Zoning issues for garage machine shop in Wisconsin

Hoping for some feed back from the Wisconsin forumites.
I am trying to drum up some work for my shop as getting hired at age 60 are starting to look pretty bleak.
( To put it mildly )
I live in an unincorporated village in SE Wis. Dodge, Cty. I don't know if I should stick my neck out and try and get some approval or just run under the radar. I started to think about this when the thought of purchasing liability ins. crossed my mind.
Thoughts please.
Tom from Rubicon, WI

Run under the radar. Get a business license as John Smith Engineering or something that sounds close enough to being a machine shop, but not exactly. Do not tell anyone that doesn't need to know what you are doing. Depending on local code enforcement people you could have a rough time if you were straight up.

Curious to see what others have to say.


I'm not from Wisconsin, but I set up legal entity to protect myself. I currently run under radar for the actual presence of the shop as to many others including the most obvious, a rock quarry by one of the oldest families in the community. I do report and pay my appropriate taxes.

You should have insurance unless you are willing to risk it all including your future. Under no circumstances, insured or not should you allow anyone to use your equipment. There was an insurance thread on here a few weeks ago worth a read for shop insurance.

IMO under no circumstances should you be charging a rate that is less than a reasonably yet competitively priced organization. We all have to start out somewhere, but substantially undercutting your competition borders ethics debate which most likely will start as a result of this statement. Sorry guys.

Dualkit said:

Run under the radar. Get a business license as John Smith Engineering or something that sounds close enough to being a machine shop, but not exactly. Do not tell anyone that doesn't need to know what you are doing. Depending on local code enforcement people you could have a rough time if you were straight up.

Click to expand...

Absoultely. I won't stand for beauracracy (SP) telling me what I can do in my own garage. It is killing the entreprenuerial spirit of the U.S.

I would like to caution using the word engineering in your business name. I've read here that some states have laws/stipulations? that state you have to have a professional engineer on staff to imply you are an engineering entity....

can anyone confirm?

I think Industrial Design is a more descriptive phrase.

As long as you don't plan on calling yourself S.W.Bausch Industrial Design, feel free to use "Industrial Design" in your business name

PM sent...

Back yard shop

Tom:
Buying a license may make someone want to come and see what you have. Google shows Rubicon as being a nice, clean small town so find someone with a dumpster they will let you use from time to time and go get all your own metals. People with kids or dogs will not like seeing a 40' flat bed steel company truck coming down their street. Treat it like a hobby, don't offend anyone (like welding outside at midnight) and file and pay your income taxes.
When you need employees all of this changes.
Good luck
Mike

countryboy1966 said:

Absoultely. I won't stand for beauracracy (SP) telling me what I can do in my own garage. It is killing the entreprenuerial spirit of the U.S.

I would like to caution using the word engineering in your business name. I've read here that some states have laws/stipulations? that state you have to have a professional engineer on staff to imply you are an engineering entity....

can anyone confirm?

Click to expand...

I am curious also since I did use engineering at the end of a business name for quite a few years and did engineer, manufacture and sell my own products, even though I never even took one engineering class. I also know quite a few degreed, professional engineers who couldn't design a functioning shoe box with out help. I see no harm in it, it was just a suggestion.

Dualkit said:

I am curious also since I did use engineering at the end of a business name for quite a few years and did engineer, manufacture and sell my own products, even though I never even took one engineering class. I also know quite a few degreed, professional engineers who couldn't design a functioning shoe box with out help. I see no harm in it, it was just a suggestion.

Click to expand...

I am sorry if I was offensive as it was not intentional.


I see no harm in it either and I would like to use the word engineering in a business name.

I'm out here in Clark county and I went down to the town board and got a variance.
I then went and got a business license, tax stamp and all the other register stuff.

On my license it states that I have no customer traffic and no large trucks.
Works out great.

Here in Texas, 'unincorporated' means you can pretty much do as you please, which is why I live in such an area.

In Pa. you need a PE to use engineer in your business name. What is your
community like? Libertarian or regulatory? Great relations with neighbors or not. Live close to them or not? I could tell you some stories. I always tried to develop a good relationship with the people that run the local govt. I've had much more positive success than not by doing that. That should give you some ideas to think over.

Does unicorporated mean unzoned and unregulated?

Dualkit said:

Run under the radar. Get a business license as John Smith Engineering or something that sounds close enough to being a machine shop, but not exactly. Do not tell anyone that doesn't need to know what you are doing. Depending on local code enforcement people you could have a rough time if you were straight up.

Click to expand...

X2 ......... things will be hard enough from the start without you making them harder.

Over the years a lot of money has been made in garages etc,........ and a lot of it lost when folks went ''upmarket'' and legit.

Good luck.

Do you have a home owners association where you live? That could make it tuff. I would go ahead and do it and if anyone says anything, tell them it's your hobby. That can't stop you from persuing your hobby.

I had a shop in my garage about 30 years ago and I lived in the confines of a homeowners association. One HOT summer afternoon I was horking with the door open and the gestapo patrol drove by. He stopped and asked what I was doing with these machines in my garage. I told him I was making parts for my remote control race boat. As the conversation continued, he let it slip (yeah, right) thatthere was a broken BBQ grill down at gestapo headquarters and if I might know how to fix it. I told him I wasn't sure, but I would certainly take a look at it. I looked at it and I took it home and did a little welding on it then took it back down to them. When they asked how much they owed me, I wouldn't take their money.
I was never hassled again about my "HOBBY SHOP". When ever the gastapo police drove by and the door was open he always looked the other way. They would always find something wrong with the house across the street.

Steve

i'm in the same boat same location down in the kenosha county area. i've already went to the village to get some info i am on a main drag and my land can be zoned for commercial but they said no way would i get zoned for mfg. so looks like i'll go under the radar and keep it as a hobby.....i'm not looking to be in the garage forever just gotta start with low overhead. and in regards to one of the previous posts my rates will not be cheap i want to have a real shop down the road....some guys learn the hard way if you want to run your shop with cheap rates you'll never make it out of their and then will complain about the mad hours they are working.

forgot to mention heard of a few guys running 2-3 full size cncs out of a garage in a neighborhood of houses stacked on top of each other....can be done just have to give respect to the neighbors.

I did what you are wanting to do in Wisconsin. I would treat it as a hobby shop as far as the local entities go. I would also incorporate (use a lawyer to advise you); the type of corporation that you choose would decide how you pay your taxes. If your ass gets into some legal business jam, they can only take away your business. (Check this with the lawyer.)

Just pay your income tax and sales tax, so that you keep out of trouble with the government. If you make something for another Wisconsin business that they are going to use their final product, or is going to be sold out of state. You don't have to pay sales tax on this income. Just get a sales tax declaration from the other Wisconsin business that says so. There is an official form for this.

When I incorporated, I had to choose a title for my business. I chose a title with Engineering in it. I got a letter from the Secretary of State in Wisconsin that I could not use a title with Engineering in it, if I were not a professional engineer. Of course, then I chose something else, not being a graduate professional engineer. (I thought I was as good as one, but the Secretary of State thought otherwise. He being the Chief Attorney in Wisconsin; I bowed to his superior legal authority.)

No matter how high your opinion is of your abilities, there is always someone who wants to drag you down!

Once you get to the point (and have the business to make it viable) where you want to open a real shop with employees, approach the nearest Industrial Development Corporation with a business plan; they will cooperate with you to make it happen to help you finance a shop, land, and equipment. I have seen this happen several times in my career. Until then, it's a hobby shop.

Lord Byron

ducesrwld said:

forgot to mention heard of a few guys running 2-3 full size cncs out of a garage in a neighborhood of houses stacked on top of each other....can be done just have to give respect to the neighbors.

Click to expand...

'zackly...

Around here, we were friendly with the neighbors *beforehand* but still managed to do a few good natured favors of repair or creation that fit within the shop's purpose. Definitely keeps feelings from getting hurt and feathers ruffled. We're cognizant not to block entrances and pathways & keep the activity to a dull roar. Better to be viewed an asset than a nuisance.

I called it "Mechanical consulting".I was hassled once by city hall .
They gave me 30 days to remove my air compressor,lathe and welder.
Until I pointed out to them that half the guys in town have a welder and air compressor
and if mine had to go ,well better get some legal advise before you go down that road.
Never said boo to me again.