DIY block built workshop

IB.LEGEND

Thinking about building a workshop/shed out the back. It will be approx 20ftx10ft.

2 windows, 1 door and the cheapest roof possible. Few sockets and a light is all I will need in it. I hope to use it for making furniture so it doesn't need to be fancy.

Any one any idea roughly how much materials would cost ? I was thinking between 1500-2000 but thats a complete guess.

Thanks

Master and commander

Are you joking? The foundations and floor slab will cost that much at least. 2000

Do you have planning permission? 350
An electrician to get the electricity to it will cost another 500

You will need at least a 225 cavity block wall, plastered - blockwork 550 plastering 495

have you factored in the disposal cost of the excavated soil? - not cheap, especially for small amounts the cost/ton is far greater. say 200

You will need to connect the rainwater from the roof into the rain water sewer - 300

joinery, doors windows - 600

roofing, cheap cladding - 675

All that comes to 4995. so lets say for a few other sundries you'd be lokoing at 5500 anyway.
1500 pffff

if you are using it as a workshop for furniture, you will need good quality electrics to provide pwer for machines. You will also need good lighting.
Throwing on a "cheap roof" is false economy. Do you really want to be freezing cold in there during the winter. Put on a well insulated cladding roof and build a insulated cavity wall, or else block with insulated slab.
It may be cheaper to avoid block construction and build a steel framed structure with insulated cladding. quicker and cleaner to erect also.

You will only regret doing this on the ultra cheap.

IB.LEGEND

Master and commander wrote: »

Are you joking? The foundations and floor slab will cost that much at least. 2000

Do you have planning permission? 350
An electrician to get the electricity to it will cost another 500

You will need at least a 225 cavity block wall, plastered - blockwork 550 plastering 495

have you factored in the disposal cost of the excavated soil? - not cheap, especially for small amounts the cost/ton is far greater. say 200

You will need to connect the rainwater from the roof into the rain water sewer - 300

joinery, doors windows - 600

roofing, cheap cladding - 675

All that comes to 4995. so lets say for a few other sundries you'd be lokoing at 5500 anyway.
1500 pffff

if you are using it as a workshop for furniture, you will need good quality electrics to provide pwer for machines. You will also need good lighting.
Throwing on a "cheap roof" is false economy. Do you really want to be freezing cold in there during the winter. Put on a well insulated cladding roof and build a insulated cavity wall, or else block with insulated slab.
It may be cheaper to avoid block construction and build a steel framed structure with insulated cladding. quicker and cleaner to erect also.

You will only regret doing this on the ultra cheap.

Ha ha ha will you get off the stage ! I dont want to build the Taj Mahal !

It's a shed out my back and I will make sure the spec is such that I do not need planning permission, so cross that 350 off.

When I said DIY I meant it literally as in I will do it all myself (apart from electrics) so I just need a rough price on how much the blocks and sand,cement etc would cost for a little shed out your back. It dont need heating , it dont need insulation and a cheap roof will do provided that it actually keeps the rain out

Master and commander

OK then, i wasn't aware that you were happy to freeze out there in mid winter. Do you realise an uninsulated roof will have mega condensation and when the frost melts it will effectively rain inside the shed?

Blockwork price will half if you build it yourself.

Don't skimp on the foundations or floor slab.

You'd be better to buy or build a steel framed shed if your wanting something very cheap. No foundation needed, just a floor slab for everything to sit on.

In any case I strongly advise you to have some form of insulation, otherwise it will be a freezer in winter (obviously) and be like an oven in summer, which people often overlook. Especially with an uninsulated roof.
Ignore at your own peril, and don't be surprised if you regret it in time to come. Cheaping out rarely pays off in the long term.

sydthebeat

IB.LEGEND wrote: »

It's a shed out my back and I will make sure the spec is such that I do not need planning permission, so cross that 350 off.

unless you finish the shed in the same material as the house, you will require planing permission. ie if the house is plastered with a pitched tile roof, then the shed must also be, for it to be considered exempt from permission.

personally, for a shed of that size, doing it exempt from planning, and assuming you can get material on the cheap or second hand, i dont think youd have much change out of €4000.

Master and commander

well you could do it, but it would be a complete shoddy mess that you will feel like knocking down it 5 or 6 years.

I hope he doesn't take the same attitude when he's making the furniture.

And have you considered the cost of plant hire for excavating the foundations if you are going masonry construction?

for a workshop you will need decent joinery that is secure and lets in enough light. a good roller door or any type of door big enough will cost at least 1000.

if its a workshop have you even considered dust extraction and bases or plinths for machines?

A workshop like this will need its own consumer unit as the power drawn by machinery could be large. Obviously you will be restricting yourself to single phase machines in this case.

IB.LEGEND

Master and commander wrote: »

OK then, i wasn't aware that you were happy to freeze out there in mid winter. Do you realise an uninsulated roof will have mega condensation and when the frost melts it will effectively rain inside the shed?

Blockwork price will half if you build it yourself.

Don't skimp on the foundations or floor slab.

You'd be better to buy or build a steel framed shed if your wanting something very cheap. No foundation needed, just a floor slab for everything to sit on.

In any case I strongly advise you to have some form of insulation, otherwise it will be a freezer in winter (obviously) and be like an oven in summer, which people often overlook. Especially with an uninsulated roof.
Ignore at your own peril, and don't be surprised if you regret it in time to come. Cheaping out rarely pays off in the long term.

Thanks for that. I have worked in workshops before that had no heat or insulation so I have experienced that cold before and it is indeed freezing but I would need to do this as cheaply as possible.

Steel frame sounds interesting so I will look into that a little more

martinn123

sydthebeat wrote: »

unless you finish the shed in the same material as the house, you will require planing permission. ie if the house is plastered with a pitched tile roof, then the shed must also be, for it to be considered exempt from permission.

How does that work, for the Co's selling Concrete, and/or steel sheds.

Co beside me do a range of sheds in various sizes, and finishes, most of what they sell would not match the existing house finish.?

sydthebeat

martinn123 wrote: »

How does that work, for the Co's selling Concrete, and/or steel sheds.

Co beside me do a range of sheds in various sizes, and finishes, most of what they sell would not match the existing house finish.?

its up to the purchaser to obtain planning permission, not the seller.

sydthebeat

moved to prices / costs forum

air

I built a similar sized shed about 2 years ago using basic timber frame construction with treated wooden cladding (about 30mm thick) and steel roof cladding.
The external dimensions are 5m x 3m with an apex height of something under 4m.
I excavated for the foundations by hand, got a load of ready mix for the base and also poured a screed on top of some kingspan insulation (not enough of it though!).
I used tile effect cladding to roof it to keep to the letter of the law on planning.
Costs were (ball park from memory)
Concrete - 250
Wood & guttering - 1300
Roof Cladding - 600
Steel mesh for base and insulation - 150
Two windows and patio door - 300 (bought off size and built opes to fit)

I'd recommend going with timber frame unless you have a major requirement for block construction, it's more environmentally friendly and should last 20-30 years easy if you use treated cladding and look after it.
I built mine so that the cladding overhangs the raised concrete base somewhat and it stays totally dry.
Generous overhangs on your guttering will help keep rain off it.

I still have to insulate my own shed and get power out to it (might take water out too in time) but am very happy with it overall. It took me about 2.5 weeks to build at a guess, I plugged away at it whenever I had the free time.

Buataisi

I built a shed recently that was about 3m x 4m out of timber, using exterior ply and felt roofing. Dug 12 holes 30cm x 60cm and filled with concrete for a foundation. Put blocks on top of those and then built a platform of treated timber and the rest on top. 3 second hand windows, a door and insulation throughout and the total came to about 1500 euro.

GERMAN ROCKS

air wrote: »

I built a similar sized shed about 2 years ago using basic timber frame construction with treated wooden cladding (about 30mm thick) and steel roof cladding.
The external dimensions are 5m x 3m with an apex height of something under 4m.
I excavated for the foundations by hand, got a load of ready mix for the base and also poured a screed on top of some kingspan insulation (not enough of it though!).
I used tile effect cladding to roof it to keep to the letter of the law on planning.
Costs were (ball park from memory)
Concrete - 250
Wood & guttering - 1300
Roof Cladding - 600
Steel mesh for base and insulation - 150
Two windows and patio door - 300 (bought off size and built opes to fit)

I'd recommend going with timber frame unless you have a major requirement for block construction, it's more environmentally friendly and should last 20-30 years easy if you use treated cladding and look after it.
I built mine so that the cladding overhangs the raised concrete base somewhat and it stays totally dry.
Generous overhangs on your guttering will help keep rain off it.

I still have to insulate my own shed and get power out to it (might take water out too in time) but am very happy with it overall. It took me about 2.5 weeks to build at a guess, I plugged away at it whenever I had the free time.

Buataisi wrote: »

I built a shed recently that was about 3m x 4m out of timber, using exterior ply and felt roofing. Dug 12 holes 30cm x 60cm and filled with concrete for a foundation. Put blocks on top of those and then built a platform of treated timber and the rest on top. 3 second hand windows, a door and insulation throughout and the total came to about 1500 euro.

any pictures of the result??

Buataisi

I don't have a picture of it finished, but there's a green trim around the windows and up and down the walls to give it a better look.

air

Here you go.
I still have to landscape down into it etc but it's doing the job for now.