Build Storage Shed Costs

Having a storage shed is a great alternative to storing tools or garden supplies in your garage. If you have nowhere else for yard equipment and related tools, a shed will keep things safe from the weather and keep the small tools from cluttering up the home. There are endless options for sizes and styles of storage sheds, of course, so the costs associated with building a storage shed can vary greatly from one project to the next.

The biggest factor that determines what you will pay to build a shed is whether you choose a prefabricated shed design or “kit” from a local home improvement store or whether you have your own design created and built by a professional. Other factors involved in the cost of a shed include whether it will need electricity and if windows are included in your shed design.

Storage building: based on size and type of shed, window and door count, materials, and difficulty of installation.

Other considerations and costs

• If you know the size of the shed that you have in mind, you can roughly estimate the project cost by calculating $17-$24 per square foot of space. This cost per square foot includes materials, labor, and all other expenses.
• Some people choose to upgrade their foundation to a concrete slab, which costs an average of about $75 per cubic yard. This can provide a better long-term installation but will be much more costly than concrete blocks and runners.
• As you can see, the more detailed your design gets, the higher the labor costs. Consider a simple design or limit the number of windows and doors to reduce installation costs.
• As you can see, depending on the kit that you choose, a prefabricated shed might be more expensive than scratch construction when having professionals perform the labor.

Check out our guide if you need a loan for your home improvement project.

DIY considerations

• If you are handy enough to handle serious carpentry work, you can save labor costs by constructing a prefab shed kit yourself. This can take as much as 3-5 days or more for the average handyperson and requires knowledge of general construction framing, foundation support, roofing, and finish carpentry.
• If you are going the DIY route, stick with a prefab kit. Unless you are a master carpenter, this is the easiest way to ensure that you have all the materials that you need for the job, down to the very last screw and nail.

References

• Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2019.
• Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
• Literature review of DIY Web sites.