I dread to think how long you spent researching and collating all of these figures… and that time should (in my opinion) be factored into quotes for jobs like this too. Customers often overlook how much time you spend designing, calculating and ordering the materials before a job has even started. It can easily add up to an extra days work. I did a double car port build recently and about 15% of the labour charge was for time spent planning and ordering materials
He’s only done it for his brother (who wants the shed) himself and for this video. He wouldn’t break down such costs of building a shed. He would price materials and his day rate.
Aimed at the DIYer, I don't need to cost that - it was part of the fun. Built a lovely shed that I designed. Materials are materials ie they are much the same for a DIYer or paying someone. The saving is always in the labour cost saving. As a competent DIYer/wood-worker I have all the tools and know how to use them safely. It will take me a bit longer than having something built but then I can take time and care over every detail. If one wants to factor in all the costs there is finding out all the building regs about how high a shed can be etc or digging out the trench for the armoured cable to run power. As it is I think this is a good comparison of the cost for the DIYer.
I think you’re missing the point. He did this for a price cost comparison, not a project for a paying customer. A DIYer does it for the satisfaction not a method for paying himself. Nevertheless it goes to show how much it could cost for you as a DIYer, and depending on where you sourced your materials from. All in all I thought this was an excellent video, and definitely someone I would pinch an idea from 👍
Your Brother gets a new shed, you get great content to film, we get great content to enjoy. Win win win. Get some tool companies on board to sponsor it and double dip! Love your work.
This. Do this Keith. I first subbed you on the release of your first workshop build - which was 9 years ago! Where has that time gone, probably with our hair colour....
I did my own in lockdown, a 12x10ft shed with a pent roof, epdm covering, 3x2 framing, 18mm ply floor, 12mm roof, breathable membrane and 25mm feather edge cladding with s/h UPVC windows and I made my own door. It came to under £2000 just before prices went mad. I couldn’t have done it without watching your build videos, Liam Griffin’s summerhouse builds and 21st century caveman’s videos too so thank you. I’ve insulated it with recycled bottle insulation and clad the inside with a mix of pallet wood and 11mm OSB and also installed a Campervan style diesel heater. I had quotes ranging from £1500 to £6500 to have this built and some quotes didn’t even have the same spec!!
Hi Ian, Im looking at building roughly the sized garden room as yours an would love to know how you did it that cheap! Material prices will have changed by then but if you did have a parts list, would love to see it! Cheers
@@starck63 Hi, yes material prices were way cheaper in early 2020 when I did it. All were from local suppliers, none from big brands apart from screws in Toolstation. I don’t have a parts list sorry. Just followed channels like Keith’s and others on shed building.
And for the walls. A coat of paint covers it nicely. It's a shed, not a palace. Built several that way. My main 10' x 10' with and 8' roof peak is now 38 years in place. Had to replace the shingles and build a new door about 8 years ago but otherwise it's all good.
I worked for a Stable company building the framework/cladding etc & a 3.6m x 3.6m basic Mobile Field Shelter as they called it was £4500/5000! & that’s withiout a floor obviously. 45x75 frame plus trusses 120mm cladding, corrapol roof sheets & 18mm obs for the roof & round the inside of the stable. We (two people) could build one in 2 hours in the workshop from start to finish & it would take 6/8 hours to put up. Just thought I’d share the price & labour
I know it's extra work but it's a shame you didn't add in a "what would I use" price list too, building a nearly identical shed using the timber size and materials you would use such as 2x2 for the walls and OSB for the roof etc.
Had an 8x12 foot shed built several years ago. I first looked at the DIY kits at the big name stores. They cost $2,500 for the size I wanted with 24 inch on center framing and a 6 foot roof. I found a local builder who built a similar 8x12 foot shed with 16 inch on center framing and 7 foot with, plus put in the footings, for the same price. So glad I looked for a local builder. Saved a lot of money and frustration of building it myself, and got some business to a local business.
For me, it is a combination of build quality and custom sizing that swings it. My standard method is 2 x 4 studding frame (normally the cheapest way to buy timber) then 12mm ply inside and shiplap outside. Insulation (and wiring) between. Solid, warm, and cost effective. And you can hang stuff anywhere you want to. Foundation- concrete with waterproof barrier, no question. Zero maintenance, any load. Apex- that is where you put your windows. Best light, and no wall wasted.
I've literally just finished putting together a BillyOh shed 16x8 feet. I chose this option as I'm in a Terrice and the prefabricated parts are max 4f so could be carried through the house. I paid £846 delivered. Quality wise it correlated to what you see online, but nothing a diyer couldn't put right with a saw and a claw hammer. Build wise it took about 8 hours to assemble. I didn't upgrade the floor (mistake), so ended up spending £90 on some 18mm OSB sheets which are perfectly solid. My biggest complaint was timing. From purchase to delivery was about 5 weeks. As for the felt.. let's just say my daughter's Wendy house has better quality felt. I doubt it'll last more than a few years.. if the cats don't shred it first! Overall I'm impressed for the cost, it seems pretty solid. The roof trusses on mine are 47 * 70 BTW.
2 years ago i built a summer house my self 12foot x 18foot, the base is breeze blocks levelled and cemented in place, blue pallets held together with inserted 3x3s all screwed together, and 2x8s around outer edge to make it look nice and pull it all together, painted whole base with black jack, a damp proof layer laid over top with 6 foot x 4 foot 18mm osb sheets as the floor, wall frames were made up of 2x4s with 12mm ply on outside, filled with rock wool insolation and plaster board on inside, kept an eye out for upv windows and doors in the area being replaced and gave a few quid for those, roof beams every 2foot ( doubled in middle and ends ) with 18mm osb sheets again, paid for a professional to do roofing felt ( biggest one off payment ) including good quality paint and finishings like aluminium edging for corners and around window and door frames sockets and switches, it all came in under 3.5k. i was quoted between 10-15k for the same thing from some of the more well known shed/summer house suppliers, took about 4 weeks to build in off time. its solid looks quality in its grey and black paint job with aluminium finishings and my mates all got there orders in for one of there own as soon as they saw it and found out the price lol, if you keep your eye on lumber prices and strike when there cheaper you can save way more than you think, and the only tools you'll really need are a jig saw, circular saw, hammer, drill, the two biggest costs were the fixings and roof, was my first time taking on anything of this size and was surprised at how easy it was, plus made some great memories building it with my little brother.
Interesting comparisons.But I think most self builders,like me would probably over engineer and upgrade materials rather than work to a material price,Labour costs? You do it for the satisfaction and enjoyment (sometimes)😂
I haven't bought any timber for quite a while and then looked up some prices in order to make a garden gate including two posts to hang it from. Goodness me I got surprised! Timber is flipping expensive nowadays!
Prices escalated rapidly during Covid. Excuses ranged from disruption in supply caused by lockdowns around the world, plus the increased demand from people extending homes and building sheds/cabins/home offices to cope with being forced to stay at home. However, now that things are "back to normal" prices have NOT eased in the slightest. Building anything these days is almost prohibitively expensive.
I know when I built my Wife's Summer House, I used Ellis Timber and a Shed Company in North Walsham for Hardwood Ply, as it was when Ply was in short demand. I built an 8X8 shed with 2X4s and a mix of 18 mm and 12 mm ply for floor walls and Ceiling and 18 mm OSB for the roof. I think with a Door set from Travis Perkins and s bit of doubled Glazing from a Local Glazier, a used second hand UPVC window. I was in it for around £1300 from what I remember.
I'm suprised at the use of shiplap for the roof and floor for the pre-fab. If they are getting that cheaper than sheet material it's not going to be good quality is it?
All this to tell us how your brother (or yourself... for that matter!) "tricked" you to build him a shed? I feel you Keith, happens to me all the time too!!! 😉(easy to understand i have a brother... of the same caliber!!!LOL)
I built my own shed, I put all electrics in full fuse box and exterior lighting. They used 2x2 I used four by two base, three by two for frame.also they quoted me on a eight by eight and standard height, I built 12by 8. And 8ft at front 7at the back,I’ve boarded all out with 11mm osb and insulated too. They quoted me 2000, myself cost me 3000. And I’ve got a upvc door, they was putting a standard shed door on. By far better to build yourself if you can.
surprised about the prices from the sawmill being so high and from the brief clip of you loading I know which sawmill that is! did you try the one round the corner from there? And as a PS. for anyone in or near Gt Yarmouth there are two shed suppliers on the industrial area near the outer harbour port area who will charge a lot less than your quoted firm and they use better sized timber as well and dont forget it also saves you the work of building it!!
i found self-build or buying a really difficult decision. I watched countless hours of your, Matts and Liams (and plenty of others) self build shed videos. I wavered between I can do this and I can't do it whilst looking at countless online retailers which never met exactly what I wanted. All along it seemed if I wanted to buy one it would involve some pretty hefty compromises which I could never be happy with. Right towards the end I found a local-ish company which offered a few sheds BUT had a large number of options/upgrades which meant I could pretty much get a shed which wasn't a compromise. Believe me it took half a lifetime to find them, but now, as I have just finished painting the outside, I am really pleased with my choice. It wasn't cheap BUT in fairness it offered me all that I wanted. If I had made it myself I would have used slightly thicker timber but it is more than good enough for my needs. It does need insulating (which I will do myself) and I did make a 6x2 timber frame for it to sit on but the suppliers fitted the shed for free and it took them less than a day to erect. I don't feel the countless videos I watched wasted time at all, they introduced me to both an attitude that anything is possible and helped me understand the methods to working successfully in any DIY project which I thank you (and Matt and Liam) for. I was fortunate to be in a position to be able to choose to buy rather than build and I am truly grateful for that. There are plenty of projects coming up to test my DIY skills and I thank you for your inspiration Keith.
Before you give up on sawmills bear in mind they are generally focussed on trades so their cash prices are often high. Setting up a trade account or even just a cash account is a doddle and can save you a small fortune. Many will do free local delivery on account orders too.
With how expensive timber is becoming, how close are we getting to having a 'shed' build out of bricks and mortar being close or cheaper than a timber one? I'd like to know the numbers for that. And factor in that it will never rot etc. Assuming you are DIY'ing it, so material costs only.
I recently bought a 8x5 pent shiplap shed from tiger sheds. Best spent money ever. I don't classify myself so competent so that I can build a shed from scratch and this was a great option for me. It came intact, it's very strong and support was fantastic even when I had some issues with the lock. It really is down to the merchant
Good video. Should pull together the cost of selecting the cheapest product options across the various sources too as I know I don't typically for most of my shopping always buy it all from same location. Likewise would be good to see the table including the options for swapping out OSB etc
I've been planning a shed for months. God knows how many times I've watched your shed building vids lol. In the end, I've bought a cheap metal one, 10ft by 8ft, that I've yet to construct, based on cost, £304. This comes with the caveat of height (and other things of course). These things are for short people, or for not walking around in. So I have to still build a 2x10 height floor frame and place the shed on top of that, hanging 2x4 floor joists at the bottom of the 2x10, giving a height increase of about 5 inches. This will induce a step when getting into the shed. You decide whether this solution is worth the saving. I'm not done buying the materials yet, but I'm going to put total cost at around £600.
A great video, i am amazed that the un-named diy store still gets away with charging so much and i thought saw mills were alot cheaper. any way i look forward to the video of your next shed build. keep up the great work.
I built a great workshop using SIP panels for the walls and roof, and uPVC windows and door. The exterior walls were finished with metal cladding, and the roof was a rubber roof covering. Not super cheap, but no more damp dank shed full of bugs and cobwebs. Plus probably added value to the house.
I'm building a 19 x 8 foot ( 5.8m x 2.4m) shed at the moment, I have to clad 2 sides that I already built with osb and wrapped in membrane and I've spent about £600. I recycled the fence that surrounded my garden (built a new 6ft one) and the 1.5 x 1.5m shed that was there already (mainly the base) I got 2 decent sized double glazed window panes that I fished out of a skip from a double glazing company and built new frames. You can get a lot done without spending thousands if you put the work in and can reimagine "scrap" wood
Good comparison there, one of the big issues for me with sheds was indoor/doorway height as I'm over 6 feet tall. I built my own in the end so i don't risk knocking myself out every time i go in the shed! I had a lot of fun doing it too, thanks to you, the restoration couple and a few others for the shed build videos they really helped.
I built a shed to fit a footprint that an old shed stood on. Materials were ~£1000 but for 12' x 24' that was cheaper than buying one. I know it can easily handle me jumping up and down on the roof and there's something about seeing something you personally designed and built showing up on Google Earth. Many storms later, its not showing any sign of failure, it'll probably outlive me. But those Google Earth images get me every time.
Awh, lovely to catch a glimpse of Dylan again. Great comparisons Keith, must've taken a while. you got me curious and I started looking here in Aus where timber prices are even more extortionate. Even at a rough glance I'd say you'd be better off building your own, but we'd use corrugated iron for the cladding as it works out much much cheaper and it's very much the norm here.
@@RagnBoneBrownThis is the comment I was looking for!! Your 2nd shed build was the first video I watched on your channel and I've been addicted ever since! Can't wait for shed number 3 👍🏼
Built a 4.8m x 2.4m shed last year. Really pleased with the result and stronger than anything online. It was also about a £1000 cheaper ignoring labour. I'll always build rather than buy.
For the windows I used polycarbonate sheets, from dedicate retailers. Polycarbonate material is much stronger than glass and 3mm or 4mm thicknesses would need serious effort to break. I used 3mm polycarbonate for the roof of my single compost bin. Yes it is a little scuffed up after 18 months but is strong an clear to the day I installed it. For a shed I never use less than 3mm polycarbonate sheets, it they are small or strongly framed. For larger windows I personally would be looking at 4 or 5mm polycarbonate sheets. When I rebuilt me shed windows replacing single pane glass I went with 4mm polycarbonate that was patterned on the face I used internally.... I got mine from CLEAR AMBER.
I built mine witt 18mm osb floor and roof. 20mm T & G flooring and 68 x 38 cls Stromg as a brick S%£^house. Took a few days bit could custom size for my space.. I am also a joiner so tools /skills are not a barrier.
Why would anyone clad a floor with V grooves in it and bigger ones with shiplap? I'm talking about Timber projects and your response to it, yes I understand it is with like for like comparison.
I built my 4mx3x apex shed out of new 4m scaff boards in 2017. Cost me £700 and took me a weekend. The following weekend i built a 4m work bench and shelves with the off cuts. Scaffolding boards have nearly doubled in price but thats still only 1400 and the walls are over an inch thick and can be nailed directly into to hang stuff. Only thing id do different not is route a tounge and groove into them, but in summer the gaps allow air flow and keep things cool, and in winter it swells shut and keeps the wind out. Ill never understand buying expensive materials. Ive also never used a base. I just build on concrete slabs and bed a row of bricks in at the bottom. Keeps thenwater out and everything i keep on the floor is in plastic boxes so no worries about damp or rot or destryed intems im storing in there.
Thanks for the break down. Would it make any sense to take the kit, and work off that, instead of starting from scratch? Would you be able to fix the mistakes/flaws while minimizing work time? Assuming the materials are acceptable.
I put an 8x10 in our garden last summer. For a long while I was considering building it from scratch as it was an unusual space but in the end I went with a prefab one. I could have definitely built a better quality one for the money or the same one for less, but that only takes into account materials. As a dad of two small kids with a full time job, I just can’t justify what would have likely taken four or five full weekends when I could have the prefab one up in one day.
HI Keith i tried this a year or two ago did exactly what you have done - Try Adventures in Wood From Boston Lincs -- The Built my shed put it up on my concrete base - cheaper that i could buy just the timber for . It you want some snaps let me know
An other very interesting project. Just a suggestion for you to consider I have built two sheds and have used feather edge boards purchased from a fencing timber suppliers, use 10 boards per metre of coverage. I used 18mm OSB 3 fpr the floor and this has worked out great for my workshop which has a very heavy radial arm saw with a 14" dia blade with no distortion evident. Metal profile roof sheets are also a good choice and will be a better option than roofing sheet, they cover 1metre wide generally and are 0.7mm thick with a cost of around £25 per sheet.
Same here 12x8, horizontal featheredge boards with 50mm x 50mm frame all self designed and built and with roofing membrane between featheredge and frame. Keeps all wet out and will do so even if the featheredge warps , windproof too, so nice and calm and cosy even in stormy weather. Floor is 50x100 joists and 18mm osb, good and strong to take weight of two motorcycles. Total build cost was somewhere between £1000 - £1100 last year.
Good video that pal I get loads off emails from wayfair offering sheds and summer ☀️ houses I would like to build one like yours with double doors 🚪 and 6 ft wide x 11 ft long would it be expensive to build iam good at DIY what nail gun do you use is that 1st fix or 2nd fix
I ended up building my own shed when i needed more storage space. I used salvaged wood when i had ample access to it and it saved me a fortune over the rubbish pre made stuff. I had to buy nails, screws, felt, hinges and plywood for roof and side walls but, the base, wall and roof frames didnt cost me a penny. It also allowed me to customise the shed layout internally for storing all my tools and bits. I would love to see the shed build as a video. As always it would be great to watch
Great break down there Keith, I kniow you were comparing like for like as far as possible but there are more options to consider which I am confident would reduce your materials and costs as well as extend teh life of the shed.. A few years ago I build at similar sized shed and was bothered about the tools etc in the shed, a neighbour had his shed broken into and the theives pulled the roof off to get in! To this end I invested in a "rhino steel roof" which I could choose a clolour ans insulated to stop condensation (life span 50 years) the entire roof was about 2/3rds the cost of the timber and felt etc required to complete the job, and to this day looks good. Food for thought for your brother. Graham
Could you use treated 3x2 cls? Should be more than strong enough and cheaper possibly? My local saw mill- Harlow timber, not sure if you have one by you, treat this for free I just have to give them notice
Cost comparison is one thing, but if you are competent at diy, you could build a much stronger shed that suits your needs. This does all depend on cost and skills, but a well built diy shed would surely have the most value in self satisfaction and a sense of achievement. I would love to build my own shed/workshop/man cave one day. Thanks for the informative video👍👏
Following a couple of shed build series on RU-vid I built my own 3.6x2.4x2.4m shed just over 2 years ago. Great project - I'd never laid a concrete base before and never built anything so big. My wife helped when I needed an extra pair of hands. Best project I ever did. Saved a load of money. Fantastic quality shed to my specification. Do it, you will learn a lot and love the result!
Brilliant Keith thanks very good advice I'll take all on board I'm just a diyer but confident enough to be able to build one with your advice many thanks
Great video! You mentioned the availability of tools as one factor to consider. Would you like to make a video about that? like which three main tools to acquire to get started doing this kind of projects. Maybe like one to cut, one to drill and one to sand? something like that
I've just built a large out house and used 2by4 from a company called diy building supplies, cost me £360 for 37 4.8m lengths. Did a 4.3m by 6.1m with 760mm on center for walls and 600mm for roof. To accommodate the free ply wood I got 😅
I've just assembled a 12 x 8 apex forest shed. The cost was £700 without the base delivered. The build quality was a bit shoddy but for the cost I didn't expect perfection.missing nails, warping, not square prefab panels. But to be fair, it was all there and didn't take much to rectify. For a cheap shed I was impressed
I had a colourbond clad, steel framed shed, 20sqm, built on a concrete slab. Insulated, 1 door, 3 windows, a whirlygig in the roof and 8 double powerpoints and 3 LED overhead lights. A 2 man team spent 2 days in 43 degree heat assembling it. They did a fantastic job. The quality is amazing. Total cost....one kidney, an arm plus a leg and my first born child. AUS$20,000 or aprox £10,000.
I bought a Project Timber 8x12 hobbyist pent shed with no optional upgrades. I already had a base to put it on. It cost £800 from them then I spent £160 at a local timber merchant, lining the entire interior with 16mm OSB3. This thing is solid, and cost me under 1k. I did consider building my own, but PT had a 30% sale on, so I wouldn't have came close. I'm convinced they make most of their profit on 'extras'. For example, if you choose coloured panels, it's like an extra £60-£80, but they don't actually colour the panels. They just give you a tin of paint, a very expensive tin of paint.
I'd imagine the sawmill is sourcing local.... but timber merchant can import much cheaper.... but huge eye opener! Great video Keith.... its been amazing to watch your progress and confidence in woodworking DIY and video quality..... 👌🔥😎
A 3mx4m log cabin using 40mm interlocking walls from Tuin currently costs £2,650, including an 18mm floor and shingle roof. I've built 2 of these and they're fantastic. It will go up in a day (maybe 2 with a shingle roof). Not affiliated to Tuin but log cabins are great if you're building something of a decent size.
Would have been good if you can do another option of where you could save money, maybe using osb for floor and roof? Not sure if it would work out cheaper
You can do it even cheaper.. osb the floor and roof, use cheaper shiplap than t&g for walls but not surprised by your findings, ready made sheds are overpriced and really cheap quality for the most part.
This is a cost comparison video, so I priced up like for like. I wouldn't necessarily use t&g for flooring although pressure treated will probably outlast osb
I can relate to your comments about pre-fabricated sheds bought online. There is a manufacturer beginning with 'T' (think big cats) who I would give 0/10 for build quality and -1/10 for customer/after sales service. Steer well clear!
You got a new subscriber today. Timber prices at B&Q etc are indeed scandalous. I've been needing a new shed for ages, and the space available is awkward so the structure will be 14x6 which limits prefab options. Regardless, I'm not really hoping to save much at all on the materials but I'm attracted by the concept of doing the build myself, with my son's help, so that's what I'm planning to do now. Your videos have given me confidence that this is doable, although it will definitely take me longer than it did you.
Very useful video! I am watching it while waiting for Tiger sheds to deliver two of their 6x4 apex sheds. We already have two of their sheds and quality has always been good. However, you have now got me thinking about the DIY option for our remaining two sheds (yes we have six in total - long story!) because we have a very good timber merchants locally. Time to draw up a parts list I think! Thank again.
Basically i can save a thousand building myself, but have to buy tools for cutting, or for the same price i can get a 10x12' with 7 foot walls shipped to my foundation for 3500. And thats not counting the month of time lost to building it
