# Shed: to build or not to build?



## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

So I've been mentally set on building my own shed for the past year. Watched a poop ton of videos and done as much reading, too. Priced materials, etc...
Today, I visited a Tuff Shed location. Damn! &#128064; Those things are built well.

If I built it, I'd do it at about 40% of what a Tuff Shed costs in the size I want. But they'd knock it out in a day, plus it'd be built by guys who do this everyday.

Anyone here care to share some thoughts on a DIY shed vs buying one from a company like Tuff Shed?


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Same boat here. Leaning towards buying from a company but having second thoughts all the time.


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## spraying_and_praying (Feb 24, 2021)

I was in that situation a couple of years ago, and I went with a local company that build a shed from a kit on site. It was up in a day, including site work. Saved me a lot of frustration and time- it was worth paying a premium to have someone else build it. And they warranty their sheds for 10 years!

I don't know anything about Tuff Sheds, but I'd probably go that route to save my sanity. :bd:


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

For me, it's one of those situations where I love the idea of it being done quickly and hassle-free, but I know that I'll be kicking myself in the arse later for NOT doing it myself and saving a bunch of money.

Maybe this is one DIY project I should just let someone else worry about. (And tomorrow I'll be thinking the opposite. &#128514


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## cldrunner (May 14, 2019)

@JayGo I had a TuffShed built 3 years ago. They came and built the design I wanted in one day. I got a Premier Lean-to(pushed against a wall) with two large doors on the front and a couple of windows on each side. Easy to get the riding mowers in and out. I also got the metal ramps and upgraded floor. Even though they come and build it you really need to be there for the whole build and make sure they are doing it the way you want it. It is a good idea to have the area prepped and perfectly level like you want it. Glad I used Tuff-Shed. Would do it again.


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## SWB (Sep 22, 2018)

spraying_and_praying said:


> I was in that situation a couple of years ago, and I went with a local company that build a shed from a kit on site. It was up in a day, including site work. Saved me a lot of frustration and time- it was worth paying a premium to have someone else build it. And they warranty their sheds for 10 years!
> 
> I don't know anything about Tuff Sheds, but I'd probably go that route to save my sanity. :bd:


I built a wood shed this spring. I'm not a carpenter but It gave me something to do when my business shut down because of the pandemic. It was ridiculously expensive and took me several weeks to build. It's great and as soon as the treated wood dries out a bit It'll get some paint and then be filled with wood.
If I had to do again I would buy or have one built. I skilled carpenter an do in a day what it takes me weeks to do.
The extra expense would be money well spent imo.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

I had a company come out and build a metal shed with a roll-up garage door best decision I made.


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## NJ-lawn (Jun 25, 2018)

One bit of advice......buy or build the largest shed you can afford and have space for. You will fill it up. I had the Amish build me a 12'x30' shed. It's full all winter, best decision yet


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

@CenlaLowell, my plan was to install a roll-up door when I was gung-ho about DIY. If I in fact end up buying a shed, I may need to see about finding a builder that can possibly install one.

@NJ-lawn, I try to be forward thinking about stuff like this, but in this case I'm pretty much locked into a set size because of the space available in a corner of my backyard....8x12 max for the shed spot. So that's one thing I don't have to mull over too much. Sort of relieved by that.

@cldrunner, I've been eyeballing the lean to but configuring like his instead. Guy at the sales office confirmed that I could adjust a lean to like this....(I'd paint it a different color to match my house and I'd also add a short wood deck on front with a ramp on one side)


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I looked at the Lark AccuSteel models locally and really liked them.


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## cldrunner (May 14, 2019)

@JayG30 Mine was 12 foot wide by 8 ft which allowed for the double doors. I placed two air vents on the front bottom and two on top in the back to create airflow. I don't have power to my shed so the windows are nice for light. I put a couple of cheap LED solar power lights in the corner and the small solar panel just sits on the window frame. That way I have a little light if I go out there at night for a few minutes.

I really like how sturdy the doors and the locking handle are. They are heavy so I use a bungee cord when open to hold the door open from the handle to a hole in the metal frame. I had a bench framed on one side and a shelf installed up high that I place all my chemicals. Those two add-ons were very nice and inexpensive.

I was also constrained by a space I wanted for the shed. Its amazing how much you can pack in a small space. I have 1 riding mower,two self propelled push mowers(30in and 22 in) and bags, gorilla cart, 3 weed eaters, power washer, 3 sprayers, 30 gallon tow behind sprayer, some small tools, (2) 5 gallon gas cans, about 10-15 chemical bottles, shovels, rakes, and fertilizer. I can still even walk in on both side of my riding mower that I back in. Keeps all that stuff out of my garage.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

@SWB
I priced everything out and came out just under $1000, obviously way way cheaper than paying the pro's. Curious why yours turned out "ridiculously expensive" as you say?
Like you, I'm not a carpenter, but I'm comfortable enough with tackling the project.

@cldrunner, that's great info; especially since that's pretty much the size I'm looking at. Thanks. 
I'm due to update my lawn journal pictures today, so I'll edit one in later so you can see the space I'm working with if you're interested. I'm limited to an 8' front side, so I can't do double doors. 🤬


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## SWB (Sep 22, 2018)

JayGo said:


> @SWB
> I priced everything out and came out just under $1000, obviously way way cheaper than paying the pro's. Curious why yours turned out "ridiculously expensive" as you say?
> Like you, I'm not a carpenter, but I'm comfortable enough with tackling the project.
> 
> ...


Mine was overbuilt a bit as I used 2x12's for the floor joist and 6x6's & 4x4's at the walls. All the lumber was treated except the OSB sheathing. It is 6' x 12' and will hold a little over 3 cords of wood.
You're staring at a $3100 wood shed.
I think the pre-manufactured sheds use 2x4's (or 2x6's) & plywood for the flooring. It doesn't need to support a lot of weight.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

@SWB, ahhh. Makes sense. Built like a tank. 👍🏼 Nothing wrong with overbuilt.


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## jleiwig (Apr 6, 2020)

I too struggled with the built vs. bought idea. However what I did was decide what I wanted then compare. What I found was in most instances I could not buy the lumber alone for what it was going to cost me to have the shed built. However no single shed did exactly what I want. So I compromised on my solution. I bought a shed kit from backyard products, which included every single thing except paint and roofing materials. I found the kit on another web site and then searched for the best price on that kit. Costco of all places ended up having it and ended up having a sale and I got the kit for something close to $1000 off of their normal list price. I changed out a few things, because there are some concessions they have to make to make it fit on a 4x8 skid, like full 12' long 4"x4" skids to place the shed on. They delivered it right into my driveway in a nicely sealed package. It actually got rained on for two days after delivery before I could open it up and start sorting it. It took me about a month working on it only on the weekends. My father in law helped one day setting walls, and my brother in law also helped with the roof, but other than that I did it all myself. I did use it as an excuse to buy some nail guns and a new heavy duty air compressor. I'm satisfied with everything. I'd seriously consider looking into a shed kit if I had to do it again.


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## tommyboy (Aug 20, 2019)

If you have the skills, build away. A lot of personal satisfaction knowing you built it yourself.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

JayGo said:


> So I've been mentally set on building my own shed for the past year. Watched a poop ton of videos and done as much reading, too. Priced materials, etc...
> Today, I visited a Tuff Shed location. Damn! 👀 Those things are built well.
> 
> If I built it, I'd do it at about 40% of what a Tuff Shed costs in the size I want. But they'd knock it out in a day, plus it'd be built by guys who do this everyday.
> ...


Depends on your skill set. I would never build anything like that so I purchased mine. Also with the price of wood you may come out cheaper using Metal like this. 


Price 6100$ slab included


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

In the interest of sharing information, here's what I wound up doing.

I bought a Tuff Shed, but I bought mine through Home Depot. Worked out great on my end. With current lumber prices being as high as they are, my DIY price almost doubled. And while Tuff Shed had worked current lumber prices into their prices, Home Depot had not done so yet.

I wound up getting an 8x12 with quite a few of the upgrades (windows and transoms, treated flooring, steel floor frame, vents on all 4 walls, etc..), and it only cost me about $600 more than had I built it myself. Plus, I was even able to take advantage of their 24-months no interest promo.
Tuff Shed built it in a day when it would've taken me a few weekends, if not more.

I'm not sure if by now they've adjusted their prices to reflect current lumber prices, but it may be worth checking out Home Depot if you're in the market for a shed.

Have a few paint touch ups to do and have to redraw my tree mulch border to incorporate the shed.


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## jeffjunstrom (Aug 12, 2019)

JayGo said:


> In the interest of sharing information, here's what I wound up doing.


Did they do the site prep, or did you clear the area and provide the risers? I'm still shopping around, but the idea of having HD prepare, build, and install these is attractive to me. The area I would want to put it has a slight grade, so I'm hesitant to DIY.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

@jeffjunstrom
That spot was pretty much ready to go. Too much shade, so my turf had disappeared over the last 3 years. I had to remove the tree border myself and do some measuring to make sure I was far away from the fences to meet city code requirements.

They showed up for a pre-inspection to mark the area, but other than that, they did everything on install day (approx 5 hours). They provided the leveling pads.

The following day, I bought the wood I needed to make the ramp myself.


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## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I've wanted a shed built for a couple years now and haven't been able to find a contractor willing to take on such a small job as building a shed. I had a slab poured and would like the shed to match the lines of my house including the roof line so it looks like it was always part of the house.

I might build it myself but with lumber prices so high I might wait and see if prices come down. We are having the house painted in a few months so the sense of urgency to get it built is high.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@PNW_George I dont think wood price will come down anytime soon. Also, what are your plans with all the vents in the house? Is that a chimney?


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## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

g-man said:


> @PNW_George I dont think wood price will come down anytime soon. Also, what are your plans with all the vents in the house? Is that a chimney?


It is a chimney, the lower vents on the chimney are intake for a wood burning stove insert. There is a Stainless Steel Chimney Pipe, at least double walled. I'm not sure what the dryer type vents do, they may just be for air intake for the space inside the chimney for cooling. I think they will be fine as is but can extend them to the shed wall if needed. The lower vents on the house are for the crawlspace and can be framed around.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

@PNW_George, I'd get your measurements and jump on the Home Depot site that's specific to Tuff Shed and configure one there for some ideas on prices. You might find something that works.

Also, it looks like the prices in my area have been updated to reflect the higher lumber prices, but I know that every store region works differently. Maybe your local Home Depot stores haven't updated their prices.


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