How to Choose the Right Garden Shed: Size, Material and What to Check Before You Buy

These are practical categories rather than fixed dimensions. What matters is not the label but whether the interior will comfortably hold your things with room left to use the space.

Which shed material is right for you?

There is no single best material — each one has honest strengths and honest trade-offs.

Timber

Warmer to look at and to be inside, easier to modify with shelves, hooks or a workbench, and generally better for workshop or hobby use. It does need periodic treatment, and its lifespan depends on timber quality, the base and how well water is kept away from the walls. It tends to suit gardens where the shed is part of the visual scene rather than tucked out of the way.

Metal

Low maintenance, secure when specified well, and often a cost-effective way to get a larger footprint. Less pleasant to work in — colder in winter, warmer in summer — and it can suffer from condensation without ventilation. It usually suits utilitarian storage better than time spent inside.

Plastic or resin

Very low maintenance, rot-proof, and easy to keep clean. Usually lighter in construction, which affects security and how substantial it feels. Fine for tools, bikes and garden odds and ends; generally less well suited to heavier equipment or workshop use.

A rough rule of thumb: choose timber if you will spend time inside the shed and want it to feel like a proper space; choose metal or plastic if the shed is purely functional and low maintenance matters more than appearance.

Which type of garden shed suits your needs?

Labels vary a lot between suppliers, so it is worth focusing on the specification and layout rather than the name on the brochure.

• Standard storage shed — rectangular footprint, single door, one or two windows. The default option and often the right one.
• Workshop-style shed — wider or taller than a standard shed, with more windows for natural light and often better clearance for a workbench.
• Narrow or compact shed — designed to sit against a fence or wall in a tight garden. Useful for bikes and light storage.
• Corner shed — makes better use of an awkward corner than a rectangular shed, though the usable interior can be smaller than the footprint suggests.
• Shed with an integrated woodshed — open-sided log store on one end for seasoning firewood while keeping tools and equipment dry inside.
• Shed with a small terrace or covered porch — a sheltered spot for boots and wet coats, or a place to work with the doors open on warmer days.
• Shed with a separate storeroom — a smaller compartment accessed by its own door, useful for keeping fuel, chemicals or bikes apart from the main space.

When comparing suppliers, treat the label as a starting point and look at what is actually in the layout: interior dimensions, door widths, window positions, roof style and how the space is divided.

What construction details matter most?

Two sheds of the same size and shape can behave very differently depending on how they are built.

Cladding

For timber sheds, look for boards and profiles that stay stable and shed water well. Very light, thin cladding is more likely to move over time.

Floor

A properly built floor with sensible joist support carries mowers and bikes without excessive flex. Lightweight floors are often where budget sheds show their limits first.

Roof

The roof covering matters as much as the boards beneath it. Better-quality coverings and decent overhangs do more to keep water off the building over time.

Doors

Doors are the most-used part of the shed and often the first thing to fail. Look for solid frames, decent hinges, and a door that closes properly without needing to be lifted or forced.

Windows

Useful for natural light, but also a consideration for security and weathering. Think about whether you actually need them, and if so, whether higher-set or more discreet glazing suits the contents better.

Locks and security

A shed is only as secure as its weakest point. A good hasp and staple on a solid door, and sensible hinge protection on outward-opening doors, are often worthwhile upgrades.

Treatment and maintenance

Timber sheds usually need periodic treatment. Ask what treatment the shed arrives with, what the supplier recommends afterwards, and how exposed the building will be on your site.

Base, drainage and ventilation

A shed is only as good as what it sits on. Even a well-built shed will age badly if the base is uneven or the ground stays damp.

A firm, level base

Concrete, paving slabs on a compacted sub-base, timber-framed decks on levelled ground, or purpose-built shed bases can all work. What matters is that the base is level, stable and does not move over time.

Drainage

Water needs somewhere to go. Standing water around the base is one of the things most likely to shorten the life of the floor edges and lower walls.

Ventilation

Air movement inside the shed helps prevent condensation and keeps tools, bikes and stored items drier. Small vents or sensible airflow gaps usually do more good than people expect.

The base and drainage are not glamorous, but they do a great deal to influence how well a shed performs and how well it ages over time.

Where should a shed go in the garden?

Placement is a bigger decision than most people realise. A few things worth thinking through:

• Sunlight — a sunnier position dries out faster after rain, but exposed sides may need a bit more upkeep over time
• Access — can you get to it easily in poor weather, and is there room for a wheelbarrow or bike?
• Drainage — avoid low spots where water tends to collect
• Maintenance clearance — leave enough space to walk around the shed for treatment and inspection
• Boundaries — a shed close to a fence may be harder to maintain and can affect planning treatment
• Views and light — worth checking how the position changes sight lines from the house and garden

Fifteen minutes with a tape measure and a couple of stakes can save a lot of regret later.

Do you need planning permission for a shed?

For most standard garden sheds in England, the answer is no — a shed of typical size, single storey, in the garden of a normal house, will usually fall within Permitted Development, provided it meets the standard conditions on height, siting and coverage.

Planning permission is more likely to be needed if the shed is unusually large or tall, sited forward of the main front wall of the house, on designated land, on a property where Permitted Development rights have been removed, or if it is being used for something beyond normal domestic storage.

For the detail, our planning permission guide walks through what is usually allowed, what tips a project into needing an application, and what to check before you commit.

Delivery, access and installation checks

This is the part many people forget until the delivery arrives.

• Route into the garden — measure the narrowest point between the delivery vehicle and the intended spot
• Panel access — confirm that shed panels or components can physically get through gates, side passages or steps
• Base readiness — a ready, level base on the day of installation helps keep the job on track
• Assembly time and complexity — compact sheds may be straightforward, while larger workshop-style sheds usually need more time and planning
• Weather — it helps to build in a little flexibility rather than assuming ideal conditions

Base, delivery, assembly and finishing works can all affect the final budget, so our cost breakdown guide is a useful sense-check before you order.

For a fuller walkthrough of what happens on the day, see our delivery and installation guide, and if you want the wider order-to-completion picture, our installation timeline guide explains how the process usually unfolds.

Common mistakes when choosing a shed

• Buying too small — by a distance, the most frequent mistake
• Choosing by footprint only — usable space depends on layout, access and storage strategy, not just outside dimensions
• Ignoring the base — a poor base undermines even a decent shed
• Skipping drainage — standing water around the base shortens a shed’s life
• Overlooking access — panels that cannot physically reach the site create avoidable problems
• Focusing on price rather than specification — two similar-looking sheds can be built to very different standards
• Underestimating maintenance — timber sheds need occasional care over time
• Buying before checking the plot — siting, drainage and access decide more than people expect

What to check before you buy

• What will the shed be used for, in practice?
• What are the largest items that need to go inside?
• Have you allowed room for walking, shelving and door swing — not just the items themselves?
• Is the material a sensible fit for how you will use the shed and how much maintenance you are prepared to do?
• Is the specification proportionate to the price?
• Do you have, or can you make, a firm, level, well-drained base?
• Is there enough clearance around the intended position for maintenance?
• Can the panels physically get to the site from the delivery vehicle?
• Have you checked the planning position for your specific property?
• Do you understand what upkeep the shed will need over its lifetime?

If you can answer these clearly, the specific model is a much easier decision.

FAQ

How do I choose the right garden shed?

Start with how you will actually use the shed, then work out the size you need including walking space and shelving — not just the footprint of your belongings. From there, choose a material that matches how much maintenance you are prepared to do and how much time you will spend inside. Finally, check the base, placement, access and planning position for your specific property. The right shed is usually the one that fits those decisions in the right order.

What size shed do I need?

Measure the largest things you need to store, then add clearance to walk between them, reach the back wall, and open doors and shelving. A shed just large enough to hold your belongings in a heap is almost always one size too small. If you are between two sizes and the price gap is not large, most people are glad they went with the larger one.

Which material is best for a garden shed?

There is no single best. Timber is warmer, more pleasant to work in and easier to modify, but needs occasional treatment. Metal is low maintenance and often a cost-effective way to get a larger footprint, but less comfortable to be inside. Plastic and resin are very low maintenance and rot-proof, but usually feel lighter and are less suited to heavier equipment or workshop use.

Is a wooden shed better than a metal or plastic shed?

It depends on how you will use it. For workshop or hobby use, or where the shed is part of the visible garden, timber is usually the better choice. For purely functional storage where minimum maintenance matters more than look and feel, metal or plastic can be more practical. Neither is universally better — the right answer depends on the use case.

Do I need planning permission for a shed in the UK?

For most standard garden sheds on a normal house in England, the answer is usually no — provided the shed meets the standard Permitted Development conditions on height, siting and coverage. Planning is more likely to be needed if the shed is unusually large or tall, sited forward of the main front wall, on designated land, on a property where Permitted Development rights have been removed, or if it is being used for non-domestic purposes. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own systems, so confirm the local position if you are not in England.

How much space should I leave around a shed?

Enough to walk around it for maintenance, treatment and general access — typically around 30–60 cm on each accessible side is comfortable. Where the shed sits close to a boundary or fence, plan maintenance access on the other sides instead, and remember that closeness to a boundary can also affect planning treatment.

Does a garden shed need a base?

Yes — a firm, level, well-drained base is one of the most important parts of a shed’s lifespan. Concrete, paving slabs on a compacted sub-base, timber-framed decks on levelled ground, or purpose-built shed bases can all work. Standing water and uneven ground are two of the things most likely to shorten a shed’s life, regardless of how well the shed itself is built.

What mistakes should I avoid when buying a shed?

The most common ones are buying too small, choosing by footprint alone, skipping the base and drainage, overlooking the delivery access route, focusing on price rather than specification, and underestimating the maintenance a timber shed will need over time. Most of these are avoided by spending a little more time in the planning stage before ordering.