The national average cost to build a new shed on your property can range from $17 to $24 per square foot for new shed construction, or from $1,500 to $15,000 for a completed project. Costs can vary based on whether you get original construction or purchase a prefab kit and hire a pro to build it for you.
Adding a shed is one way to expand a residential or commercial space. Its a small home improvement project that can make a huge difference in how it feels to work and relax in your yard. Imagine having all your garden tools easily accessible in a small metal shed near the garden, or all the bicycles that clutter up your garage tucked into a large storage shed in the yard. While many homeowners have basic carpentry skills for small DIY projects, even a basic wood shed or simple lean-to starts getting complicated. A DIY shed that leans or leaks will not make your life easier. Lets look at how to choose whether to build a new shed or use a kit and how to calculate your project costs.
Sheds have traditionally been used to store items such as gardening tools, lawn mowing equipment, other tools, or bikes and outdoor toys, as well as for use as auxiliary home storage space. A small wood shed in the backyard or a large shed strategically placed on the property can be a very helpful outdoor storage space for all those belongings that dont belong, or fit, in the garage or inside the house.
You can also build a shed to use as a workshop or private backyard office. Sheds can have wood, steel, aluminum, or vinyl siding. A shed can be a simple bare wood structure, or it can have electrical wiring and plumbing so it feels like a tiny house. Added windows provide natural light, and drywall and insulation keep out the cold. A shed addition can even be designed to match the style of a house for a cohesive look.
LIke many construction projects, the cost of shed construction is usually calculated by the square foot. Contractors calculate the labor costs and building materials needed, plus their business overhead and other factors such as travel, to determine the cost per square foot of the project. That figure is then multiplied by the square feet laid out in the shed plans to come up with the total cost.
Its helpful to have an idea of the basic design and shed material youre imagining when you ask for cost estimates. A variety of factors affect the amount and type of labor needed and the type of materials required. Special features like a custom door installation or gambrel roof (with two slopes on each side) will also affect your cost.
Here are some examples of how GFC Restoration in Charlotte, North Carolina, breaks down costs per square foot:
New shed construction: $17 $24 per square foot. Variables include the following:
An 8-foot by 12-foot shed cost $2,050: $1,150 for materials and $900 for labor. The project consisted of:
12-foot by 28-foot shed cost $8,200: $3,500 for materials and $4,700 for labor. The project consisted of:
Heres another project example of a shed built by Nathan Laurenson of Renovations Your Way in Slidell, Louisiana:
Some homeowners prefer to buy a prefabricated shed kit instead of constructing a custom shed. These shed kits contain everything needed to put the shed together, including the roof, siding and framing. In these cases, costs depend on the cost of the kit and the cost of labor for assembling the kit when you hire a pro. GFC Restoration shares an example of a shed built from a kit: