Construction made up nearly 5 percent of jobs in Stark County in 2022, and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers ranked second among the occupations with the most online job ads in the county. Behind those numbers are excavators, dump trucks, trailers and plow rigs that spend Canton winters outside unless someone gives them a roof.
An equipment building is mostly about openings and clear height. We size doors to the tallest load you'll back in, not the average one, and clear-span the interior so a loader can turn without dodging posts. With a normal of more than 47 inches of snow a season at the Akron-Canton Airport, we also think hard about where snow comes off the roof: big doors under an eave mean ice and snow dropping right where your trucks pull in. Farms in Stark County need the same thinking for planters, combines and grain carts, with the added option of Ohio's agricultural exemption on township land.
What to know before building in Canton
Door placement and sliding snow
Steel roofs shed snow in slabs. On an equipment building we put the main overhead doors on the gable ends whenever the yard layout allows, so snow slides off the sides instead of in front of the doors. When an eave-side door is the only practical option, we add a canopy or snow guards above it and leave room to clear the apron.
Slab and apron for heavy loads
Loaded tandem axles and tracked machines are hard on concrete. We plan slab thickness and reinforcement for your heaviest equipment, add a thickened apron at each door where tires turn and brake, and slope the floor so meltwater from plowed trucks drains out instead of pooling under parked equipment all winter.
Zoning decides where a yard can go
A contractor's yard is a business use, so the zoning district has to allow it, whether you're inside Canton or in a township. A large equipment building on a residentially zoned parcel may not be permitted even if it's only for storage. Check the district with the City of Canton Zoning Department or the township zoning office before buying land for a yard.
One warm bay, the rest cold
A layout that works for many fleets is one heated maintenance bay and unheated storage for everything else. An insulated partition wall keeps heating limited to the bay you work in, while the cold side keeps snow, sun and road salt spray off parked equipment. We plan doors, lighting and electrical so either side can grow later.
Common equipment storage facilities projects around Canton
- Excavator and dump truck storage for site contractors
- Drive-through buildings for trailers and skid steers
- Snow plow and salt spreader storage
- Fleet buildings with one heated maintenance bay
- Machinery sheds for combines, planters and grain carts
- Township and municipal road equipment garages
Equipment Storage Facilities FAQs for Canton
How tall should the doors be on an equipment building?
Measure the tallest thing that will go through, including a raised dump bed, a mounted plow, or a machine sitting on a trailer, then add clearance. We size the door to that number and set the sidewall height so the header and door track fit above it. If bigger equipment is in your plans, it costs far less to build the height now than to raise a building later.
Does an equipment storage building need a permit in Stark County?
If a business uses it, yes. It is reviewed under the Ohio Building Code, by the City of Canton Building Department inside the city or the Stark County Building Inspection Department in the townships. A machinery shed used only for farming on township land may qualify for Ohio's agricultural exemption once the township zoning inspector certifies the agricultural use.
Can you build on our yard without shutting down operations?
Usually. We stage materials along one side of the site, set posts and trusses in sections, and keep a lane open for trucks. The bigger scheduling question around Canton is weather: footings and concrete go much more smoothly before the ground freezes, so tell us early if you're aiming to have equipment under a roof before the first heavy snow.
About our equipment storage facilities
Clear-span storage buildings for trucks, tractors and heavy equipment, with doors and sidewalls sized to the machines you park inside.
Sizes, materials and options