How Much Is It To DIY Your 12×16 Shed Interior?

During covid, so many people spent so much time at home and realized they needed a little more space. Many stayed working from home and now need a backyard office, or they started an Etsy business and now need an art studio. 

We’ve talked about She Sheds and the craze of finishing out a garden shed into a backyard oasis. This idea has grown and transformed; now, we see people creating backyard music rooms and lego building dungeons. The possibilities are endless when DIYing your shed interior, but what does this all cost? We are here to help with some average pricing estimates on what it might look like to finish out your very own shed. 

Average Shed Size 

Before we get into all the material costs, we need to know how much we will need. For simplicity’s sake, we will work off a 12×16 or 192 sq foot floorplan. This is one of our most popular sizes of sheds, particularly amongst people who are finishing them out for a backyard room. 

Costs

We will break down each cost average, working from the floor up and finishing with additional exterior upgrades. When we discuss finishing a backyard building, we assume people are doing DIY to save a little money. So we will cost this out based on the low-end averages. This will give you a clear idea of cost averages for supplies and a general priority of what needs to be done for your shed to function best as a finished space. 

Flooring 

Our sheds come standard with ¾” BC grade plywood on 2x4s on a 12-inch center and a moisture barrier. So you don’t have to worry about installing any subfloor. However, you will be responsible for purchasing and installing any style of flooring you prefer. The standard builder-grade flooring is $4 per square foot, so we are looking at about $768 to floor your new shed. 

Electric

Most people who are finishing out their backyard shed require some electricity. We offer an electrical package (for pre-built sheds only) installed by a licensed electrician. Our standard electrical package costs $1475 and comes with: 100 amp, 14 gauge wire, 4 plugs, 2 lights, and 1 switch. This would cost you about $200 to purchase all of this equipment for you to install yourself. 

Our heavy-duty electrical package costs $2614 and includes: 200 amp, 12 gauge wire, 4 plugs, 2 lights, and 1 switch. This option would cost you $275 to purchase all of this equipment to install yourself. 

Insulation 

Here in Texas, if you spend any time in a structure, you will want it insulated. We always put a radiant barrier in the roof of our sheds, which can help keep your building 5-10% cooler. However, with temperatures over 100° for months at a time, you will want to be able to keep it a little cooler. There will be a lot of variance in price here, depending on which route you decide to take. 

You can do just the roof to help cut costs, but the best option is to do the ceiling and walls. Some people also insulate their floor, but it is not completely necessary. You have a lot of options when it comes to insulating. People use everything from bubble wrap and cardboard to fiberglass and closed cell spray foam. The former will be a meager cost or possibly even free, while fiberglass and foam insulation will raise your price. 

To DIY a 12×16 shed, it would cost about $650 to use fiberglass insulation on your floors and ceiling. We offer 1-inch closed cell spray foam insulation on our pre-built sheds, just the roof would cost $1728, and the roof and the walls would cost you $5706. 

Paint and Walls

You have a few design options for the interior walls; shiplap, wood siding, or drywall. For this article’s sake, we will price out the drywall. For the drywall, tape, and screws, you are looking at about $250 to drywall your project. Paint will cost about $100 for primer, a gallon of color, and supplies.

Exterior Upgrades

Now that you have a nice cool shed with gorgeous new flooring, paint, and warm lighting, you are ready to attack the curb appeal. Skirting is a necessary upgrade if you are trying to make your shed look less like a shed. It covers the blocks your shed will be leveled on and makes it look finished. You can use lattice panels, brick, chicken wire, or pressure-treated wood. It just depends on the look you prefer. On the lower-end skirting, your shed will cost you about $300. 

A porch or deck is the piece that is going to take your shed to the next level. If you know you would like this option, it will likely be the most cost-effective for you if you choose one of our sheds with a porch like our Cabinette or Cottage. If you decide to DIY this piece, you will spend at least $1200 on lumber and materials for a 10×10 deck. 

Upgrading your shed doors to home-grade french doors is a great way to make it feel a little more comfortable. Depending on your preferred style, a glass front french door package costs between $1500-$4000. 

Total Cost to DIY your Shed Interior

Our favorite shed to recommend to our clients to finish out for a backyard living space is our Chalet shed. The approximate cost of a 12X16 of this building with zero upgrades is $9000 when you add up all of the basic finishing options; that brings us to about $10,500 without any skirting or exterior upgrades.

The total is about $54 per square foot. We did a little research on what our local contractor would charge to erect a backyard office. It would be about $120 per square foot on the low end. That is, if you can even get on a contractor’s schedule right now.

If you are a little handy and have an arsenal of tools to help you complete this project, it makes sense to DIY your shed interior. Let the experts build you a structure that will last and customize every detail to your taste.