Frequently Asked Questions

It varies a lot depending on size and spec, but here are realistic ballparks for 2025/2026 UK prices:

6×4ft basic storage shed: £250–400 in materials
8×6ft standard shed: £400–650
10×8ft workshop: £700–1,100
12×10ft home office (insulated, electrics): £1,500–3,000+

These figures are for self-build with you providing the labour. Hiring someone to build it doubles or trebles the cost. Tools, fixings, paint, and the base are extra — budget an additional 20–30% on top of the timber costs.

Honestly depends on the size, your experience, and how much help you have. Very roughly:

6×4ft: One long weekend (2 days)
8×6ft: 2–3 weekends
10×8ft: 3–5 weekends
12×10ft with electrics and insulation: 6–10 weekends

First-timers should double these estimates. The base alone is often a full day's work. And remember — wet weekends don't count.

In most cases in England and Wales, no — garden sheds are covered under Permitted Development rights. The key rules are: it must be in the back garden (behind the main house elevation), single-pitch roofs must be under 2.5m, apex roofs under 4m at the ridge (or 2.5m if within 2m of a boundary), and it can't cover more than 50% of your garden.

However: listed buildings and conservation areas have stricter rules. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own PD rights. And if your garden is a weird shape or your house is in an unusual location, it's worth double-checking with your local planning authority. See the Planning page for more detail.

You can absolutely do most of the build solo — particularly if you're methodical about it. The main moments where a second pair of hands is genuinely useful are: raising and temporarily propping wall panels, getting the roof deck on, and fitting long lengths of cladding. If you can get a mate or family member for even 4–6 hours at those stages, it makes life significantly easier. For the rest — marking, cutting, screwing, painting — solo is fine.

Whatever size you're thinking — go one size up. I'm not joking. Everyone thinks they know how much space they need, and everyone is wrong in the same direction. The most common shed regret is not making it bigger. Go up one size, you'll thank yourself in six months.

For general guidance: an 8×6 is the sweet spot for most families needing garden storage. A 10×8 or 10×10 is what you want if you're going to use it as a workspace. A 12×10 or larger for a proper home office or studio.

Yes, absolutely. The work in the shed itself (wiring the consumer unit, running cables to sockets and lights) is DIY-able for someone competent with a screwdriver. However, the connection to your house's consumer unit at the other end must be done and certified by a Part P registered electrician. This typically costs £100–200 and gets you an EICR certificate. Without this, your home insurance may not cover a shed fire caused by electrical fault.

Use 2.5mm² SWA (armoured) cable for the underground run. Minimum 450mm deep. Protect with ducting. It's genuinely straightforward.

For most sheds, paving slabs on a compacted hardcore sub-base is the ideal combination of cost, ease, and performance. It's solid, level, drains reasonably well, and can be done in a day. A full concrete slab is better for workshops and home offices, but overkill for general storage. Timber bearers on concrete blocks are a good option for sloped or tricky ground.

Whatever you choose: don't skip the sub-base. 100mm of compacted type 1 hardcore under your base keeps it level for years.

For shed paint and stain, Cuprinol Garden Shades and Ronseal Fence Life are both consistently good. They soak into the timber rather than sitting on top, so they don't peel. They need reapplying every 2–3 years but it takes an hour and a pot of paint.

For preservative on structural/hidden timber, Barrettine Wood Preservative or Sadolin Classic are both solid options. For fence and cladding timber ends, a dedicated end grain sealer (or just a generous brush of preservative) makes a big difference to longevity.

If you've bought tanalised (pressure-treated) timber, it's already been treated and doesn't need additional preservative on the main faces. However, you should still treat any cut ends with end-grain preservative, as cutting through treated timber exposes untreated wood. For cladding, treating the backs of boards before fitting is strongly recommended — once it's on the wall, you can't get to the back.

Three things: ventilation, damp-proof base, and keeping water away from the structure. Fit louvre vents high up on opposing walls for cross-ventilation. Make sure your base has a damp-proof layer between it and the ground. Keep cladding treated and painted so it repels water rather than absorbs it. Make sure your roof overhangs the walls by at least 50mm so rain drips clear of the walls. And don't store wet things (like garden furniture cushions) directly on the floor.

Technically yes, practically — I'd strongly advise against it. Wet timber warps and is unpleasant to work with. Mortar and concrete don't set properly below 5°C. You'll be miserable. Roofing in the rain is a particular ordeal. If you absolutely have to, wait for a dry spell and work quickly to get the roof on before any rain returns. But really — wait for spring. The shed will be better for it, and so will you.