hot rod work area

[hayless]

i live in the huntsville al. area, will be retiring soon , i have built street rods for years and when i retire i thought about building a 5000sq. ft. building and put 15 or so bays in and rent out each bay by the month . this would be for folks to use that had no place to work on their cars or cycles. shop would include welding , sandblasting, and paint booth areas. the shop would be located next to my house. any thoughts on this idea, would it work onr not? thanks hayless

[Stu Cool]

hayless,

That's kind of like the Auto Hobby Shops we had in the military. I think the concept is a good one. You would have to charge an hourly rate that both you and the customers could afford. You might even sell monthly or yearly "memberships". Before starting on such a thing, I would consult with an attorney to determine potential liability issues if someone got hurt and writing use contracts regarding equipment damage or loss and disposal of abandoned cars and parts. Also make a determination if you would allow people to work on other's cars for profit. The next thing I would look into is insurance.

Keep us posted, I'd like to know how it works out

Pat

[VWstreetrodder]

I've been looking at this as well, the hobby shop on base took a serious hit in the recent budget cuts and they dont have the space for the business they get now. There's one storage place in town thats open 24 hours & allows you to work in the units, but it's always booked up. Since there are always alot of car nuts around military bases there's a business potential there for sure. It really depends on the area you live in tho, might be profitable, might just scrape by. Still a good retirement plan really.

The legal thing is a big deal, as is insurance. I'd write in a liability clause that each person is required to have proof of renters insurance for long term usage, should save some on your end and will cover them if there were a fire or something like that. You also have to check with the city/county planning office & make sure that type of business is allowed on the property. It's a crock, but can cause a real problem.

The BIG thing you'll have to worry about, HAZMAT. You as the owner will be ultimately responsible for every drop of HAZMAT that is on your property. Storage, disposal, spill prevention/containment, all has to be covered. This stuff is no joke, & it gets expensive.
If some geek leaves an oil filter sitting out & an inspector decides to pop in, it'll cost you approx $20K right then & there. & no you cant fight it, it's not transferrable to the person who did it (altho they may get a fine as well). If there are contaminated rags laying about, you could possibly get a fine for EACH item, not just one fine for all of them.
Yet another clause to put in the long term storage/usage rules, they mess up, you confiscate thier vehicle to sell & pay for the fines. The EPA isn't playing games anymore & the only way people will take it seriously is if there is a chance they will lose thier car.

I'd look into all that & talk to a lawyer about what it would cost to write up agreements for daily usage, long term, & HAZMAT. You'll want them written up properly because no matter how many times some people tell you they understand the rules, they will take you to court & say they didn't.