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ShedCalc
Free & unbiased — we don't sell sheds

Free Shed Calculators & Planning Tools

Plan your shed with tools that answer to you, not a showroom. Because we don't sell sheds or take retailer commissions, every estimate stays neutral, transparent, and free — no sign-up, no sales pitch.

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  • No sign-up required
  • No sales pitch
  • Instant results

Sample output

10 × 12 ft gable shed

Floor area
120 sq ft
Wall studs (16" OC)
≈ 54
Siding + roof sheets
≈ 18
Roofing area
≈ 127 sq ft
Every assumption shownAdjustable

The toolkit

Calculators for every stage of your build

Start with whatever question you have right now. Each tool does one job well — and tells you exactly how it reached its answer.

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Material Calculator

Turn your dimensions into a clear, itemized list of studs, sheathing, roofing, and fasteners.

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Size Calculator

Find the right footprint for what you'll actually store — before you commit to a plan.

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Live

Cost Estimator

See what your build should cost and which design changes save the most money.

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Live

Permit Checker

See which factors trigger a permit and what to ask your building department.

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Plan with confidence

How to plan a shed, start to finish

A quick, honest walk-through of the four decisions that shape every shed project — and where our tools fit in.

Start with size, not a catalog

The most common shed regret is buying too small. Rather than picking a round number, take stock of what you'll actually store — the mower, bikes, ladders, a potting bench, seasonal bins — then add space to walk around them and swing the door. It's also worth leaving a little room to grow, since sheds fill up faster than anyone expects. Our Size Calculator turns that inventory into a recommended footprint in seconds. Then price the build in the Material Calculator.

Choose materials that match the job

Once you know the footprint, materials follow. A traditional wood-framed shed offers the most flexibility for shelving, windows, and future changes, while metal and resin kits trade some customization for lower maintenance. Whatever you choose, the real planning happens in the details: stud spacing, wall height, roof pitch, and sheathing all change how much you buy. Our Material Calculator turns your dimensions into an itemized list — framing, sheathing, roofing, and fasteners — and shows the assumptions behind every quantity so you can adjust rather than guess. Always add a waste allowance for offcuts and mistakes.

Budget for the whole build

Sticker prices rarely tell the full story. Beyond the structure itself, a realistic budget accounts for the foundation, roofing, doors and windows, finishes, and the tools or labor to put it all together. Prices also shift with your region and the season. Our free Cost Estimator gives you a realistic range for your size, ranks the design changes that would save you the most, and lets you drop in your own supplier prices — a neutral second opinion to hold up against any quote you receive.

Check the rules before you break ground

Permits and zoning are the step people skip and later regret. Whether you need approval usually depends on the shed's size, height, foundation, how close it sits to property lines, and how you'll use it — and the specifics vary from one jurisdiction to the next. The safe move is to confirm with your local building department before you build. Our free Permit Checker walks through those factors, flags which ones commonly trigger a permit, and gives you a printable list of exactly what to ask — so that conversation is a short one.

Why ShedCalc

Tools you can actually trust

Most shed calculators are marketing in disguise. Ours have no product to sell and no reason to round up.

Free, always

Every calculator is free to use with no account, no paywall, and no email wall between you and an answer.

Genuinely unbiased

We don't sell sheds or take retailer commissions, so nothing nudges you toward a bigger build than you need.

Clear, honest math

We show the assumptions behind every number so you can sanity-check the result instead of trusting a black box.

Fast and focused

Lightweight tools that load instantly and answer one question well — no clutter, no upsells, no distractions.

Questions

Frequently asked

Straight answers about how ShedCalc works and how to plan a shed the right way.

Are ShedCalc's calculators really free?
Yes. Every tool on ShedCalc is free to use with no sign-up and no email required. We don't sell sheds or building materials, so there's nothing we're trying to upsell you into — the tools exist to give you a straight answer.
How is ShedCalc unbiased if other shed calculators aren't?
Many shed calculators are built by companies that also sell sheds or kits, so their results can quietly steer you toward a larger or pricier option. We have no products to sell and take no retailer commissions, which means our math isn't tuned to benefit anyone but you.
What size shed do I actually need?
Start from what you'll store rather than a round number. List your largest items — a mower, bikes, a workbench, seasonal bins — add walking and door-swing space, and leave room to grow. Our free Shed Size Calculator does exactly that: it turns your inventory into a recommended footprint and shows the math, then the Material Calculator prices the build.
How much does it cost to build a shed?
Cost depends on size, materials, foundation, roof style, finishes, and whether you build it yourself or hire out. Because those choices vary so widely, we don't quote a single figure. Our free Cost Estimator gives you a realistic range for your size, the exact materials to buy, and a ranked list of the design changes that would save you the most — plus you can add your own supplier prices for an exact total.
Do I need a permit to build a shed?
It depends entirely on where you live. Local rules commonly consider the shed's size, height, foundation, placement near property lines, and intended use — and some small structures are exempt while others aren't. Always confirm with your local building department or planning office before you build. Our free Permit Checker walks through those factors, shows which ones commonly trigger a permit, and gives you a printable list of exactly what to ask.
How accurate is the Material Calculator?
It gives a well-reasoned estimate based on standard framing practices and the dimensions and spacing you enter, and it shows its assumptions so you can adjust them. Treat the output as a strong starting point for planning and shopping — always add a waste allowance and verify against your final design and local building requirements before purchasing.
Can I use ShedCalc on my phone at the store?
Yes. Every tool is mobile-first and loads fast, so you can re-run the numbers from the lumber aisle if your plans change. Nothing requires an account, so there's no login to slow you down.
Do you store the details I enter?
The calculators are designed to run in your browser and answer your question on the spot. We build ShedCalc to be lightweight and privacy-respecting — the goal is a fast, honest tool, not a funnel for collecting your information.

Get a straight answer in under a minute

No account, no sales pitch — just the numbers you need to plan your shed with confidence.

Open the Material Calculator