If can’t afford the (admittedly quite expensive), cost of a decent wooden bike shed, or you’re just feeling adventurous, then you should definitely consider building your own bespoke, bike storage shed!
Once you factor in the amount of time you’ll invest and the cost of any tools you’ll need to buy on top of the raw materials, you may find that it’s not much cheaper than buying a shed from a store.
But you’ll be able to build something that’s perfectly suited to whatever space you have available and you’ll get that truly unmatchable feeling of having created something yourself!
Don't knock it until you've tried to build one yourself!
If you really know what your doing and you’re prepared to spend a bit of money, you can make a bike shed that’s better than anything you can buy. And if you’re just looking to save money, you can knock something very basic (but functional), for pennies.
There’s plenty of step by step guides on the internet, but finding one that’s suitable can involve trawling through tons of different websites and videos. So I’m going to try curate the best of them here…
How to build a cheap bike shed
If you’re trying to save money, then one of the best ways to do that is to use reclaimed wood. And old pallets are great in that respect. You can often pick them up for free from builder yards and construction sites.
Just be sure to ask before you take them!
How to build a bike shed from old wooden pallets
The best tutorial I’ve found on this is a three part video series on YouTube. There are no accompanying plans unfortunately. But the videos are so detailed you should be able to copy exactly what they do. Or tweak it for your space as needed.
It’s a pretty ambitious project that takes them 5 days to build and produces a very robust shed that measures 250 x 70 x 1200 cm, with enough room for 2 bikes. And it’s also got loads of advanced features (internal lighting!).
Of course you can take and leave features from this tutorial as needed. What I like, is that it produces a strong looking shed, with a floor (unlike many other pallet sheds), that should last a long time.
How to build a bike shelter awning overhang roof
Another way to save money (and work!), is to make a simple overhang roof. This can be fixed to the wall of your house or the dividing wall between you and your neighbours.
True: it won’t provide the same protection from the weather (or the thieves), as a proper shed.
But it will keep direct rain and snow away, and if you install a beefy ground anchor and chain combination, most thieves won’t bother even trying to steal your bikes. Plus they work well in confined spaces.
This video shows you how to make a basic but robust overhanging roof. It’s not designed as a bike shelter. But the instructions are clear and you’ll easily be able to adapt the technique to your space...
How to build a secure bike shed
But maybe you’re looking for something more substantial? Something really robust and secure. A proper bike shed! In which case, iCreatables has a whole load of different shed plans, with “how to” videos to match.
You’ll have to pay for the plans, but they’re pretty cheap ($20), and really comprehensive. And unless you really know what you’re doing, for a proper shed, you’re going to need a proper plan!
Unfortunately they don’t specifically do bike shed plans but there are plenty of smaller sheds that will work really well as bike sheds.
A 4 x 6 Generator Shed
A 4 x 6 Generator shed would work well as a bike shed. Or a 6 x 8 gable shed would fit several bikes inside...
A 6 x 8 gable shed
They have a ton of videos on their YouTube channel, each one dealing with a different aspect of shed building. Here's an example of the sort of shed you might build...
But the videos combined with a good plan should make even the more complicated sheds doable if you have enough time and the right tools!
More Good Stuff:
Best Bike Cover for Outside Storage
Win a Free Bike!
What size bike shed do I need?
