How much does it cost to build a 12x12 shed?

Roughly $2,570–$3,440 in materials at typical 2026 US home-center prices: 108 boards, 27 sheets, 6 bundles of shingles, 12 blocks and 2.7 cu yd of gravel.

Do I need a permit for a 12x12 shed?

At 144 sq ft, a 12 x 12 ft shed is under the 200 sq ft permit exemption in the current IRC, but over the 120 sq ft limit some towns still use. Call your building department before you buy lumber.

How tall is a 12x12 shed?

11'-0.25" to the top of the ridge, with 6'-9" of headroom at the walls and 9'-6" under the ridge. The ridge is the same on every 12 ft wide size; only the depth changes.

How many bundles of shingles does a 12x12 shed need?

6 bundles of 33.3 sq ft for the 171 sq ft roof, 10% extra included, plus one bundle of ridge cap and one roll of underlayment. The roof deck under them is eight sheets of 1/2" plywood.

How many sheets of plywood and siding does a 12x12 shed take?

5 of 3/4" plywood (floor), 8 of 1/2" plywood (roof deck) and 14 of 5/8" T1-11 (siding and doors), all 4×8.

What foundation does the 12x12 shed sit on?

3 pressure-treated 4x6 skids, 12' long, on 12 solid concrete blocks over a 2.7 cu yd gravel pad.

12x12 shed plans (free PDF)

12 ft across the door end, 12 ft deep, 144 sq ft: a gable-roof storage shed on skids with a 6 ft double door and T1-11 siding, built from about 108 boards and 27 sheets.

3-D view of the 12x12 shed: gable roof, double doors in the 12 ft front wall, T1-11 siding and corner boards, on skids — Rendered from the plan model for the 12x12 size.

Floor: 12 × 12 ft (144 sq ft), inside 11'-5" x 11'-5"
Overall: 13' wide x 12'-2.75" deep x 11'-0.25" high
Headroom: 6'-9" at the walls, 9'-6" at the ridge
Door: double, 72" × 75.5" opening
Roof: gable, 5 in 12, 7 pairs of 2x6 rafters, 170.5 sq ft
Lumber: about 108 boards (14 × 1x4, 63 × 2x4, 28 × 2x6, 3 × 4x6)
Sheets (4×8): 5 floor plywood, 8 roof plywood, 14 T1-11 siding
Roofing: 6 bundles of shingles
Materials: roughly $2,570–$3,440 (2026 US prices, varies by region)

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About the 12x12 size

The 12x12 is the widest square size. The 12 ft gable end takes a 6 ft double door, so a riding mower or a garden tractor drives straight in, and the rafters span the full 12 ft at 24" centres.

Three 4 ft sheets fit the 12 ft width exactly, so the floor is three full sheets plus three half sheets across the back, five in all. The 6 ft door leaves 32-1/2" of bottom plate on each side. The gables rise 30" to the ridge, the tallest we draw (shared with the 12x16 and 12x20), and each gable still comes from one sheet.

Against the 10x12 (120 sq ft), the 12x12 adds 24 sq ft for about 5 more boards, 4 more sheets and roughly $330 more in materials. Going up to the 10x16 (160 sq ft) adds 16 sq ft, 10 boards and roughly $240, and a 60" door instead of 72".

What fits inside

Inside: 11'-5" x 11'-5" between the studs, 72" door. Fits a riding mower with a 42" deck. (Typical footprints; measure yours.)

At 11'-5" square inside, this is the first size where a lawn tractor and a full-length workbench fit side by side: drive the tractor in through the 6 ft door on one side and run the bench down the other side wall.

Shelving idea: 16" deep shelves down both 12 ft side walls give 22 ft of shelf per level and keep a 8' 9" aisle, wide enough for a 8' 3" workbench across the back.

Where it goes

A 12x12 takes a real slice of a small lot, so check setbacks first. It sits best at the back of the yard with the 6 ft door facing a straight run to the gate or driveway.

Drawings

Front elevation of the 12x12 shed with the framing width, door size, wall height and ridge height dimensioned — Front: double door, 11'-0.25" to the ridge.

Right side elevation of the 12x12 shed showing the 12 ft side wall, floor height and roof — Side: 12 ft wall, gable roof at 5 in 12.

Floor framing plan of the 12x12 shed: 3 skids, rim joists and 10 floor joists — Floor: 3 skids, 10 joists 11'-9" long at 16" centres.

Front wall and gable framing of the 12x12 shed with the door header, king and jack studs and gable studs — Front wall: 72" door opening, doubled 2x6 header.

The 12x12 build at a glance

Base: 2.7 cu yd of gravel, 12 concrete blocks, 3 skids 12' long.
Floor: 10 joists cut to 11'-9" between two rim joists, then 5 sheets of 3/4" plywood.
Walls: 43 studs, two 12 ft side walls and two 12 ft gable walls; a 6'-3" doubled 2x6 header over the door.
Roof: 14 rafters at 7'-2.75", 5 rafter ties, 16 gable studs, 8 sheets of roof deck and 6 bundles of shingles.
Skin and doors: 14 sheets of T1-11; the two 35-3/4" wide door leaves come out of the front panels.

Buying the materials

A 12 ft wide shed changes the roof more than the floor: rafters grow to 7'-2-3/4", the gables carry sixteen gable studs, and the ridge reaches 11 ft. The list has sixteen 12 ft 2x4s for the wall plates and rafter ties and twelve 12 ft 2x6s for the rims and the ten 11'-9" floor joists. Eight sheets of roof deck and six bundles of shingles cover 170 sq ft.

The 12 ft runs (skids, rim joists, side wall plates) set the longest board at 12 ft; most of the rest is 8 ft stock. A pickup with the tailgate down carries 12 ft lumber.

Premium 12x12 plan — $19.99

Adds the cut list, a cutting diagram for all 108 boards, layouts for all 27 sheets and the full shopping list.

35 pages, 21 steps. One-time, instant download, emailed to you. 30-day money-back guarantee (terms).

12x12 shed questions

How much does it cost to build a 12x12 shed?: Roughly $2,570–$3,440 in materials at typical 2026 US home-center prices: 108 boards, 27 sheets, 6 bundles of shingles, 12 blocks and 2.7 cu yd of gravel.
Do I need a permit for a 12x12 shed?: At 144 sq ft, a 12 x 12 ft shed is under the 200 sq ft permit exemption in the current IRC, but over the 120 sq ft limit some towns still use. Call your building department before you buy lumber.
How tall is a 12x12 shed?: 11'-0.25" to the top of the ridge, with 6'-9" of headroom at the walls and 9'-6" under the ridge. The ridge is the same on every 12 ft wide size; only the depth changes.
How many bundles of shingles does a 12x12 shed need?: 6 bundles of 33.3 sq ft for the 171 sq ft roof, 10% extra included, plus one bundle of ridge cap and one roll of underlayment. The roof deck under them is eight sheets of 1/2" plywood.
How many sheets of plywood and siding does a 12x12 shed take?: 5 of 3/4" plywood (floor), 8 of 1/2" plywood (roof deck) and 14 of 5/8" T1-11 (siding and doors), all 4×8.
What foundation does the 12x12 shed sit on?: 3 pressure-treated 4x6 skids, 12' long, on 12 solid concrete blocks over a 2.7 cu yd gravel pad.

Not engineered. Check local codes, permits and loads. Build at your own risk. Full disclaimer.