Your shed, your way
Built to your size, your spec, and painted whatever colour you fancy. This guide walks you through every step.
Start PlanningNo fancy jargon, no showing off. Just a proper, friendly guide to getting a cracking shed up in your garden — from "where do I even start?" to the finished article.
Pick wherever you are in the process. If you're brand new to this, I'd suggest going in order — but feel free to jump around.
Size, purpose, planning permission, and all that boring-but-important stuff you need to sort before you buy a single plank.
Let's plan it →You don't need a workshop full of power tools — but you do need a few essentials. Here's the honest list.
See the tools →What wood to buy, how much of it, and why you shouldn't always go for the cheapest stuff at B&Q.
Get the materials →This is the bit most people rush and then regret. A solid base makes everything else easy. Get it right.
Start the base →This is where it starts looking like an actual shed. We'll build the floor, walls, and roof frame step by step.
Build the frame →Given we live in Britain, this section is arguably the most important one. We get a bit of rain, you might have noticed.
Sort the roof →Featheredge, shiplap, or T&G? We'll break down what each one is and which is right for your shed.
Clad those walls →Getting these fitted straight and working properly is more satisfying than you'd think. Here's how to do it properly.
Hang 'em right →Shelving, paint, electrics, and making it feel like YOUR space. The fun bit at the end of the project.
Finish it off →The ones everyone makes. Learn from other people's expensive errors so you don't have to make them yourself.
Avoid the pitfalls →The questions people ask me all the time. Do I need planning permission? How long does it take? How much does it cost?
Get answers →
Photo: Andy Watkins / Unsplash
Look, you can absolutely buy a flat-pack shed from Lidl and have it up by Tuesday. There's nowt wrong with that. But if you've got the time and you're up for a bit of a project, building your own has proper advantages:
A few honest things to know going in:
Time: A first-timer building a standard 8×6ft shed will likely take 2–4 weekends. Don't start in October.
Cost: Expect £400–£900 for materials for a solid 8×6ft shed, depending on wood quality and spec.
Help: You can do this solo, but a second pair of hands for a few hours (especially for the frame) makes it much easier.
Start at the beginning — it'll take ten minutes to read and save you a lot of grief later.