That would free up a lot of room for the pinball machines but would your family be okay with living in a windowless shed behind the house?

I think you will need more electric capacity. Check local wiring codes for the minimum sub panel amperage rating to allow the installation of the HVAC system.

Mini split might be overkill unless you really need the heat capability.

My 14 x 24 garage runs a 5500 btu ac and 14 pins on a single 20 amp line. Granted not all 14 are being played at once but did have 5 or 6 going at once with kids over.

Never popped a breaker or even annoyed the battery backup & surge protector for the pins.

Need to size things up.assume all games on and Ac running. Make sure room for future games and a place to work on games also
If you believe the need is for two 20 amp ckts add a 3rd real cheap during build.
Adding a couple feet on width can make a huge difference when having a party, adding chairs etc.

What are you thinking 6” pad?

They do make 120v ductless 12,000 BTU units which would be good for the space you describe. In that case two 20 amp lines would be fine. One set aside for ac and the other for machines. My 5500k ac unit has no problem at all maintaining set temps though my building is well insulated.

If I was doing it I'd run the lighting off the same leg as the ac, draw from led lighting is trivial. This may not be acceptable to code enforcement as some places want to see a seperate circuit for lighting on new construction, your mileage may vary.

Don’t forget you’ll need to take the glass out for stuck balls and minor fixes. Make sure you’ve got space for that. Even if this is the “functioning player games” shed something at the very back can have an issue and it would suck to move everything to get that last game out to work on it.

I did this too and I'm very happy I got a small mini-split with heat installed, per my photo from this years Texas winter storm (which I fortunately had power through the worst of, since I live less than a block from a fire station).

City of Austin code limited me to <200 sq ft before I would have to go through permitting, so it's 13.5'x14.5' and I can very comfortably fit 7 pins with some tight storage / work space.

I'll probably end up building another one eventually LOL

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Trust me, you want a cement foundation. Sheds without won’t give you a level floor. You’ll be fighting it.

Bugs? I get critters in my shed all the time. Not sure i'd want them in/around pins.

-following.
Either pins go in shed or I do at some point.

dont overlook the possible benefits afforded by recent california laws allowing up to two additional dwelling units to be built on your property.

https://ezplansusa.com/2021-guide-to-the-new-adu-laws-in-california

Weatherproof seal and spray foam insulation would make that nice and cozy, bug-free. Keep the perimeter sprayed. I’m looking at options for a backyard shed too. Best way to play late at night and not disturb the family!

This is pretty sweet !

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While you figure out all the details and code requirements, you'll need a safe and temporary way to store your pins that's secure, protected from the elements and allows access for proper care.

A 20 foot shipping container is just shy of 8 feet wide and tall internally, which should allow you to store 6-7 fully assembled pins with a walkway about 3 feet wide along one side to allow easy access as you perform the industry standard daily testing of all features.

These sorts of projects can take years to plan and surprises come up. Given that, you might decide to spend a little extra to get a special purpose container intended for long term storage of expensive cargo and collectors items. Examples of the features available are lighting, climate control and electrical outlets (for tools, obviously!).

With the price of materials currently and property investment it seems a home addition would probably make more sense if your yard is as big as you say. Resale in the future would be much greater with additional square footage vs an out building let alone the cost/permits to extend utilities to said building. Buyers are more interested in more home space then a pinball shed.

Not mine. Found on the World Wide Web.

This is what I’m looking into at some point....no permits needed. No need for foundation. Can relocate or resell if ever needed/wanted to. Can move around in the yard. Spray foam insulate the whole shell. Window a/c in the summer and a small ceramic space heater in the winter. No need to get all fancy with permanent stuff.

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+1 for making the shed deep enough that you can easily maneuver a pin out from the middle of the lineup when needed. This will give the added benefit of the space not feeling cramped. Having just enough depth to remove glass might be fine when playing by yourself but when you’ve got folks over, your going to wish it was deeper. People should be able to comfortably pass behind a player without bumping or distracting them. Material and space cost for this is negligible in the scope of things. Make it roomy.

Here’s my 16x20 backyard shed. 5 pins with plenty of extra room/depth. My friends are much more into darts than pins so kept that area open, but definitely room for more pins. Air conditioner keeps up well with our extreme heat. Other side has a work bench and futon. Can take more pics if you want once I get power back due to hurricane Ida (luckily the shed made it through with no damage!).

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If you go 10 ft deep you may have enough room to slide glass off. Or line up your games on an angle which should make sliding glass off a lot easier in a narrower space.