Just like your kids grow out of their cribs, we also grow out of our homes. It would help if you had a backyard shed when your garage and attic are full of bikes, lawn tools, excellent dishes, and lawnmowers. The first step is to figure out the best shed sizes and prices, so let’s get right to it.
You can buy or build a shed in many different sizes, which means it can be used for many different things. Knowing the most common shed sizes and what you might use them for is helpful. This will help you decide what size to buy and how to estimate the size you need.
It’s essential to find the right shed sizes and prices. You don’t want to buy a shed that is too small and that you will soon outgrow, but you also want to spend only a little on a shed that is too big and that you won’t even fill. Don’t make the same mistake that a lot of homeowners do. Find out how big most sheds are so you can choose the right one for your yard in Montana.
Table of Contents
Even though sheds come in many sizes, the most common ones are small, medium, or enormous. Depending on what you need, this can help you narrow down to the most common sizes in that group.
Small Shed
Most small sheds are less than 80 square feet, but some are even smaller. These are great if you have a small yard and need a place to store your tools, gardening supplies, and other yard items. Most tiny sheds are between six feet by eight feet and eight feet by ten feet. Find out what you want to store in these containers to see if they will meet your needs.
6×8 –
This shed’s more than 48 square feet of space is needed to store many different things, but it can still be beneficial in a small garden. They are often used to store tools and hold fuel, oil, fertilizer, and other things that need to be used.
8×10 –
This size is the same as the 6×8, but it has much more room for lawnmowers, wheelbarrows, bikes, and other extensive tools. Remember that there is little room to move around in an 80-square-foot space.
Medium Shed
Medium sheds are some of the most popular because they are a good balance of price, lawn space, and storage space. Their sizes, which range from 90 to 120 square feet, are usually enough for most homeowners who don’t need to store large items or tools.
- 8×12 –
The 2 by-4 building has 96 square feet of space inside and another 85 square feet outside. This is enough for most lawn and garden tools, like push mowers, shovels, bikes, and gas cans.
- 10×10 –
It’s a little smaller than an 8′ by 12′ shed, but its square shape makes it a popular choice for people who want to store heavier vehicles like ATVs, motorcycles, golf carts, or tractors in a garage. Plus, you will only have to settle for 8 feet tall walls. In some places, you can build a 10 by 10 without a permit, but you always need one to build an 8 by 12.
10×12 –
This size shed (120 square feet) can hold a wide range of tools and supplies, such as bikes, motorbikes, lawnmowers, snowblowers, wheelbarrows, sawhorses, and more significant amounts of fertilizer or bags of concrete.
Large Shed
Most “large” sheds are between 144 and 288 square feet, but there are also “extra-large” sheds that are bigger. Huge sheds can be used for many different things because of their size, like a workshop or a place to store recreational vehicles.
8×16 –
With a length of 128 feet, this size is a good compromise between very large and very small sheds.
10×16 –
If you only need a little extra space to store things, the 160 square feet here should be enough. This makes it an excellent choice for many different uses, such as a workshop, a backyard gym, a party area, a hobby shed, an art studio, or something similar.
12×16 –
This large shed is 192 square feet and 16 feet deep, which makes it perfect for storing and protecting long items like ladders, canoes, kayaks, and beams.
12×20 –
Now that you’ve grown to this size, you can buy a small boat, a tractor, trailers, and extensive work tables.
12×24 –
Any building more significant than this shed must be extra-large or made to order. You could park a car or a boat there.
What qualifies a building to be a shed?
Sheds are small buildings with one story usually used to store things. Building a shed in your backyard in Montana can be a fun and creative way to add more space for storage. A shed is a perfect place to keep gardening tools, household tools, and other things to fix your house. Putting together a shed from scratch is, of course, a big job.
Do I need a permit in Montana to build a shed?
Yes, any building that isn’t exempt from this rule needs a state building permit to be built, remodeled, moved, or have its use changed unless the project is part of a local government program. But sometimes you can get less than 100 square feet of shed size without permit. This includes sheds with sizes 6 x 8, 8 x 8, 8 x 10, and 8 x 12. Still, in some places, you don’t need a special license to build or buy a shed up to 120 square feet also.
How big can a shed be that you can build without a permit in Montana?
It’s important to know what shed size works best for your needs and can build without a permit in Montana. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your money on a simple shed that isn’t good enough for your needs, you might also not want to spend a lot of money on a lot to build a big shed you won’t use.
If you need a place to store your garden tools, lawn mower, and other things for your yard, It would help if you chose a shed between 8×8 feet and 8×12 feet. If you need to store more important things, like a riding mower, snow blower, or compact tractor, a 10 x 12 or 10 x 16 shed might be better. Also, the extra space makes them easier to use. In Montana, detached sheds that don’t exceed 200 square feet, you can use this shed size without permit.
What is a good size shed to build?
It’s hard to say what the average size of a storage shed is, but most of these buildings are between 48 and 288 square feet. Most people choose a medium-sized apartment, so that’s where the average size is (between 100 and 200 square feet). For the most common shed sizes and prices, these sizes would be perfect 8×12, 10×12, 10×16, and 12×16.
What is the most popular shed size?
The most common shed size varies a lot from place to place, depending on things like available land, storage needs, and local laws, but on average, most sheds are about the size of a small room. This is because the footprint only takes up a little space in the yard, but there is still a lot of living space inside.
The most common size is only sometimes the one you should give the most attention to. If you want to store extension ladders or tractors, you will need a lot more space than keeping a few tools and garden supplies.
How Big Should My Shed Be? Few things to consider first.
Even if you know what you want to store in the shed, it can take a lot of work to figure out how big it needs to be. Now let’s look at how to pick the right size shed for your Montana house.
- What is it going to be used for?
This inquiry looks at everything that has to do with what the shed is supposed to be used for. The first thing to consider is what you want to store in the shed. Get rid of everything in your home that could be used as storage, such as lawn tools, paint, boxes, and lawn equipment. If you don’t want another shed down the road, consider what you might need. That’s why it’s essential to think about how much you’ll need shortly when deciding how much to buy.
What will be done inside the shed will also affect how it is set up. If you are the only one using the shed and it will only be used to store and get things, you won’t need as much space as someone who wants to work or do hobbies there. If you only use the items once every few weeks, you’ll want to ensure you can get to them without having to move things around all the time.
- The size of your yard.
How you plan to use the shed should help you decide how big it should be. Then consider how much space you have in your yard. If you can help it, the shed should take up only a little grass. It’s essential to consider how you and your kids, pets, and other things will use the yard.
Keep in mind that the size of your yard will affect more than just the size of the shed. You’ll also need space in front of the door and a ramp, depending on what you plan to store in the shed.
- How much money do you have?
It would help if you thought about how much a shed will cost. You can use the cost breakdown to determine what size shed will work best for your budget. Sheds usually cost several thousand dollars. The cost of materials to build it yourself or buying a prefabricated shed and having it installed goes up with the size of the shed.
- Are there HOA rules, codes, or laws?
Before building or buying a shed, you should ensure it meets all zoning rules and homeowner’s association standards. The International Building Code (IBC) lets homeowners build one detached accessory building without a building permit. However, local building codes may limit the size or height of the building or the amount of land it can cover.
Most places will let you build a 6 x 8, 8 x 8, or 10 x 10 shed size without permit, but you should check. It is not too hard to get a permit if you need one. Restrictions can also be put on a property because of how it’s wired, in a flood zone, because of the laws in the area, or because of how a homeowners association works.
How much do sheds usually cost when it comes to budgeting?
The size of the shed is one of the main things that can affect how much you spend on it. The cost of a shed can also be affected by the materials used to build it, its height, and the type of shed. A vinyl or tin shed will cost less than a brick or wood shed, and a small shed made in a factory will cost much less than a shed built from scratch.
Remember that the price per square foot will be less the more significant the shed is. Wooden sheds that are 80 square feet or smaller usually cost $50 or more per square foot, while sheds that are a few hundred square feet or larger can cost as little as $30 per square foot to build.
Putting up a shed that is the right size for you!
Mission Valley Sheds is very proud of how each shed is made to fit the needs of each customer in Montana. Mission Valley Sheds will give you the best new shed that fits your needs and wants.
Do you need a small storage shed? Contact us for a free estimate!
