How Much Does It Cost to Build a Shed? £350 vs £3,150 Shed

31.10.2024

Garden sheds are a practical addition to any garden. You can store all your gardening tools, any equipment laying around, and even the kid’s summer toys out of sight. A tidy garden space will make you feel accomplished and peaceful in your home domain. But how much does it cost to build a shed?

You will find sheds in all price ranges from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand. This might make you curious about what makes up the price of a garden shed. We’ll try to answer some of the most frequent questions about the cost of building a garden shed, so you can have a clear idea of what to expect. We’ll also compare a cheap wooden garden shed of only a few hundred pounds to one that costs a few thousand, so you can see what makes the price difference. 

Table of contents:
£360 shed vs £3,175 shed: What is the difference?
How much does it cost to build a shed: Fees explained
4 steps to planning your garden shed

Timber sheds are the most popular shed type in the UK. So, before looking into other kinds of sheds made out of metal or plastic, let’s look at what makes up the price of a wooden garden shed.

£360 shed vs £3,175 shed: What is the difference?

While a 360 pound garden shed can seem very appealing on the surface – who wouldn’t want a shed at such a great price point? – the old saying holds true: you get what you pay for. If you look closer, you’ll see that a low-cost shed is made out of inferior materials and does not have the same structural integrity, security level, ease of use, or durability as a quality shed.

So what do you get for 360 pounds vs 3,175? We took one of the cheapest sheds we found available online and compared it to Summerhouse24’s garden shed ‘Nora’.

£360 shed£3,175 shed Nora from Summerhouse24*
SizeHeight: 194 cm, Width: 190 cm, Depth: 95 cm Height: 250, Width: 298, Depth: 298 (much larger)
Wall thickness12mm44mm (more than 3.5x thicker compared to the cheap version)
Floor board thickness18mm (thicker than the cheap shed’s walls)
Quality of timberLow grade pineHigh grade Nordic spruce
Quality of hardwareNo information availableGerman hardware
Door(s)Single doorDouble doors
Wind bracesWind braces in walls
Foundation joistsNo information availableTreated foundation joists
Guarantee1-year guarantee5-year guarantee

*Prices are correct at the time of publishing the article and are subject to change.

Size

The size of the shed dictates how much material is used and that in turn is one of the biggest cost factors. The bigger the shed, the more it will cost. Low-cost sheds will often be very small. The shed used in our example is less than 2 metres (about 6.5 ft) in height and less than 1 metre (about 3.2 feet) in depth. The more expensive shed on the other hand has a comfortable height of 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) and a depth of almost 3 metres (9.8 feet).

Wall thickness

Another big price factor is the thickness of the lumber used in the construction of the building. 

Thicker walls make for a far more durable and sturdy building that has better insulation properties. It’s also less likely to warp or develop defects in time and has a longer life span. There’s also added security, as it’s not easy to break into a shed made out of thick timber.

When you look at the numbers in the table you see quite a staggering difference in the wall density: the high-quality garden room Nora has a 44mm wall thickness while the cheaper version uses boards with only 12mm thickness.

Floor board thickness

By looking at the number in the tables you can see that a high-quality shed’s floorboards are 18mm thick, which is over half a centimeter more than the wall thickness of the cheap shed. It does make you wonder how long a shed with a 12mm wall thickness last?

Quality of the timber

The seller can list the material as ‘softwood’, not specifying the exact type of wood that’s been used or it’s quality. Cheap garden sheds are typically made of low-grade pinewood.

Summerhouse24 uses high-quality Nordic spruce timber in the construction of all wooden sheds and other garden buildings. Spruce is a superior building material when compared to pine for several reasons. 

Advantages of Nordic spruce:

Nordic spruce is a very dense wood compared to its southern cousins, thanks to slower growth in the cold northern climate. This makes for a stronger building material with improved insulation capabilities. It also improves dimensional stability. Nordic Spruce is less likely to warp, twist and shrink over time compared to pine.

Spruce knots are smaller and more tightly bound to the surrounding wood. This makes it less likely that knots become loose or fall out over time compared to pine.

Most people consider spruce more aesthetically appealing due to its uniform grain pattern and even light coloring that remains the same over time (unlike pine, which yellows).

Pinewood will also leak sap for many years, it’s what is called a ‘resinous wood’. This means that if you want to paint your shed, the resin will bleed through the paint finish. Nordic spruce on the other hand doesn’t have this issue.

Banner with a collage of images of sheds with the words 'High quality garden sheds'

Doors, windows and hardware

The more expensive Nora garden shed has double doors, which are always more expensive compared to single doors. Double doors make using the shed more comfortable, as you can easily move even large items in and out with ease.

If a shed has windows look out for good quality frames and double vs single glazing. Decent double glazed windows help reduce moisture problems and add an element of security.

Another thing to pay attention to is the hardware that’s been used. Lower quality sheds and other garden buildings will use cheap hardware that can compromise security and break or rust easily.

Wind braces

One of the features missing in the cheap garden shed is wind braces. Wind braces are metal rods that are inserted inside the walls of the shed and they add an extra level of structural stability and protection against extreme weather conditions.

Foundation joists

Pressure-treated foundation joists are included with all of Summerhouse24’s garden sheds. This means you get a specially treated wooden frame, that can directly be installed using a foundation kit, for example. A low-cost garden shed on the other hand may not include foundation joists in the kit at all.

Building a Wooden Log Cabin in 10 Easy Steps

How much does it cost to build a shed: Fees explained

When you set out to build your shed, you’ll find that there are many variables that make up the total cost. As you saw in the example above, the biggest difference comes from the quality of the materials used. The size on complexity of the structure make a difference as well and whether you’re planning to hire anyone to carry out work for you. Prices will also differ based on your location.

Shed material costs

Sheds made of different materials have different price ranges. The most expensive ones are made from brick and are very durable, but also require quite a large budget.

There’s the classic wooden shed, which can be either built from scratch or bought from a reseller or straight from the makers and assembled at home by a tradesman or yourself. 

Then we have the metal sheds, which are often less costly compared to decent wooden garden sheds. The caveat is that they can be noisy during rain and they lack the visual appeal of a wooden shed. 

There are also plastic sheds, some of which are very cheap, but susceptible to sun damage. UV rays damage plastic over time, making it brittle. An eco-friendly plastic shed made of recycled plastic can be a good option if you’re concerned about using plastic, though these sheds are more expensive. One good thing about plastic sheds is that they don’t require maintenance. On the other hand, they can heat up quite a bit in the sun and you may also face ventilation challenges. With metal and plastic sheds it’s better not to keep anything in the shed during hot summer weather that is not meant to be stored in high temperatures.

Shed installation costs

Installing a shed takes about 1-2 days on average, depending on the size and complexity of the building. Installation costs can vary from a few hundred pounds to over a thousand. The average cost is somewhere around £700.

Summerhouse24 garden shed kits are great for DIY enthusiasts if you’re looking to save money on installation costs. Whilst an installation team will surely get the job done faster for you, if you’re looking to put up your shed by yourself, you’ll just need an extra pair of hands and you’ll be done in a day or two.

Shed base costs

Shed base costs can vary a lot, depending on the type of base you’ll choose for your garden building. Concrete and paving slabs are a popular option and there are even plastic and wooden bases available. A wooden base will often be supported by spikes that go directly into the ground. The important thing is to get a proper base so that your shed lasts a long time. If you’re not sure what is the right choice, consult an experienced seller.

Getting a concrete base built will cost around £100 per m3. It’s often more cost-effective to either use concrete blocks or . Plastic shed bases cost from less than a hundred pounds all the way up to £600-£700, depending on the size.

A great way to save money on foundation costs is to use a foundation kit like the one that Summerhouse24 provides. It’s up to 80% cheaper compared to a concrete foundation and can be used for any garden building or shed up to 45m² in size.

4 steps to planning your garden shed

  1. Check whether you need permission: Most of the time no permission is needed for building a garden shed. However, it may be needed if it will cover more than half of the garden area along with other already existing buildings. Another exception is if you live in a listed building or a designated area (Conservation Area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Park, or World Heritage Site).
  2. Consider what you’ll use the shed for: Will you be using it as a storage space, workshop or something else or a combination of a few things? Knowing the exact use will help you choose the best model that meets all your needs. A knowledgeable and experienced seller like Summerhouse24 will help you choose the right model with ease.
  3. Choose the location: Pick a spot that is level and has good drainage. Make sure once you install guttering to your shed there is a downward slope that can guide the water away from the shed. Another option is to set up a rainwater collection barrel.
  4. Make a budget: Consider your budget and decide on the most important aspects of the shed, so you know where you don’t want to compromise. Don’t forget to budget for installation, if you’re planning on hiring someone to install the shed for you. 
  5. Budget for time: If you’re getting a DIY garden shed kit, remember to budget for the time you’ll need to install it. The sooner you install a shed after it arrives, the better. Also make sure you have the time to apply the treatment, as this needs to be done fairly soon after a wooden shed is installed. It’s not worth skipping or delaying, since this is the most important factor in determining how long your garden shed will last.

If you do feel like you have questions about Summerhouse24 garden sheds or you’re not sure what model is the best for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are available by phone 7 days a week at 020 3807 0369. If you need an alteration or have a bespoke design in mind, we can easily sort it for you!