Shed Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost to build a shed from a simple take-off and your own unit prices.
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Currency: Amounts are calculated in the currency you select; this site does not convert between currencies and does not use live exchange rates.
What this tool does
Estimate the cost to build a shed from a simple take-off and your own unit prices. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
How to use the Shed Cost Calculator
- Enter or select length in ft.
- Enter or select width in ft.
- Enter or select height in ft.
- Enter or select concrete slab price per sq ft.
- Enter or select framing + sheathing per sq ft of floor.
- Enter or select siding per sq ft of wall.
- Enter or select roofing per sq ft of floor (pitch-adjusted).
- Enter or select doors, windows, hardware and permits.
- Enter or select labor and overhead (% of materials).
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
floor area = L × W; wall area = 2 × (L + W) × height; materials = floor × (slab + framing + roofing rates) + wall × siding rate + fixed; total = materials × (1 + labor/100)
- length
- Length (ft, before metric conversion)
- width
- Width (ft, before metric conversion)
- height
- Height (ft, before metric conversion)
- slabPrice
- Concrete slab price per sq ft
- framingPrice
- Framing + sheathing per sq ft of floor
- sidingPrice
- Siding per sq ft of wall
- roofPrice
- Roofing per sq ft of floor (pitch-adjusted)
- fixed
- Doors, windows, hardware and permits
- laborPct
- Labor and overhead (% of materials)
Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
Worked example
For shed cost calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Length: 20; Width: 10; Height: 8; Concrete slab price per sq ft: 6; Framing + sheathing per sq ft of floor: 9; Siding per sq ft of wall: 4; Roofing per sq ft of floor (pitch-adjusted): 6; Doors, windows, hardware and permits: 600; Labor and overhead (% of materials): 40.
Inputs
- Length20 ft
- Width10 ft
- Height8 ft
- Concrete slab price per sq ft6
- Framing + sheathing per sq ft of floor9
- Siding per sq ft of wall4
- Roofing per sq ft of floor (pitch-adjusted)6
- Doors, windows, hardware and permits600
- Labor and overhead (% of materials)40
Result
- Estimated shed cost$9,408.00
- Materials subtotal$6,720.00
- Slab$1,200.00
- Framing + sheathing$1,800.00
- Siding$1,920.00
- Roofing$1,200.00
- Floor area200 sq ft
- Wall area480 sq ft
Results explained
- Estimated shed cost
- Estimated shed cost from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Materials subtotal
- Materials subtotal from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Slab
- Slab from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Framing + sheathing
- Framing + sheathing from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Siding
- Siding from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Roofing
- Roofing from the formula above. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Floor area
- Floor area from the formula above, expressed in sqft before metric conversion. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
- Wall area
- Wall area from the formula above, expressed in sqft before metric conversion. Every price is user-entered — rates vary hugely by region and whether you DIY (set labor to 0). Roofing is priced per sq ft of floor as a pitch-adjusted planning rate; gable ends are inside the siding/wall allowance at these planning rates.
Frequently asked questions
With the default planning prices, about $6,900 including 40% labor — roughly $2,900 slab/framing/siding/roofing materials at typical DIY-store prices plus doors and hardware. Your local prices move this a lot; enter them.
A DIY build at material cost usually beats a delivered kit of the same size; hiring out the whole build usually costs more than a kit. This tool lets you test both by toggling the labor percentage.
Typically the slab and the roofing/framing package. A gravel or skid foundation instead of a slab is the biggest single saving on small sheds.
No — gravel pads, concrete blocks and treated skids all work for small sheds, subject to local rules. Price the slab line at 0 and add your pad cost to fixed costs if you go that way.
Many places exempt small sheds (often under 120–200 sq ft) from building permits but still enforce setbacks and height limits. Check before you pour anything.