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Should You Buy or Build a Shed


When comparing the cost of building your own shed to hiring budget-friendly shed builders, it’s usually more economical to do it yourself, primarily because you handle all the labor.

If you’re married with kids, you might find the need for additional storage. A shed can help declutter your garage and basement by housing toys, household items, tools, and lawn equipment.

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Buying a shed

There are a number of places when buying a storage or generator shed.

In majority of the cases, people buy sheds from a large home improvement retailers, or a smaller, warehouse clubs, and local garden centers. Depending on where you live, you may even be able to buy an Amish-built shed.

Prefab (pre-fabricated) Sheds

Fully assembled sheds are made from wood and they are most commonly sold through large home improvement retailers and some warehouse clubs.

In almost all cases, these manufactured sheds are made from wood and delivered onsite fully assembled via a special trailer.

Pros to buying a pre-made shed

  • Can be built and delivered quickly
  • Available for storage once delivered
  • Warranty may be available

Cons to buying a pre-made shed

  • Final shed location should be accessible to a delivery trailer
  • Extra cost if the shed needs to be moved by an alternative method (i.e. fork lift, rollers, extra people, etc.)
  • More expensive than building your own
  • Ground preparation must be done by the home owner (or pay someone else to do it)

Shed Kits

Shed kits come with all materials and parts needed to assemble a shed on your own.

Building materials such as walls, roof panels, doors, windows are all pre-cut and pre-drilled so that you only need the included instructions and a minimal set of tools to assemble the shed.

Some shed kids even include the flooring or foundation to make the building process go a lot faster.

Pros to buying a shed kit

  • Can be ordered quickly (usually you haul it home)
  • Basic skills and limited tools to assemble the shed
  • Save time (most kids can be assembled within few hours)
  • Cost-effective due to bulk-processed materials
  • No contractor needed
  • Flexible location (not constrained by trying to move fully assembled shed)
  • Usually comes in plastic or metal (some companies offer wood version as well)
  • Warranty may be available

Cons to buying a shed kit

  • Final shed location should be accessible to a delivery trailer
  • Extra cost if the shed needs to be moved by an alternative method (i.e. fork lift, rollers, extra people, etc.)
  • More expensive than building your own
  • Ground preparation must be done by the home owner (or pay someone else to do it)

Spotting Cheap vs Quality Pre-made Sheds

Keep in mind that lower priced pre-made wood sheds tend to be built with minimal specs which may shorten the lifespan of your shed.

By talking a walk inside the shed, you will be able to quickly identify inferior sheds:

Cheap

  • 2×4″ floor foundation
  • 1/2″ plywood flooring (may sag)
  • 2×3″ or 2×4″ wall framing, 24″ O.C.
  • 7/16″ Particle plywood

Good

  • 2×6 floor foundation
  • 3/4″ plywood flooring
  • 2×4″ wall framing, 16″ O.C. (off center)
  • T-11 siding is good; 1/2″ sheathing with house wrap and siding is better

Build Your Own Shed

If you build a shed yourself, not only it will be less expensive than buying a pre-made shed, you will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you built it yourself.

Yes, it will take more time, especially if you have not been exposed to carpentry before and you will probably end up needing to buy tools you will need for the job.

Pros to building your own shed

  • Less expensive than buying a shed
  • Upgrade to higher grade materials can be done with minimal cost
  • Complete control over the design and material selection to meet your specific needs
  • Well built shed may add value to your property
  • Overall better quality of materials and craftsmanship
  • Shed can be situated anywhere since it will be built onsite

Cons to building your own shed

  • It will take longer to design, gather materials, and build the shed
  • May need to purchase tools
  • Extra cost if the shed needs to be moved (i.e. via fork lift, rollers, extra people, etc.)
  • More expensive than building your own
  • Ground preparation must be done by the home owner (or pay someone else to do it)
  • No warranty (if you take your time to buy quality materials and be patient in building, you won’t need the warranty)

Key Takeaways

Buying a fully assembled shed or shed kit is a great way to get some extra storage in a hurry.

But dare I say, nothing beats the feeling you get once you build your own shed (if you are a dude, it may result in growing a hair follicle or two on your chest lol).

Ultimately, the decision of whether to buy a pre-made shed or build one yourself will depend on your budget, your level of skill, and the amount of time and effort you are willing to put into the project.