Charleston, SC · Members-only DIY garage
Built Not Born HQ
A members-only shop for people who build their own. Professional lifts, a full fabrication bay, powder coating, laser cutting and in-house alignments, under one roof, 6am to 11pm, seven days a week.
Two ways in
Membership
Monthly access to the shop. Book lift bays, the fab bay and the tire machine at member rates. From $100/month plus a $199 enrollment. Reserve your tier now with a $99 deposit.
See membership tiersFounders Package
A one-time package for the people who help build this place: your name in steel, a numbered tag and launch perks. It's not a membership and doesn't include bay time. Members and non-members can both be Founders.
See the Founders PackageMore than a bay with a lift
Everything a serious builder needs, without owning a shop of your own.
2-post lift bays
Three member bays, plus a fourth that opens to members on weekends.
Deep bays
Bring a second car into your session: one on the lift, one on the floor.
Fabrication bay
A dedicated flex bay for welding, grinding and fabrication work.
Tire mounter & balancer
Swap and balance your own tires on pro equipment.
Powder coating
Batch powder coating service. Bring your powder; about $100 per rim.
Laser & 60 ton press services
Brackets, plates and custom parts cut on an industrial laser. Bring your metal.
Hunter Hawkeye alignments
Finish your suspension job with a proper alignment, done in-house.
Oil disposal & scan tool
Waste fluid disposal and a diagnostic scan tool for members.
Membership
Dues get you in the door and set your rate. Lift time is billed by the hour, at up to half the standard rate. These are founding rates.
Tinkerer
Weekend fixes and maintenance
- Included lift time2 hrs / month
- Lift rate
$100$70 / hr - Fab bay & tire machine$35 / hr
- Book ahead14 days
- Active reservations2
Builder
Regular projects, most weekends
- Included lift time4 hrs / month
- Lift rate
$100$60 / hr - Fab bay & tire machine$30 / hr
- Book ahead21 days
- Active reservations2
Builder Pro
Frequent builders and working mechanics
- Lift rate
$100$40 / hr - Fab bay & tire machine$25 / hr
- Book ahead30 days
- Active reservations4
- Best for20+ hrs / month
Enrollment is $199. Reserve your tier now with a $99 deposit; the remaining $100 is due when your membership starts. Founders pay no enrollment. Deposits are held until our lease is approved and fully refunded if we don’t open by MARCH 1, 2027
All tiers: powder coating about $100 per rim · laser / press about $150 per hour (billed down to the minute to save you money · consumables at club wholesale cost · Bring your own material or buy from our certified suppliers at cost as a club perk. We will stock most common metals and powder for automotive needs ie 7ga, 12ga, 14ga, 16ga, and 1/2" carbon steel. CNC Tube cutting on site for up to 20' sticks at a time.
Earn what you're worth
Mobile and independent mechanics: keep 100% of your labor. No shop commission, no revenue share. Just your Builder Pro membership and bay time at $40/hr.
Members doing paid work on customer vehicles must carry their own garage liability insurance and provide a certificate naming Built Not Born HQ.
How it works
Safety first, every time. Nobody works on the floor without orientation.
Orientation
A safety walkthrough of the lifts, tools and shop rules, plus a signed waiver.
Book online
Reserve your bay up to 30 days out, depending on your tier.
Build
Bring your car, your parts and a friend. The booking member stays in the bay the whole session.
Clean up on us
Every booking includes a free 30-minute cleanup window after the lift comes down.
Bringing a helper? Guests are welcome with a member: $20 day pass, waiver and orientation required, up to 3 visits a month.
Why I'm building this
I've carried the Built Not Born name since 2016. It means nothing worth having gets handed to you. You build it.
This shop is the first thing I've made that fully lives up to that name. For the next chapter of my life I plan to leave no stone unturned. I'll practically live here: early mornings, late nights, and every build, mistake and win documented along the way. The goal is simple: make this the coolest automotive shop on the planet, right here in Charleston.
Like Dave Ramsey says, "Do what others won't, so later you can do what others can't." That's how I've always worked, and it's how this place will run.
Founders are the people who believe in it before the doors open. You're not just buying a tag. You're the crew I want to build with: the builds we feature, the content we make, and the race team I hope to put together down the road. When those opportunities come, Founders hear first.
Thank you for betting on this early. Let's build something nobody else would.
— Kurt, founder
Limited to 100 · Launch only
The Founders Package
For the people who help build this place from day one. You don't need to be a member to be a Founder. It’s not a membership and doesn’t include bay time.
- Every Founder
- Your name cut in steel on the Founders wall by the entrance
- A numbered, laser-cut steel Founder tag (#1–100)
- Founders Color-Coded Merch (Shirt, Decals, Founder Loot Boxes)
- One free 4-wheel alignment on the Hunter Hawkeye
- 30% off builtxborn, Koova, QuadHands, and SpeedyJig (Alphidia Brands)
- An invitation to the Founders-only launch night
- Free guest passes with a member host (up to 3 visits a month)
- Founders who become members also get
- Founding rates locked for as long as you stay a member
- $199 enrollment fee waived
- Two free guest passes for friends per month
- OG Founders · #1–15Satin black/red tag$300Current
- 2nd Wave Founders · #16–25Gunmetal tag$350Next
- 3rd Wave Founders · #26–100White tag$400Next
Price goes up as numbers are claimed. Every wave gets its own tag color: same perks, different look.
Claim your Founder numberFounder funds are held and not spent until our lease is approved. If Built Not Born HQ isn't open by MARCH 1, 2027, every Founder gets a full refund.
Not ready yet? Get on the list.
Tell us which tier fits. You'll hear first when booking opens.
Questions
Is my Founder money safe?
Founder payments are held and not spent until the lease is approved. If we don't open by MARCH 1, 2027, you get a full refund.
Do I have to be a member to buy the Founders Package?
No. Anyone can be a Founder. Member-only perks kick in if and when you join.
Can I bring a friend?
Yes. Guests come with a member on that member's booking: $20 day pass, signed waiver and orientation, up to 3 visits a month.
Do I need my own tools?
Shop tools, the fab bay, tire machine and specialty equipment are on site. Bring anything specific to your project.
How is lift time billed?
Dues set your rate and booking privileges. Lift time is billed by the hour at your tier's rate, after any included hours for that month.