What Size Shed Do I Need?

Q: What is the best size for a storage shed?

There’s no one-size-fits-all storage shed. Choosing the best size for a storage shed depends on four essential factors: What are you using it for? What are you planning to store inside the shed? What’s the size of your yard? What are your local community building guidelines?

Last updated Thursday, September 19th, 2024

You can’t pick the right sized shed just by asking “how large?” or “how small?”

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

A perfectly sized shed must fit all your storage needs and styled to effortlessly blend with your property.

Building the right-sized storage shed is one of the best ways to de-clutter your home and give it a beautiful makeover with minimal effort.

You don’t have to spend hours digging through a messy attic or garage to find some important tool, or worry about it getting in the hands of your kids.

You can store your gardening tools, pots, lawnmowers, snowblower, bicycles, boat, or any other equipment in a safe and durable space instead.

Built for Your Life, and All the Things That Come With It

Whether it’s storage or a extra space build things in, we’re shed builders that make the most of your backyard space with a high quality, long-lasting and durable shed.

Quote Your Shed or text / call 757-663-8470

Shed Size

Here are five essential questions to answer to pick the right shed dimensions:

Why do you want to build it?

Are you building a game room? A yoga studio? Or just a simple locker for your gardening tools?

The design, comfort, and space required for each of these projects will be unique. So you need to have a clear idea about why you need a storage shed and how much time you’ll spend there.

What are your current and future storage needs?

Your shed should have enough space to store your equipment and comfortably move things around if needed. It’s important to plan enough storage room for stuff you’re planning to buy over the next few years.

Here are the three main sizes of sheds that you can choose from:

Small & Extra Small (25-40 sq ft) – Best suited for gardening tools, sports gear, décor items, and small equipment. You can easily fit them even on your patio or deck if you don’t have a big yard.

Medium (40-75 sq ft) – You can fit patio furniture, lawnmowers and bicycles along with other equipment in these sheds.

Large & Extra Large (75-100 sq ft) – These barns are ideal for storing bigger outdoor equipment like leaf blowers, wheelbarrows, tractors, boats, furniture, and motorcycles. It’s the perfect size for building a cozy gaming room or a workshop.

What is your yard size?

Your shed size must be built in proportion with your yard size. A shed is designed to be an accessory for your home.

It shouldn’t be cramped into a small space looking like it’s competing to be your second home.

For instance, an 8 ft X 10 ft shed is ideal for a medium-size yard. A 12 ft X 12 ft is better suited for a big yard.

What are your local building regulations?

Your shed is your private property, but you do have to get some permissions from your local municipality and homeowners association (HOA) before building it.

They assign building permits, specific fire ratings, utility access guidelines, and set limits to the maximum area you can use for building a shed in your property.

Shed Style

You may use your shed like a giant tool box, but it’s still an extended part of your home. A stylish shed that’s consistent with your home décor theme will blend in well with your backyard instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.

Here are a few popular shed styles to choose from based on your utility and budget:

A-Roof Shed

Design: Gently sloping roof and top ridge

Pros: Quick and easy installation, extra overhead storage space, and minimal maintenance

Cons: Not strong enough to withstand heavy winds or snow storms

Budget: Highly affordable

Cape Cod

Design: Fancier version of the A-Roof shed with a slightly steeper roof

Pros: More loft storage space than the A-Roof shed, can be used for a variety of tasks, low maintenance as snow and rain will easily slide off the roof

Cons: May cave in if the support frames are not built properly, unsuitable in places with high winds.

Budget: Low initial construction cost

Hip Roof

Design: The roof consists of four slopes that form a ridge along the top

Pros: More stable against high winds compared to A-Roof and Cape Cod sheds

Cons: Longer and more complex construction work

Budget: More expensive to construct

Classic Barn Style

Design: Classic barn look with double-sloped roof sides on each side of the ridge. The upper slope is mild while the lower slope is steeper

Pros: Maximum overhead storage space

Cons: Not built to withstand heavy rainfall, snow, or high winds, requires more yearly maintenance and inspections

Budget: More expensive to maintain

What is the best size for a storage shed?

There’s no one-size-fits-all storage shed.

Choosing the best size for a storage shed depends on four essential factors:

What are you using it for?
What are you planning to store inside the shed?
What’s the size of your yard?
What are your local community building guidelines?

How do I determine the size of my yard?

If you want an accurate measure of your yard, you can use a measuring tape. Note down the length and width of your yard. Now multiply them together and you’ll get the total square footage.

You can also use aerial photographs or land surveys to get a close estimate of your yard size.

Or, you can leave it to our team here at Emerlin Custom Storage Sheds & Outdoor Buildings to take care of all the measurements and paperwork needed to build your shed along with its construction.

What shed style is best for my needs?

You can choose from popular shed styles like Barn, Cape Cod, A-Roof, and Short Wall Barn based on your needs like:

Aesthetics
Storage space
Durability
Construction cost
Maintenance cost

What type of maintenance is required for each siding type?

Here are the three main materials you can choose from for your shed siding:

Wooden – It requires the highest maintenance out of all the options. You may need to regularly repaint, replace, and repair damaged parts.

Metal – Sturdy but requires regular cleaning, painting, and inspection to prevent rusting and corrosion. You can use mild detergents and water to clean them.

Plastic – Requires minimum maintenance using only mild detergent and water for cleaning. However, they are more vulnerable against high winds.

Built for Your Life, and All the Things That Come With It

Whether it’s storage or a extra space build things in, we’re shed builders that make the most of your backyard space with a high quality, long-lasting and durable shed.

Quote Your Shed or text / call 757-663-8470