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3 pros!
Need a place to store your bicycle, lawn mower and garden tools?
If you’re in the market for a storage shed, in addition to determining style and size, you’ll also need to decide if you want to purchase a kit from a home improvement store to build yourself, have the materials delivered and installed on your property or hire a professional to design and build a custom shed.
Sure, DIY shed kits cost less, but you’ll soon realize you’re spending more than you bargained for to purchase needed materials. Then there’s the time factor. Unless you build sheds for a living, there’s no guarantee the project will go as smoothly as you envision.
Custom sheds and store-bought shed kits
Jonathon Champer, owner of Alum Creek Garden Buildings of Columbus, Ohio, cautions that the word “custom” shouldn’t intimidate homeowners. When it comes to sheds, he says the price for custom is often comparable to the DIY kits sold at home improvement stores.
A typical 10-by-10 storage shed kit (engineered wood) retails for around $900 in big-box home improvement stores. However, the kit doesn’t include roofing shingles, paint or plywood flooring, and you’d also need the time and know-how to put it all together. Home delivery adds an additional $59 to $79, depending on location.
“They’ll show you a building for $900, but if they install it for you, it’s $2,000,” says Champer, whose most popular shed size, 8-by-10, starts at $1,300 and includes installation and a two-year warranty.
Carl Russo, owner of Sheds and More of Austin, Texas, says his most popular shed size, 8–by-12, costs $3,295 including tax. It features Hardie siding to match the home and includes a door and window.
Keith From, owner of Custom Sheds by Keith, in Fort Worth, Texas, says his smallest shed size, 8-by-10, starts at $2,229. Upgraded flooring costs an additional $90 to $180. Adding a window costs $200. His largest shed size, 12-by-16, costs $4,099.
Shed considerations
Experts caution that DIY shed kits often come with twisted or bowed boards, but say custom sheds are typically built from sturdier, higher-quality materials.
Aside from picking materials, the sky’s the limit when it comes to designing a custom shed. From says many homeowners want their sheds to look good.
“Do they just want a simple shed to store their lawn equipment, or do they want to make this a showpiece for their backyard?” asks From. “You look out your back window, and you just don’t want to see a box. Most customers, they want to pretty it up and think, ‘Wow, that’s a really good-looking shed.’”
Be aware that many municipalities require permits before adding a shed, and often there are specific codes with regard to shed placement, From says.
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Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article that was originally posted on March 30, 2015.