, no tub / shower, pretty basic. that's what i meant probably with small counter and cupboard or shelf ... coffee corner, microwave, mini-fridge, just outside door

 

[etpm]

Put a 3/4 bathroom in my shop when I built it a few years back- had to put my newly drilled well into ‘beneficial use’ as a result of an idiotic WA state Supreme Court decision on domestic wells. I also did the laundry add as it keeps really grimy work clothes out of the house laundry room.

Wouldn’t be without it. Nice to be able to take a hot shower after working on a project.

View attachment 714024

I'm in Washington. On a well. What is the idiotic decision?
Eric

 

[ericm979]

I'm going to put a bathroom (toilet and sink) in the shop I'm trying to get a permit for. The county won't let me have the sink outside the bathroom because someone might drive a car into it. I'd need big bollards in front of the sink to satisfy them. But somehow drywall and 2x4s are enough protection. So the sink will go in the bathroom. It'll get a small instant water heater so I don't have to wash up with cold water in the winter.

The door on the outside is a good idea. I'll have to think about adding it.

 

[GSVette]

I'm in Washington. On a well. What is the idiotic decision?
Eric

A couple of years back the Hirst decision effectively killed building permit issuance in Growth Management Act counties (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane) where the building permit relied on a Permit Exempt Domestic Well for water. Spokane county allowed you to grandfather your well under the pre-Hirst rules if you got your building permit in to review prior to the effective date of Hirst.

Now they are issuing permits relying on wells by means of a water bank ( similar to Kittitas county). Other countries may have handled it differently.

 

[bindian]

I'm going to put a bathroom (toilet and sink) in the shop I'm trying to get a permit for. The county won't let me have the sink outside the bathroom because someone might drive a car into it. I'd need big bollards in front of the sink to satisfy them. But somehow drywall and 2x4s are enough protection. So the sink will go in the bathroom. It'll get a small instant water heater so I don't have to wash up with cold water in the winter.

The door on the outside is a good idea. I'll have to think about adding it.

Why would the county care if a car hits your sink or not? I mean, they didn't buy the sink, did they?
I guess your county thinks cars like to ram sinks upon seeing one!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Doughknob]

What, too good for a plastic pail and a few ounces of oil to control the smell?

My barn has a dirt floor. The goats used to stare at me but the others didn't even look.............

 

[Richard]

I don't have a shop....therefore, I don't have a bathroom in a shop.

That said, I'd put my vote in that it's a 'no-brainer' thing to do.

I happen to be blessed with Crohn's disease. (currently not acting up). What that means in my situation is, if I suddenly..... have to go.... you better get the heck outta my way because there is no waiting.

I was at my neighborhood machinist's "shop" with one of my projects....and "it" hit me. He was carrying on about some subject and all I could do was apologize, cut him off and ask if he had provisions in his shop (no).... can I then use your home?

I felt a bit bad about asking to use his home but figured he'd rather me ask than have a mess to clean up.

So for practical purposes, I'd always put my vote down (and LOVE the washer/dryer idea too) as a major yes, do it.... it might not be you that it saves.