How much does a shed cost? Kits, self-builds and the extras
A line-by-line budget for a typical 8 × 6 ft shed, from the cheapest kit to a self-build.
Articles
Every shed question, sorted by topic.
Pick the thing you're stuck on. Each article answers one question properly, with the measurements, materials and rough prices you need to get on with it.
Step-by-step gravel shed foundation
The base most first-time builders should use: a treated timber frame, weed membrane and compacted stone. Nine steps, a full materials list, a cost table and a gravel calculator.
Read the guide →Costs
What a shed really costs once you add the base, delivery, treatment and the bits nobody prices in. Plus the honest build-or-buy maths.
Build or buy: which works out better for you?
Time, tools, skill and money compared, so you can pick with your eyes open.
A shed on a budget: where to save and where not to
Skimp on the paint, never on the base or the roof. Here's why.
Bases & foundations
A shed is only as good as what it stands on. Get the base level, dry and a little larger than the shed and everything above it lasts longer.
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Step-by-step gravel shed foundation
Frame, membrane, sub-base, gravel. Everything you need for a cheap base that drains well.
Concrete, paving slabs or gravel: which base?
A plain comparison of cost, effort and lifespan for each type of base.
Plastic grid shed bases: are they worth it?
Quick to lay and light to carry. Where they work and where they let you down.
Building a shed base on a slope
Dig in, build up or go on adjustable feet: the three ways to level a sloping garden.
Materials
Timber, metal or plastic, and the smaller choices that decide whether a shed lasts five years or twenty-five.
Wood, metal or plastic: which shed lasts?
Each one fails in a different way. What to check on each before you buy.
Shiplap, overlap or tongue & groove cladding
Why the shape of the boards matters more than their thickness.
Pressure-treated vs dip-treated timber
What the labels mean, and how much treatment a shed really needs.
Roof felt, shingles or EPDM rubber?
How long each covering lasts and how hard it is to fit yourself.
Sizes
Measure what you own, add room to walk in and turn round, then think about where the door goes.
What size shed do you actually need?
A ten-minute measuring job that stops you outgrowing your shed by next summer.
Apex or pent roof: does headroom matter?
Roof shape changes what you can store and where you can stand.
How close to the fence can a shed go?
Space for maintenance, gutters and airflow, plus when to check with your council.
Storage ideas
Use the walls, the rafters and the back of the door, and a small shed will hold far more than you'd expect.
Wall storage that turns a 6 × 4 into a workshop
Rails, pegboard and one fold-down bench: a layout you can copy.
Two bikes in a shed without scraping the door
Door widths, wall hooks and the angles that make it work.
Keeping a shed dry: ventilation and condensation
Why tools rust in a sealed shed, and the cheap vents that fix it.
Can't find your question?
Start with the free Shed Review Guide
Every decision in this list, boiled down to a printable checklist and budget planner.