What a Custom Shed Really Costs, Installed
Shed pricing typically starts with a base, bare-bones structure and allows you to customize as much as you’d like or need from there. We at The Original Mini Barns do our best to be very transparent with our pricing and to accommodate a wide variety of building materials to meet our customers’ needs. The number on our base price list includes delivery within 25 miles of our shop and installation on a prepped lot. But the building is not the only line in your budget, and you deserve to see the whole picture before you commit. Here is everything that goes into the final figure.
What the List Price Covers
Every price on our specification page includes the building itself, delivery (within 25 miles of our shop), and installation on a prepped and level lot. It also includes a single lockable out-swing shed door at 36 or 42 inches, a 30-year architectural composition roof, Douglas fir T1-11 siding, pressure-treated 4×4 skids with 4-inch concrete leveling blocks and up to 6 inches of leveling, and a limited 5-year workmanship warranty.
Structurally that means 2×4 Douglas fir framing with double top plates, 3/4 inch CDX plywood flooring, 1/2 inch CDX roof plywood, and a moisture barrier throughout with Tyvek house wrap. There is no OSB or particle board anywhere in the building.
Site Preparation: The Line People Forget
Depending on your site and the foundation type you prefer, the cost for preparing a foundation can be considerable, and while we have partners who can assist, the cost for this is not included in our agreement. You’re required to provide a prepped, level foundation.
A compacted gravel pad is the usual choice in our climate. It drains through a wet winter and it is straightforward work for a landscaper. A concrete slab costs more and makes sense in many circumstances. We can refer you to landscapers for gravel or other contractors to assist with concrete. Outside of having additional invoices, we at The Original Mini Barns can assist in orchestrating the entire building process.
Options That Change The Number
These are quoted individually because they vary with size and specification, but this is the shape of the decision:
- Insulation package — essential for any work or entertainment space
- Electrical package — the building’s wiring; the run from your house is separate
- Interior heating package — note that permit-exempt structures in unincorporated Snohomish County may not have hard-wired heating systems
- Interior walls — tongue and groove, cabinet grade or CDX
- Windows — picture, single-hung or slider; skylights available
- Doors — double shed doors, single or double fiberglass, slider or patio
- Composite deck, stairs or ramp
- Storage loft — the best value addition we sell
- Roof and wall vents
- Upgraded wall height or roof pitch
- Painting — supply the paint and we will paint before installation for an extra charge
Two structural notes that carry cost: gables over 12 feet require manufactured trusses, and side walls over 12 feet need a spreader element such as a loft or 4×4 to stop the walls spreading.
Third-party Costs
- Site preparation — landscaper, quoted locally
- Electrical run from the house — contracted with an electrician; we work with several regularly
- Permit fees — where a permit is required, set by your jurisdiction
- Building and site plans — most often outsourced to an architect
- Interior finishing — we have a variety of options to meet customer needs
Three Realistic Budgets
Garden Storage, 8×10 Rancher
$5,400: The building, plus a gravel pad and perhaps a loft. Straightforward, no permit in most local jurisdictions, and typically installed in a single day.
Backyard Office, 12×12 Forester
$9,152: The building, plus insulation, electrical, heating, windows, a residential door and an interior wall finish, plus the electrical run from the house, plus site preparation, plus a permit in most cases since an occupied conditioned building typically falls outside the storage exemption. The finished figure lands well above the base price, and we would rather set that expectation now.
Workshop, 12×20 Forester
$15,488: The building, plus electrical with dedicated circuits, vents, double doors, plywood interior walls and a ramp. At 240 square feet this needs a permit.
Spreading The Cost
Financing is available through Enhancify if you would rather pay monthly than up front. You can check your options on our financing page without committing to anything.
Why We Are Not The Cheapest
A big-box shed costs less on day one. It is also typically built from OSB, which is wood chips and glue, and OSB does not forgive a Pacific Northwest winter. Once it swells it stays swollen. Ours are 100% wood, built by hand, installed by a crew who do this daily, and covered by a 5-year workmanship warranty. We have been doing it since 1983. The gap shows up around year eight, which is a hard thing to put on a price list but the honest answer to why the numbers differ.
Cost Questions
Does the price include delivery and installation?
Yes. Delivery and installation on a prepped, level lot are included in every price on our list, with no delivery surcharge added at the end. Each price also covers the building itself, a single lockable shed door, 30-year architectural shingles and Douglas fir T1-11 siding. What it excludes is site preparation and any optional extras.
What is the cheapest shed you build?
The cheapest is a 4×8 Rancher, delivered and installed. At 32 square feet it holds tools, a mower and garden supplies, but it is not big enough to work inside. If you want to stand and do something in the building, start at 8×8.
How much does shed site preparation cost?
There is no useful single number, because it varies too much with access, slope and drainage. Site preparation is also work you contract directly with a landscaper rather than with us. A compacted gravel pad is the economical option and suits most gardens; a concrete slab costs more. We can refer you to people who do this regularly and know what we need on installation day.
How much do insulation and electrical add to the cost?
Both are quoted against your specific building, because the cost scales with size and how the space will be used. As a planning assumption, a fully finished occupied building with insulation, electrical, heating and an interior wall finish costs meaningfully more than the base structure. Ask for a full quote rather than budgeting from the list price alone.
Do you offer financing on a shed?
Yes, through Enhancify. You can check your options from our financing page in a few minutes. It is a common route for larger builds where the total lands above what people want to pay at once.
Which shed style gives the best value?
Rancher gives the best value on price alone. Its 6:12 gable is the most affordable roof line, and it is our most popular style for that reason. If loft space matters, Craftsman’s steeper 12:12 pitch and the Barn-style gambrel both give you more usable volume upstairs for the extra cost.
Is the quoted price the final price?
Yes, that is the intention, and our customers say so. One review notes we were early on the timeline and stuck to the quoted price. Changes you request after quoting will change the number, but we do not add costs at the end that were not discussed.
Get a Real Number for Your Project
Tell us the size and the extras you want and we will put together a full quote.
