Shed Sizes: Standard Dimensions and What Each Size Holds
The standard sizes of garden and storage sheds in feet and meters, how much floor space mowers, bikes and tools take, and the height, door and permit numbers to check before you order.
Standard sheds range from 4 × 6 ft (1.22 × 1.83 m) to 12 × 20 ft (3.66 × 6.10 m). The most common sizes are 8 × 10 ft (80 sq ft, 7.4 m²) and 10 × 12 ft (120 sq ft, 11.1 m²). A push mower, two bikes and hand tools fit in a 6 × 8 ft shed; a riding mower needs about 8 × 10 ft with a double door.
- Most common
- 8 × 10, 10 × 12 ft
- Wall height
- About 6 to 7 ft
- Double door
- 4 to 6 ft wide
- IRC permit limit
- 200 sq ft
On this page
Standard shed sizes chart
Shed sizes are given as width × depth of the floor or base, in feet. Wood sheds come in 2 ft steps because plywood and framing lumber come in 4 and 8 ft lengths; plastic and metal kits use their own odd sizes, such as 7 × 7 ft.
| Size (ft) | Size (m) | Floor area | What it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 | 1.22 × 1.83 | 24 sq ft (2.2 m²) | Hand tools, bags of soil, a few bins |
| 6 × 8 | 1.83 × 2.44 | 48 sq ft (4.5 m²) | Push mower, two bikes, wall-hung tools |
| 8 × 8 | 2.44 × 2.44 | 64 sq ft (5.9 m²) | Above, plus a wheelbarrow and shelving |
| 8 × 10 | 2.44 × 3.05 | 80 sq ft (7.4 m²) | Riding mower or snowblower plus tools |
| 8 × 12 | 2.44 × 3.66 | 96 sq ft (8.9 m²) | Riding mower, bikes, shelving on one wall |
| 10 × 10 | 3.05 × 3.05 | 100 sq ft (9.3 m²) | Riding mower plus patio furniture for winter |
| 10 × 12 | 3.05 × 3.66 | 120 sq ft (11.1 m²) | Mower, bikes, workbench, seasonal storage |
| 10 × 16 | 3.05 × 4.88 | 160 sq ft (14.9 m²) | Workshop corner plus full garden storage |
| 12 × 12 | 3.66 × 3.66 | 144 sq ft (13.4 m²) | Two large machines, or a small workshop |
| 12 × 16 | 3.66 × 4.88 | 192 sq ft (17.8 m²) | Workshop, ATV, or a garage-style store |
| 12 × 20 | 3.66 × 6.10 | 240 sq ft (22.3 m²) | Small car or boat, or a large workshop |
UK and Irish sheds are also sold in feet, but with odd numbers: 6 × 4, 7 × 5, 8 × 6 and 10 × 8 ft are the common steps. The first number is usually the length along the front.
How much space common items take
Add the footprints of everything that sits on the floor, then add an aisle of about 3 ft (91 cm) to reach it. Items that hang on walls or ceiling hooks cost no floor space, which is why a well-organized small shed holds more than a cluttered larger one.
| Item | Approx. footprint | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Push mower (21 to 22 in deck) | 2 × 3 ft (handle folded) | About 2 × 5 1/2 ft with the handle up |
| Lawn tractor (42 in deck) | About 4 1/2 × 6 ft | Width includes the discharge chute; needs a 5 ft or wider door |
| Zero-turn mower (48 to 54 in deck) | About 5 × 6 1/2 ft | Check deck width plus chute against the door |
| Adult bike | About 6 × 2 ft standing | Hung vertically: about 2 ft of wall, 6 ft of height |
| Wheelbarrow | About 2 1/2 × 5 ft | Can stand on end against a wall |
| Two-stage snowblower (24 in) | About 2 1/2 × 5 ft | Handles often fold |
| Shelving unit | 18 to 24 in deep | Run along the back or side wall |
| Workbench | 24 to 30 in deep, 4 to 6 ft long | Needs 3 ft of standing room in front |
Example: a lawn tractor (4.5 × 6 ft), a wheelbarrow on end, two bikes on the wall and 2 ft deep shelves along the back fit in an 8 × 10 ft shed with the tractor driven in along the 10 ft side. Dimensions vary by model, so measure your own machines.
Shed heights and doors
| Measurement | Wood sheds | Resin and metal kits |
|---|---|---|
| Side wall (eave) height | 6 to 8 ft | About 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 ft |
| Peak height, gable roof | 8 to 10 ft | About 7 to 8 1/2 ft |
| Peak height, barn (gambrel) roof | 9 to 12 ft, with loft space | Rare |
| Single door | About 3 ft wide × 6 ft tall | About 2 1/2 to 3 ft wide |
| Double door | 4 to 6 ft wide × 6 ft tall | About 4 to 5 ft wide |
| Garage-style door | 6 to 9 ft wide roll-up | Not usually offered |
A shed door is often shorter than a house door (80 in), so check headroom at the door if you are tall. Lean-to (pent) sheds have a single sloping roof and are typically 3 to 4 ft deep and 6 to 8 ft long, for setting against a house or fence.
Exterior size vs interior space
Sizes are usually exterior or base dimensions. The usable interior is smaller:
- Wood sheds: 2 × 4 studs (3 1/2 in) plus siding make each wall about 4 in thick, so you lose about 8 in from each dimension. An 8 × 10 ft shed is about 7 ft 4 in × 9 ft 4 in inside.
- Resin and metal sheds: thinner walls, but the stated size often includes the roof overhang. A "8 × 6" kit may have a floor closer to 7 1/2 × 5 1/2 ft. Look for the interior or floor dimensions on the spec sheet.
- Roof overhang: eaves add a few inches to a foot beyond the walls, which counts toward setback distances in some towns.
Permits, setbacks and placement
Under the model International Residential Code (R105.2), a one-story detached accessory structure used for storage is exempt from a building permit if its floor area is no more than 200 sq ft (18.6 m²). Many cities adopt a lower limit, commonly 100 or 120 sq ft, which is why 10 × 12 ft is such a popular size. Zoning rules still apply below the permit limit:
- Setbacks: minimum distances from property lines, often 3 to 10 ft, and from the house.
- Height limits: often 10 to 15 ft for accessory buildings, which can rule out tall barn-style sheds.
- Easements: no building over utility or drainage easements, even if the shed is small.
- HOA rules: may cap size, set colors or require approval.
Sizing the base and the site
- Gravel or paver pad: make it about 1 ft larger than the shed on every side, so a 10 × 12 ft shed sits on a 12 × 14 ft pad. Rainwater dripping off the eaves then lands on gravel, not soil.
- Working space: leave at least 2 ft between the shed and fences or walls so you can paint, repair and clear leaves.
- Door side: allow the door swing plus a ramp. A floor 6 in above the ground needs a ramp of roughly 3 to 4 ft for a mower to climb comfortably.
- Delivery path: a prebuilt shed arrives on a trailer or is moved on a small dolly system. Gates must be wider than the shed's narrow side plus some margin, and overhead lines and branches must clear the peak.
Pairing a shed with a deck or patio? See deck sizes. Building from lumber? The lumber sizes chart lists actual stud and joist dimensions.
Corner and many-sided sheds
Pentagonal corner sheds fit into the corner of a yard, with two straight back walls along the fences, typically about 7 to 8 ft each. The angled front wall holds the door, so the deepest point is the corner, which suits long tools better than bulky machines. Hexagonal and octagonal garden buildings, usually 8 to 10 ft across, are more often summerhouses than storage: their floor area is calculated the same way as for a gazebo (0.866 × D² for a hexagon and 0.828 × D² for an octagon, D measured across the flats). See gazebo sizes for a full area table.
Frequently asked questions
Is an 8 x 6 shed big enough for bikes, a lawn mower and tools?
Yes, for one push mower, two adult bikes and hand tools, if you use the walls. The mower takes about 2 × 3 ft with its handle folded, bikes stand along the 8 ft wall or hang vertically, and rakes and spades go on hooks. It is too small for a riding mower or more than about three bikes.
How big is a six-sided (hexagonal) shed?
Hexagonal sheds are usually 8 to 10 ft across the flat sides. An 8 ft hexagon has sides of about 4 ft 7 in and a floor area of 55.4 sq ft (5.1 m²); a 10 ft hexagon has 86.6 sq ft (8.0 m²). Angled walls make shelving less efficient than in a rectangle of the same area.
What are typical shed wall dimensions?
Wood shed walls are usually framed with 2 × 4 studs (3 1/2 in deep) at 16 or 24 in on center and stand about 6 to 8 ft tall at the side walls. With siding, each wall is about 4 in thick, so an 8 × 10 ft shed has about 7 ft 4 in × 9 ft 4 in of interior floor.
Do I need a permit for a 10 x 12 shed?
Under the model IRC, a one-story detached accessory building up to 200 sq ft is exempt from a building permit, which would cover a 10 × 12 ft (120 sq ft) shed. Many towns use a lower limit, often 100 or 120 sq ft, and still apply zoning setbacks and height limits, so check locally.
What size shed equals a storage unit?
A 5 × 10 ft self-storage unit (50 sq ft) holds about the same as a 6 × 8 ft shed, and a 10 × 10 ft unit matches an 8 × 12 or 10 × 10 ft shed. Storage units have 8 ft or taller walls, so sheds with low eaves hold somewhat less. See storage unit sizes.