Skip to content
ShedCalc
Free & unbiased material lists

Shed Sizes & Material Lists

Pick a size to see a free, itemized material list — studs, siding, sheathing and roofing — worked out for that exact footprint, with the math shown and a 10% waste factor included.

Choosing a size

How to pick the right shed size

The most common shed regret is buying too small, so it pays to start from what you'll actually store rather than a round number. List your largest items — a mower, bikes, a workbench, seasonal bins — then add room to walk around them and swing the door, and leave a little space to grow into. Sheds fill up faster than anyone expects.

As a rough guide, footprints up to around 100 square feet (8×8 through 10×10) suit pure storage in a typical yard, while 10×12 to 12×16 give you room for storage plus a real workbench. Beyond that, 12×20 and 12×24 move into workshop and small-outbuilding territory, where permits and a proper foundation are almost always part of the picture. Remember that a bigger footprint changes your material list and often your permit obligations, so it's worth checking local rules early.

Once you have a size in mind, open the Material Calculator to fine-tune the spec — wall height, stud spacing, roof pitch, and openings — and get a shopping list you can copy or print. A dedicated Size Calculator that recommends a footprint from your storage list is on the way.