Cheap Plastic Sheds

What is a plastic shed?

A plastic shed is a garden storage building made from weather-resistant plastic panels instead of timber or steel. The cheapest ones are thin moulded resin. Better ones, like most of the plastic garden sheds we list, use high-impact polycarbonate panels clipped into an aluminium frame, so the walls stay rigid and the frame can't rust. Plastic won't rot, doesn't attract insects and never needs a coat of preservative, which is why it's the go-to low maintenance outdoor storage option.

Pros and cons of plastic garden sheds

Why people choose plastic

• Maintenance free. No painting, no treatment and no felt to replace. Wipe it down with soapy water once or twice a year.
• Durable in all weather. Polycarbonate and PVC won't rot or rust because they don't take in water, and the Palram frames are aluminium.
• Light inside. The Palram Canopia skylight roofs let daylight through but stay opaque from outside, so nobody can see in.
• Floor included. Every model here comes with its own floor, so you don't need to buy one.
• Long guarantees. Palram Canopia gives 10 years on the sheds we list.

What to watch for

• Not the cheapest upfront. On this site they start at around £330, while our cheapest metal and wooden sheds start nearer £215 to £250. You save later on upkeep instead.
• Light panels need fixing down. A plastic storage shed weighs only about 32kg to 35kg in the box, so it must be anchored to a solid base or a gale can shift it.
• Smaller sizes. The range tops out at 6ft x 3ft and 4ft x 6ft here, so for a big mower or bikes look at metal or timber.
• You can't screw shelves anywhere. Unlike timber, you can't drive a screw into the walls at random, so plan shelving around the frame or use a free-standing unit.

Plastic sheds compared

Here's how the plastic sheds for sale on this page compare as garden storage, from Shedstore's own specs. Prices change daily, so check the cards above for today's figure.

The grey and tan Palram sheds share the same size and build. The grey ones have usually been the cheaper colour, so if you just want the lowest price for the space, start there.

Palram Canopia skylight sheds

Palram Canopia makes the bulk of our range, and each is a plastic garden storage shed built for UK weather. The walls are high-impact polycarbonate that Palram calls virtually unbreakable, with UV protection so the colour doesn't fade or go brittle in the sun. The roof is shingle-style polycarbonate that lets soft light through, about 10% on the tan models, while staying opaque so your mower and tools are out of sight. Front and rear vents on the tan models keep air moving. You can see the full Canopia line-up on Canopia's UK site.

6ft x 3ft plastic sheds

The 6x3 is a slim apex storage shed made to sit along a fence or the side of the house. It's only 88cm deep but 1.75m wide, and the 1,275mm double doors open the whole front, so you can reach everything without stepping in. Long-handled tools, a strimmer, bags of compost and a folded parasol all fit.

4ft x 6ft plastic sheds

The 4x6 turns the shape round: 1.10m wide and 1.75m deep, with a single 660mm door in the gable end. It holds more in less frontage and suits a corner or the end of a path. Inside, the tan model measures 1.06m x 1.71m, enough for a small push mower plus tools and pots.

Shire Tuscany Evo plastic storage shed

The Shire Tuscany Evo 100 is a different kind of storage shed. Its walls are 22mm box-section recycled PVC, much thicker than a typical resin shed, and the floor is 45mm interlocking resin tiles. The pent roof is UV protected ABS with a tile effect. At 1.22m x 0.82m it's compact outdoor storage for a patio or a narrow side return, and the 4mm Perspex window is far safer than glass. It's the dearest per square foot here and has a 1 year guarantee, so it's the pick for looks and solid walls rather than for value.

Polycarbonate, resin or PVC?

• Polycarbonate (Palram Canopia) is stiff, impact resistant and UV protected. On an aluminium frame it makes the strongest lightweight shed.
• Resin (polypropylene or HDPE, as used by Keter and many budget brands) is moulded into wood-effect panels. Thin resin is what makes the very cheapest sheds feel flimsy, while thicker double-wall resin is much better.
• PVC (Shire Tuscany Evo) comes as thick box-section boards, more like uPVC window frames, so the walls feel solid.

Whatever the material, check wall thickness, whether there's a metal frame, and the guarantee. Those three tell you more than the price does.

Plastic shed sizes

Shed sizes are nominal, so measure against the base size and allow for the roof overhang. A Palram 6x3 is 1,750mm x 884mm at the base and 1,854mm x 902mm with the overhang.

• 4ft x 2ft 6in: hand tools, a hose reel, bags of compost. Patio-sized lockable tool storage.
• 6ft x 3ft: long tools, a strimmer, a small folded table and chairs. Best where you have width but little depth.
• 4ft x 6ft: a push mower, tools and pots. The most storage space in the range. Compare like-for-like footprints in our cheap 6x4 sheds.

Need more room than that? Our metal sheds go up to 10ft x 10ft for not much more than our plastic sheds.

Apex or pent plastic shed?

Four of ours have an apex roof, with a ridge of 2.04m to 2.17m and eaves at about 1.75m, so there's standing room down the middle. The Tuscany Evo has a pent roof that slopes one way and tucks under a window or against a wall. More on the two shapes in our apex sheds and pent sheds.

Doors, locks and security

Single or double door?

The 6x3 sheds have double doors 1,275mm wide with a low threshold, so a wheelbarrow rolls in. The 4x6 sheds have a single 660mm door and the Tuscany Evo a 592mm one, fine for tools and a small mower. If you store wheeled kit, a double door makes life easier; our double door sheds have more.

Are plastic sheds lockable?

Every Palram model is lockable with a padbolt that takes a padlock, but the padlock isn't included, so budget for a good closed-shackle one. The Palram sheds have no clear windows, which keeps your kit out of sight. The Tuscany Evo fastens with a bolt and has a small Perspex window. They suit garden tools rather than expensive bikes or power tools, unless you add a ground anchor inside.

Bases, anchoring and assembly

What base does a plastic shed need?

A firm, level concrete pad or paving slabs. Every shed here includes its floor, but none includes the base underneath. The Palram 6x3 and grey 4x6 add a galvanised steel perimeter base for alignment, and the Hilti screws or anchor kit fix the shed down. Plastic grid base kits work under the Tuscany Evo, but the Palram anchors need something solid to screw into.

Why anchoring matters

The tan Palram sheds are wind tested to 90km/h (56mph), which the Met Office Beaufort scale puts at storm force 10. That only holds if the shed is fixed down. An unanchored shed this light can lift, so bolt it down before you fill it.

How do you put a plastic garden shed together?

The Palram sheds use a click-together panel system with instructions and an assembly video. Allow a morning once the base is ready:

1. Lay a level concrete pad or paving slabs a little bigger than the base size.
2. Fit the steel perimeter base or floor and check it's square.
3. Click the wall panels into the frame, then add the roof panels, with two people for the roof.
4. Hang the doors and check they close evenly.
5. Screw the shed to the base with the anchor kit before you load it.

Leave a gap behind the shed so you can reach the walls and air can move.

Condensation and ventilation

Polycarbonate doesn't breathe like timber, so on cold mornings you can get drips under the roof. The front and rear vents on the tan Palram models help, and leaving the doors open on dry days clears damp. Keep paper, cardboard and seed packets in a sealed box, and hang tools rather than standing them in a damp corner.

Plastic vs metal vs wooden sheds

• Plastic: no upkeep, won't rot or rust, light inside. Costs more per square foot, smaller sizes.
• Metal: the most space for the money, heavy duty and very secure, but no floor and it can drip with condensation. See our metal sheds.
• Wood: the classic look and easy to fit shelves to, with pressure treated timber guaranteed against rot for up to 25 years. See our wooden sheds.

Over ten years plastic can work out cheaper than a dip treated wooden shed once you count the preservative and the new felt, even if it costs more on day one.

Do plastic sheds need planning permission?

Usually not. In England a garden shed is permitted development if it's single storey, isn't in front of the house and doesn't cover more than half the garden. Within 2m of a boundary it must be no more than 2.5m tall (Planning Portal outbuildings rules). The tallest one here is 2.17m, so every one can go against a fence. Listed buildings, conservation areas and National Parks have tighter rules; the government's permitted development guidance has the detail.

Looking after a plastic shed

A plastic shed is close to maintenance free. Wash it once or twice a year with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and rinse the roof so the skylight stays clear. Don't use solvents or a pressure washer close up on polycarbonate. Clear leaves from the roof, keep soil and plants off the walls, and check the anchor screws after a big storm.

Cheap plastic sheds FAQs

Are plastic sheds any good?

The polycarbonate ones are durable and well made. A Palram Canopia plastic garden shed has an aluminium frame, UV protected panels and a 10 year guarantee. The flimsy reputation comes from thin, unframed resin sheds that aren't heavy duty at the bottom of the market.

Do plastic sheds come with a floor?

Every plastic shed with floor on this page includes one: anti-slip polycarbonate on the Palram models, 45mm resin tiles on the Tuscany Evo. You still need a level base underneath.

How long do plastic sheds last?

Palram Canopia backs ours for 10 years, and the materials don't rot or rust. Fixed to a good base and kept clean, your outdoor storage should last well beyond the guarantee.

Are plastic sheds cheaper than wooden ones?

Not upfront here: our plastic sheds start at around £330, wooden ones at about £225 to £250. They cost less to keep, though, with no treatment or re-felting.

Can a plastic shed blow away?

It can if it isn't fixed down. Anchor it to concrete or paving with the kit supplied, and the tan Palram sheds are tested to 90km/h winds.

Do plastic sheds get hot inside?

They can on a sunny day, especially with a skylight roof, so think about what goes in your garden storage. Use the vents, open the doors in summer and avoid storing paint, fuel or anything heat-sensitive at the top.