8×12 Shed Material List
Long and narrow, the 8×12 is the shed to reach for when you have a run of space along a fence or property line. The 12-ft length gives you real linear storage without eating much of the yard's width.
How much lumber for a 8×12 shed?
Here's a shopping-ready estimate for a standard 8×12 build — 8 ft walls, studs 16" on-centre, 3-stud corners, one door and a 4/12 gable roof — with a 10% waste factor already included.
2×4 boards
84
4×8 sheets
15
Roof area
101 sq ft
Wall & roof framing
2×4 wall studs (8 ft)
30 field studs (perimeter ÷ 16" spacing) + 12 corner studs (3-stud corners) + 4 for 1 door & 0 windows
51 boards
2×4 plates (12 ft)
120 linear ft (bottom + double top plate) ÷ 12 ft
11 boards
2×4 roof rafters (8 ft)
20 rafters (2 planes × rows at 16" spacing)
22 boards
Sheet goods
Siding / wall sheathing (4×8)
320 sq ft of wall ÷ 32 sq ft per sheet
11 sheets
Roof sheathing (4×8)
101 sq ft of roof ÷ 32 sq ft per sheet
4 sheets
Roofing
Roof area
footprint 96 sq ft × 1.054 slope factor
101 sq ft
Shingle bundles (~3 / square)
1.01 squares × 3 bundles
4 bundles
How these numbers are worked out
- Perimeter of 40 ft with studs at 16" on-centre.
- 3-stud (California) corners at all 4 corners.
- Openings framed explicitly: +4 studs per door, +6 per window (1 door, 0 windows).
- Walls: one bottom plate + a double top plate (3 × perimeter of 2×4 stock).
- Sheet goods are 4 ft × 8 ft (32 sq ft each).
- Gable roof at 4/12 pitch → 1.054× the flat footprint.
- Asphalt shingles at 3 bundles per 100 sq ft "square".
- A 10% waste factor is added, then each quantity is rounded up.
Building a different spec?
Change the wall height, stud spacing, roof pitch, corners, doors, and windows — and copy or print the list — in the full calculator.
Open the Material CalculatorWhat fits in a 8×12 shed
Linear storage where width is tight but length isn't.
- A full row of wall storage down the 12-ft side
- A mower and wheelbarrow parked end to end
- A workbench at the back with tools above
- Ladders and long timber along one wall
Tips for a 8×12 build
- A door on the 8-ft end keeps both long walls free for continuous shelving.
- At 96 square feet you're close to the 100 sq ft mark some codes use as a threshold — worth checking before you build.
Questions
8×12 shed FAQ
Straight answers on materials, capacity, permits, and cost for a 8×12 shed.
How much lumber do I need for a 8×12 shed?
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How much does a 8×12 shed cost to build?
Compare other shed sizes
Material lists for more common footprints.