20 cheap sheds from trusted UK retailers
Our shiplap sheds start at around £375, with tight interlocking timber boards that keep out far more rain and draughts than basic overlap. Most are Forest Beckwood sheds, made in the UK from pressure treated FSC timber with 12mm shiplap tongue and groove cladding and a 25 year anti-rot guarantee, so they never need re-treating. You'll also find the Shire Arran 6x6 and three Yardmaster metal sheds with a shiplap-style finish, all sold by Shedstore. Sizes run from a 4ft x 3ft tool store to a 10ft x 8ft. Comparing cladding? See all our cheap wooden sheds, or go straight to cheap 6x4 sheds.
Shiplap sheds take their name from the way boats were once planked. Each board has a shaped, scalloped top edge and a rebate or tongue along the bottom, so it locks into the board below. Rain runs down the face and off the curve instead of sitting in the joint, and the boards can't gap open as easily as rough sawn overlap. The result is smoother, smarter shiplap garden sheds that stay drier inside.
On Shedstore's spec sheets you'll often see the phrase shiplap tongue and groove. That's because the Beckwood boards do both jobs: the joint is a tongue and groove, while the face has the classic shiplap curve. It's the same 12mm shiplap cladding on every Beckwood shed on this page.
Cladding is the biggest difference between a budget timber shed and a better one. Here is how the three main types compare.
If you'll only open the door to grab the mower, overlap does the job. If you want to potter at a bench, keep seed trays and paint in decent condition or use the space as a small workshop, shiplap sheds are worth the extra.
These figures come from Shedstore's own specs for the sheds listed above. Prices move daily, so treat the price bands as a guide and check each card for today's figure.
| Range | Sizes here | Walls | Frame | Floor | Treatment | Guarantee | Price band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Beckwood | 4x3, 5x3, 6x3, 6x4 | 12mm shiplap tongue and groove | 28mm x 56mm | 12mm tongue and groove on bearers | Pressure treated | 25 year anti-rot | £375 to £495 |
| Shire Arran | 6x6 | 12mm shiplap tongue and groove | 34mm x 34mm | OSB | Dip treated | 10 year anti-rot if treated yearly | about £445 |
| Yardmaster Shiplap (metal) | 8x6, 10x6, 10x8 | Galvanised steel, shiplap-style profile | Steel | Not included | Seven-layer baked finish | 15 year anti-rust | £420 to £520 |
By size, a 4x3 or 5x3 shiplap shed sits around £375 to £410, a 6x3 pent about £400, and a 6x4 between £420 and £495 depending on windows, roof and doors. For more floor space per pound, the Yardmaster models are hard to beat, but they are steel, not timber.
Beckwood is the core of our shiplap wooden sheds. Every model is built in the UK from FSC certified timber, with 12mm boards on a 28mm x 56mm pressure treated frame, an 8mm OSB roof under green mineral felt and a 12mm tongue and groove floor on pressure treated bearers. Windows are 3mm shatterproof acrylic, which won't yellow or crack, and the doors have hidden hinges and a pad bolt for your own padlock.
The panels are modular: smaller, interchangeable sections that are easier to carry through a side gate and let you choose where the door and windows go. Forest Garden has more about the range on its own website.
On shiplap garden sheds, windows suit a potting shed or a bench where you'll want daylight. Windowless shiplap sheds keep tools and bikes out of sight, which is the cheapest security you can buy. Several 6x4 Beckwood models come in both, plus a double door version; for wider doors on bigger sheds see double door sheds.
The Shire Arran 6x6 uses the same 12mm shiplap tongue and groove cladding but on a 34mm x 34mm frame, with fully braced 1,360mm double doors and an opening window for air. It's the widest doorway of the shiplap garden sheds here, handy for a ride-on mower or wheelbarrow. The catch is the timber: it's dip treated rather than pressure treated, so you'll need to give it a coat of preserver every year to keep Shire's anti-rot cover.
Yardmaster's Shiplap range isn't timber. The walls are hot-dipped galvanised steel pressed with a horizontal board profile and a baked brown and taupe finish, so from a distance it looks like a shiplap shed but never rots or needs painting. They are made in the UK, carry a 15 year anti-rust guarantee and come with an anchor kit. Two translucent roof panels let in daylight, and sliding double doors open to 1,010mm on the 8x6 and 1,250mm on the 10x8.
Two things to know. There's no floor, so it needs a solid concrete or paving slab base, and steel sheds get more condensation than wood, so don't store anything that hates damp against the walls. If you like the idea of steel, our metal sheds page has the full Yardmaster line-up.
Shed sizes are nominal. A Beckwood 6x4 measures 1.83m x 1.18m at the base and 1.88m x 1.34m with the roof overhang, so measure your plot against the overhang figure and leave room to walk round for maintenance.
Treatment decides how much work a timber shed is over its life.
Add up a tin of preserver and a free Saturday every year and pressure treated shiplap sheds often work out cheaper over ten years than dip treated ones.
Every shed needs a firm, level base. A concrete pad or paving slabs a little larger than the floor is best, and Shedstore's product pages say not to build straight onto grass. Plastic grid and timber base kits are a cheaper option for the Beckwood sheds, which sit on their own pressure treated bearers. The Yardmaster metal sheds should be anchored to concrete or slabs with the kit supplied.
No special tools are needed. Beckwood's modular panels arrive with fixings and instructions, and two people can build a small one in a few hours. Yardmaster estimates 3 to 6 hours for its metal sheds with a second pair of hands. Shedstore also offers paid installation on many models.
Shedstore delivers free as standard to most UK mainland addresses, and several Beckwood sheds come with White Glove delivery, which brings the shed into your garden and takes the packaging away. Check delivery details on each product before you order.
Pressure treated shiplap sheds need very little maintenance. Clear leaves off the felt roof, keep soil and plants off the bottom boards and check the felt every autumn. To beat damp and mould, leave a gap behind the shed so air can move, open the door on dry days and don't lean wet tools against the walls.
Can you paint shiplap sheds? Yes. The smooth, planed boards take a water-based shed paint or stain far better than rough overlap. On a pressure treated shed it's for colour only, so wait until the timber is fully dry. All the Forest timber is FSC certified, meaning it comes from responsibly managed forests.
Usually not. In England a garden shed counts as permitted development if it's single storey, isn't in front of the house and outbuildings cover no more than half the garden. Within 2m of a boundary it must be no more than 2.5m tall (Planning Portal outbuildings guide). The tallest shed here, the Yardmaster 10x8, is 2.24m at the ridge, so every one can go against a fence. Listed buildings, conservation areas and National Parks have tighter rules; see the government's permitted development guidance.
For most people, yes. The boards are planed, interlock and throw off rain, so the shed is stronger, drier and less draughty. Overlap is cheaper and fine for basic garden storage.
The cladding is highly weather resistant, and the felt roof keeps the top dry. Put the shed on a raised, level base and keep the felt in good repair and it will stay dry inside.
The Beckwood 4x3 and 5x3 windowless sheds at around £375. The cheapest 6x4 is about £420.
Not quite. Both interlock, but shiplap has a curved face that sheds water, while tongue and groove is flat. Beckwood sheds use shiplap tongue and groove, which combines the two.
A pressure treated Beckwood on a dry base should comfortably outlast its 25 year anti-rot guarantee. A dip treated shed lasts as long as you keep treating it.
Yes. Pick a model with windows for light and add a bench. For heavy power tools you may want a bigger shed and insulation.
No. Each shed has a pad bolt or lockable handles ready for one, so add a good closed-shackle padlock to your order.
