How To – Buying a Garden Shed and knowing your options

garden shedThere are many different options when selecting a Garden Shed and the ones you choose will be reflected in the final price.

You can purchase sheds pre-made from a local business or select from a variety sold by national building supply chains.

You can also purchase the materials and build your own shed but you will need to submit a plan to your local building official. That is another thing that you must remember… most locations require you to have a permit for sheds whether you buy it pre-made or build it yourself. Normally the contractor or manufacturer will provide you with a plan for the shed. If they are a local contractor that sells a lot of sheds in the area they may have submitted plans to your building official for approval and all you will need to do is pay a fee and get an inspection after it is installed.

How much do garden sheds cost?

Your cost to buy a shed really depends on the size, materials and labor to build and install the shed.

Pre-built sheds are dropped off on your lot buy the supplier or builder. Many sheds are shipped to the USA from Canada however there are contractors that specialize in sheds in most cities.

A shed that is built locally can normally be customized to meet your needs by adding siding or paint to match your home, windows that let in light and door locations, sizes and locking mechanisms.

Sheds that are supplied wholesale may provide many options but not as many as a local builder can provide. You will probably be stuck with fixed sizes, exterior sheathing options and window and door selections that can not be modified that much.

Assemble your own kits are often available for Metal Sheds and also the newer poly plastic sheds which are very easy to put together. Metal and plastic sheds do not have a lot of options but they are a good choice for home owners that just need light storage or may be renting a home.

You can expect to pay from $500 to $3,500 based on size and materials.

Wood sheds that you build will be the cheapest if you reduce your hardware to a single built front door with lock and hinges.

Prebuilt wood sheds are the second least expensive and expect to pay from $800 to $2,500 for an average shed based on size and materials.

Metal sheds range from about $1,200 to $3,000 depending on size and delivery. Metal sheds must be assembled in place. Your supplier can provide that option.

Plastic sheds are really storage units and can range upto about $1500 based on size. Don’t expect a lot from them but they are easy to put together if you have the right location. Their basic use is maybe to store a lawn mower but more likely to store your garden furniture and kids toys.