First Time Build - Full Cost Breakdown 

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it must feel great to have that space, and made it ENTIRELY by yourself. Well done.

Love the shop you’ve made. Seeing the upgrade was fantastic.

You’ve done a really awesome job building as well as documenting your successes and opportunities for improvement. It’s very encouraging to see the before and after functionality. I watch a ton of makers on RU-vid and your videos are some of my favorites. Keep up the good work. Thanks for your effort.

A huge project. Even bigger when you factor in how you had to get materials in and out. Good job!! So glad you escaped serious injury. You worried me more than once watching this build.

Great Video. Thank you for your honesty and transparency. You have done such a great job.

Excellent video as always. Lots of useful info. Keep up the great work.

Mark, I really enjoy your channel and look forward to seeing any new video you post. I had a similar experience, building a 8’ x 6’ garden shed for yard tool and garden supplies storage. I went through all the same thoughts and decisions you did, and the same process of questioning and second-guessing my decisions. Fortunately, I had my adult Son helping me and your point about getting assistance is spot-on! You have one of the most relatable RU-vid channels on crafts and woodworking. Keep it up! Looking forward to seeing the next video!

I really enjoyed the whole process watching all the videos. I’m not in the market for a new space yet but your build has definitely inspired me.

Very informative.. So glad the original build has generated income and subscribers - very worthy.

This video is really amazing. Hard to find this level honesty and saved me a lot of money

Super useful video Mark and perfect timing! I'm planning my workshop build and this has given me some very useful pointers :D

Again massive respect for taking on that project by yourself. And thanks for sharing the mistakes so others can avoid them and tips so we can use them.

Great catch-up. Completely agree about the impact driver. Brought my first one last year from Screwfix when they did the bare DeWalt one for less than half price at £50 and now I wouldn't be without it 😄

I left a comment earlier. I watched the entire series while you were building and was proud of your achievement and how you pushed through until the end. This video is also wonderful and so useful to those thinking of building themselves. Very nicely done.

Absolutely great advice. Thank you.

Great warts n all series. I loved it.

Thanks Mark! I missed the first one. headed there now.

Fascinating video mark - nearly dropped my tea when you mentioned the cost of the screws!!! I’m sure the cost in the end was worth the experience gained, and the workshop looks amazing!

Fair play mate, that some graft you put into the build. The final result looks grand.

I built my workshop a few years back. No rear access but I got in a company that mixed concrete on site & a concrete pump. It made for a really easy base to start from. It may not be the cheapest option but does save you a lot of time and you don't need to drag all of the materials through the house (at least for the slab) I had help from my wife & three kids on the build so it made for a great family experience, it also made it a lot easier getting that first framed wall up 🙂 4x2 walls with 50mm EPS as insulation (I also use that same insulation for the roof) 12mm OSB for the internal walls, 18MM OSB for the roof (I'm a big lad and had to walk on it to put the felt on) and Tyvek, more OSB & then shiplap for the outside. The doors are the same construction as the walls (2 x 3' doors) and finished (a year later) with a small porch so that I don;t get soaked when I open up and it's bucketing down with rain. Apart from the base, the only other thing that I had pro help with was the electrics. It was a long run from the fuse board to the workshop through a maze of pipework from a previous extension (if they damage the pipework then it's on them to fix it) and I wanted to ensure that I didn't stuff it up and burn down my nice new workshop. It is a great feeling to accomplish something like this and, if budget allows, I would definitely recommend giving it a go. My budget was helped greatly as I worked for a builders merchant at the time so got staff discount on most of the materials used for the build.

Thanks so much for the build series, of course I've watched a few others like Badgers as well I'd be lying if I said I didn't, and the saving tips have helped also, this has all been great info for me as I begin my own (smaller) workshop build next month👍

Wonderful video with deep insights. Thank you!

Great video - love the honesty.

Thoroughly enjoyed the series Mark and as I have said in previous videos you have done a wonderful job and you should be extremely proud of what you have achieved. I take my hat off to you. Now, you just enjoy the fruits of your labour and enjoy your workshop. Thank you.

Fantastic series of videos. I've watched this build from the start. Really well done Mark. I've built my workshop, some 4.8m Square, and 2.1 - 2.4 high. Mostly from reclaimed timber.

I was hoping for this noble sir!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!

Hey Mark, thank you for a really great and interesting video, what a nightmare having to take all your materials through the house! You have pretty much built a little house at the end of the garden, this will surely add value to your property? I think the most important point you make is, have another pair of hands, there are lots of people out there that would have enjoyed this process and been happy to exchange time on their own build, thanks again for taking the time and trouble to post this, stay lucky

The build is when i started watching, its been good!

Thank you!! This is exactly what I'm facing living on a terraced house on a main road with not much front space. Just seen a house down the road where they stack 4 of those jumbo bags of sand one on top of the other 2 x 2. They'll gonna need a ladder to access it 😅 Commenting so I'll watch in full this weekend.

I followed the whole build really enjoyed it coming from a family of construction craftsmen I am really impressed saw the errors as they came and how you dealt with working alone did make me shudder at times but hats off you deserve the following 👏

Mark as always belting vid rkid as you know my shed is made of palettes and reclaimed timber I love recycling wood bin struggling with mental health the last 3 weeks your vids help me get back in there cheers mark👍

Nice video, Mark. I'm so pleased I'm not the only one who tries to cut corners by working around materials.😂 You're absolutely right, though. Clear the decks first. It makes a huge difference.

Great video Mark thanks for sharing how much it cost you to build your workshop . You Sir did an amazing job building it by yourself. Keep up the great job can’t wait to see your next video.

Really interesting content, thank you for sharing. 👍

Brilliant video, I really like how honest and open you are in all your videos. One thing you didn't say is building it yourself you can get exactly the design you want. Great channel, keep up the excellent work 👍

Thanks for this. First video of yours I've watched. I've been through all the Ali Dymock videos (where is he now?) and it's useful to see someone else having a go. The cost comparison of a pre-built one is very useful to know.

My brain says YAH Let's do this!!! My wallet and body are Yah right M8. And Council property limits and restrictions. Thanks Mark, I'll have to live vicariously through your shop and videos. And my pop-up gazabo. Take care & stay safe.

I went through the same journey 3 years ago. Although my circumstances were completely different, the approach was quite similar. Can’t imagine having to carry everything through the house like that, that was wild! Happy for you that the project is done, but also kind of sad the video series is ending!

Perfectly timed Mark. Just in discussion with my finance manager (wife) about build or buy for additional storage and workshop extension. Really useful info that is very much appreciated. Onwards !

Thanks, you forgot you have been in control of the quality and you learned a lot

Hi Mark hope your well, The workshop build has been a great series and we always think could I have done it different. When we build some thing always thing ahead but the most important thing is to be happy with your build. Yes after may be we could save some money on materials saying that you know its a solid build and doing your first big build there is nothing wrong doing it belt and braces best to be over engineered than under engineered. I think you have got an amazing workshop some thing to be proud of and to know that it you that built it cant take that from you. As always a great video catch you on the next one Take care Mate

This was such a great series Mark, and this is a great synopsis with an interesting twist of the earnings from the video series. I've built 3 sheds in my woodworking life. Every shed went over budget, took significantly longer than expected, but each was a learning experience and all served their purpose well. I think regardless of the trial and error, frustration, and maybe "imperfect" results, building a shed is a great skill builder. Learn the materials, learn the process, and take pride in the fruits of your labor.

very informative vid ,i used my multi vibrating tool to cut out the siding of my shed to put in the windows and plan to do the same when i put in a 2nd door just cut along the 2 by 4 studs. i like the steel roofing and siding we get hail and very strong winds here in Oklahoma so need a good base and roof great video glad i am a subscriber enjoyed all of your vids get a different perspective!!

I’m on a similar journey as you. I do not try to do videos professionally as you but I also have build a garden room which is 2/3s office and 1/3 my workshop. And documented it on my channel. What I’d like is for people to find the inspiration and courage to do woodworking with limited budget and space. And everything I learned on how to do it is from youtube. Same as you 👍

Great video. Slowly building mine and hating my decision to plasterboard the interior 😮‍💨

Well done Mark. Another really great video. Have watched loads of tutorials but none that explain: how heavy those boards are, realistic costs, the pain of moving materials, or honesty about the mindset of when things don't go perfectly. After watching your first video on the series, I started to do a similar build. 100% inspired by yourself. Still haven't got the roof on yet, but will definitely use some of things said here. Other than what you've said, only thing I can recommend is a nail gun. I rented mine from Travis Perkins for less than £100 and it really got me along faster, I think. £100 on nails too though, so maybe not the cheapest route. Also from a novice DIYer perspective, it was quite scary to use at first, but by panel 3 it became natural. Anyways, just wanted to say thank you for the video. It's almost spooky how much I needed it. And great news about the viewership increase on your channel. I really hope it helps to pay for the workshop. Cheers

That was a really useful video and looking forward to watching the others as looking to build the exact same thing. The question I have is, as I unfortunately don't have any assistance from anyone local to help build it, is how you lifted the rubber roofing on to the roof? A couple of years ago I built a timber frame garage 5M x 2.5M with rubber roofing and did not realise heavy it was (the delivery guy made it look easy when he dropped it in my porch) ended up using a ladder at a shallow angle with timber supports underneath to roll it up onto the roof which was very hard work and not particularly safe. I also think it is great once it's on as it massively reduces the chances of leaks if fitted correctly Thanks

Thanks very much for posting this analysis. Its much appreciated. Shame to have to cover all those lovely windows.

Great video concept

It's been very interesting watching your videos as you've progressed because I'm looking at replacing a shed at our new place with shed/summer room. Basically a shed slightly larger than what's there, sticking another on the end next to it and making one large building with a divider somewhere near the middle giving the summer room more space. The one thing that I'm unsure of is the base. Sure, I can get concrete made up and make a base but I've been considering raising the structure off the ground on stilts, allowing air to travel underneath keeping it dry. Still got loads of research to do before I start work on it, think that stage is 2 years off yet. I need to sit down and watch the videos again and make some notes...

Good job fella 👍

I built a nearly exact size one for a neighbour, had a minidigger to take off topsoil so that was handy , and i had access at side of house, didn't put a solid base in, just laid concrete block on their flat side in a grid pattern on hard core on a bed of mortar, then attached floor deck to that. used tin cladding outside so it looks more utilitarian, and insulated panels for the roof, works out a bit cheaper than your roof cos you don't need timber, seperate insulation, rubber , etc, plus they go on really quickly. Got second hand pvc windows and door for 100 quid. Insulated walls and floor and ply lined. Total cost was around 4 800 excl labour. No electric fitted yet but planned for future. That was 3 years ago? Prob cost nearer 6 grand today with price of materials.

Brilliant job mark, thanks for the breakdown of everything it's so useful. When I build mine I was hoping to do a 6x3 room for around 10k - i will definitely be planning ahead with a materials list in order to negotiate bulk discounts, and no doubt to realise it will be over budget 😅 Also, definitely going to invest in a hikoki or milwaukee first fix nail gun (even though I'm on makita ordinarily)

I spent about 1500 on screws for framing my house. Another couple of hundred on collated plasterboard screws too. You don't consider how much they are until you add them all up! Although I just put up an OSB ceiling in my garage this last week and I was very happy to have had boxes of the collated screws leftover. T'was like a little gift to myself.

ive been quoted under 40k for a design i made of around 42m2,, with all the power points, cladding, insulation etc soo that seems like a similar price but with the labour and shipping etc included here

Well mate, thats all the worrying over and it turned out to be great. Still looking at 4ft of snow here but Im ready to start… REALLY READY. Mine is 8.8m x 6m. I agree that the planing is really important, alot of drawings and changes now will hopefully cut down on mistakes under construction. The other thing is I have been buying tools and materials for the last year to help spread the cost. Just bought the Makita 12inch LS1219L mitersaw, think this will help with the framing. Anyway keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next vid. Keep well. Cheers Peter.

My experience is if u buy, its cheaper but wont last long. If u build urself, u can build to ur spec, yes it costs more, but it will last many many years, if done right and maintained!

What a cool share Mark. Not sure I can convince the Long Haired Colonel to let me spend the money though, maybe I could convert the master bedroom into a workshop! If only I were that brave. so I guess I better just clear out my garage better! LOL.

Great video !!!! thank you

Amazing…. I’m in the middle of doing my own build now. Smaller than this. Thanks for the videos

Haven’t seen any of the build videos, only this one. I am in a similar position having recently completed my garden cabin 3.6 m x 3.6 m with pyramid roof. Still have some small bits to do to get the building fully finished. Cost wise It will come in at around £7,500 all in including some tool purchase and 30 sq m Indian stone patio. It’s been a lot of work and all done on my own apart from three days help sheathing the roof, Very satisfying lots of lessons learnt, and some regrets in build decisions in hindsight, however it’s a fabulous addition and I will get a lot of use from it.

That’s a very good guide, can’t fault any of it except that after I built my first one I bought myself a battery finishing nail gun which made subsequent ones much much quicker and easier as like you I prefer to use screws not nails.

Thank you, your build videos and the costs breakdown is extremely helpful 👍 I am about to start my workshop build, 8 metres by 6 metres, god help me 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

I subscribe to the philosophy of over-building, so your shed gets a 👍 from me.

I'm literally just about to start my own workshop project and am trying to decide whether to buy a decent large shed or build my own! My budget won't be 11k though 🤨 Fabulous job you have done BTW 👍🏼

Well done from Ohio!

I'd love to be able to do that, but a lack of health will definitely stop that. Great series, though.

Interesting numbers. For estimates, I have always used the material cost and added that number in again for the labour. At $11,000 (your cost) x 2 = $22,000 (cost to have it done), you're right on the money. I know it's pounds, not dollars, but same thing.

This video series will be the bible for my build !! 😆 loved your videos and the way you present them ❤👍🏻👊🏻

There's no way you could have bought something else half as nice as what you built for even twice the price. Your shed came out great.

Thanks Mark. Watch all the build videos as I'm planning a similar but smaller build once the UK weather becomes more predictable. Thanks for the honesty with your mistakes. You'll save a lot of us a lot of pain i'm sure. Keep up the good work. Very engaging content.

I’m currently halfway through building my workshop. It’s open on one side and I’m using round wood small trees for framing. Pallet wood for walls and bought some tin roofing. I’m lucky I already have a concrete floor and a small forest full of sweet chestnut, black locust and hornbeam. My cost so far is only £200, for the tin roof and some screws and nails. Because of time I’m half mortises and tenoning it for the main bits and screws and nails for the brackets and rafters. But I can say it’s a lot of work and you need some half decent tools. Chainsaw, the makita planer is a godsend. Router for the mortises, circular saw and a decent chisel. And I’m lucky I’ve built it next to another building so I don’t need power. Fed up of not being able to work in the rain and having to set up my equipment every time.

That was interesting. I started one last April and have still to finish! Made some different choices but think I'm coming in at 10K for 4.3x3.6m, so quite comparable.

That is a very long walk from the street to the workshop, Mark. To carry all that material by yourself, well phew! Were you tempted at all to relocate closer to the house?

This is a great film, thank you for honesty. Would you please share how many working hours it took (roughly)?

Oakwood garden rooms is the only garden room builder worth following if you have a bigger budget for your build .

M8 hats off to u but wow 😲 😳 a knew it was expensive talking through it with u throughout and we both no timber isn't cheap but wow hadn't pictured it that much but way a see it you'll hopefully never need another shop so kinda win win. 🤔 Great video though amazing break downs and detail in it. Also if anyone reads this one thing I have found recently is national company in UK Rembrandt timber working out best prices I've found on dimensional timber anywhere from 1-5 quid a meter saving in comparison to another national merchant. Catch up soon m8🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

Brilliant. Thank you. Wow… screws £350 more or less… that shocked me. Right I’m off to the website….👍🏻✨🌈✨

I've decided--I'm sticking with you. Obviously, your wife is a good egg. Most women would go wild with us carrying materials through the house. Well, my friend, live and learn. You've done great. Safety is key, take it from a tradesman who has ruined his body because of doing everything himself. This was a brilliant build for a first timer. Nice!!

Screws will snap, nails will just bend a bit with forces, I would go with a screw to pull in and nail gun to fire a couple of nails in.

Really appreciate this video as I’m on the fence between building myself or buying pre fab. Still undecided! How long do you think in man hours from start to finish? Thinking of taking 2 weeks off work in spring for it.

Have you seen the spruce log cabins, diy kits double glazed with nordic spruce tongue and Grove timbers for around 4 grand for something the same size.

The suggestion to avoid osb on the walls is pretty bad advice. That is providing all the diagonal bracing and a lot of the strength (unless you are going to put it on the inside instead)

I'm planning on making a similar shed for myself. I'm trying to plan out the build, but find it quite difficult to estimate the amount of materials I need as I don't really have any experience with building. So hoping you could answer a question :) How many 2x4's did you approximately use for this project?

P.S. I still wince when I think about the roasting I got from the sun reflecting off the kingspan floor insulation, sunny days are great for working outside but not on that occasion.😂😂😂

Quick question, but why if you were having to go through planning anyway didn't you just pop a bit extra onto the height?

I was going to do this in the summer, £11k omg not now 😮😮 great vid though

Could have saved a lot,by just using blocks under the building base,rather then a patio. I used a 3x2 timber,and a lot less then you used,and it's still good after twenty years.

I commented on your build video. Nice end result, but seriously there is so much mis information, and overbuilding for very little gain. Like screws, not staggering your siding, your foundation... just to name a few.

What size is it? You never say in any of the videos and it's really annoying.

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Me dear, gay dear, no dear

How many clips of that shack are going to puch down our throats ? Keeping on recycling clips over and over again aint going to cut it dude 😴😴😴😴😴😴

This video reminded me my professor’s words: “Engineers are not the ones who can build a bridge. Everyone can build a bridge. Engineers are the ones who can build a bridge that barely stands.” 🥲