Many shed builders find that when they’re ready to expand their product line, depending on the local market, cabins and/or cottages are the perfect way to grow. While codes and permitting are more stringent for outbuildings intended to house people, as compared to storage buildings, shed builders may find that they’re easily equipped to transform their outbuildings into homeowner retreats.
A Simple Shell
One of the most attractive reasons to add cottages and/or cabins to the shed builder’s product line is that, in today’s do-it-yourself age, many consumers prefer to finish the interiors themselves. This means changes may not be necessary to your workshop or process.
“Our cabins are pretty much done shell-wise, and then if the customer would like to contract us to do the turnkey finish work, we can assist them with that as well,” says Katrina Garcia,
co-owner of Mega Storage Sheds in Spring, Texas. But, she adds, “They typically find someone else to do the turnkey services or they do it themselves.”
Michael Ronneseth, owner of Bavarian Cottages Ltd. in Kamloops, British Columbia, also finds the DIY preference to be common. He supplies a raw shell that consumers can finish. The company also offers kits, and in those cases sometimes supplies the materials to finish the rest of the interior.
“Generally as the walls are already finished upon erection, only the ceiling and floor need to be finished,” Ronneseth adds. “This is a key benefit to our clients. The finishing time is drastically shorter than almost all other competing products.”
“Most prefer a three-season shell that, with time and money, an owner can finish on their own terms,” agrees Domenic Mangano, president of Jamaica Cottage Shop in South Londonderry, Vermont. He adds, “Finishing varies greatly based on budget.”
A Fancier Finish
Builders who do tackle finishing work see advantages. Namely, it’s an area where a significant markup can be added.
“It’s like building a complete cottage again on the inside,” Mangano says. “Often it’s just as much labor [as building the shell], so prices typically double.”
In her region, Jo-Anne Peck, president of Historic Sheds in Brooksville, Florida, finds that homeowners tend to go all out when finishing these small dwellings.
“Because they’re so small, people can spend more money on higher end finishes,” she says. “We do a lot of wood interiors— particularly wood on the ceilings—so you get that cottage feel.”
Little touches, like barn door treatments over attic access, or cathedral ceilings in the main space, are also popular in Historic Shed’s cottages.
Peck adds, “We see a lot more tile, which people might decide not to do in the house because of the budget. But because [the cottage] is so small they can definitely step up without breaking the bank.”
She recalls one customer who opted to add pecky cypress on the ceiling and reclaimed wood on the floor. “It was only about 550 square feet, so they were able to do that—and it looked spectacular.”
Keeping It Clean
In other regions, however, customers want just the basics.
Virgil Stoltzfus, owner of Montana Shed Center in Great Falls, has found that simple functionality is the biggest demand from customers interested in his cabins.
“Washer/dryer hookups have been pretty popular. So is heat—a wood stove with chimney or baseboard electric heater or propane have been pretty popular,” he says.
He has found that roomy lofts also are in demand.
“A lot of people like the idea of having a loft. Because a loft is so short it can’t be classed or inspected as a bedroom, but a lot of people are using them for cots or mattresses. So they like to see a
sizable loft with a decent amount of headroom,” Stoltzfus says.
While Montana Shed Center doesn’t provide specialty finishes beyond the basic, Historic Sheds has found that to be a huge
selling point.
For Montana Shed Center, cabins and cottages have distinct aesthetic differences. Its cabins are all traditional log cabins, and come standard with round-face, log-type siding. Inside customers will find 2-by-6 tongue-and-groove pine floors and ceilings, metal roofs, and insulation—R-27 insulation in the walls and ceiling and R-13 fiberglass insulation in the floor. A front porch, ample windows, and metal roofs are all hallmarks of the company’s cottages.
For other builders, the differences between cabins and cottages may be less stark. Despite its name, most of Bavarian Cottage’s offerings fall under the cabin label. The company offers “almost exclusively wood, but will mix in some sheetrock or drywall,” according to Ronneseth. For Jamaica Cottage Shop, the cottages tend to feature unique rooflines compared to cabins, but all are finished in eastern white pine lumber.
Finding the Right Fit
Depending on the level of detail builders opt to give their new product line, the shed builder may not need to make major changes to their business.
For example, Mangano says, “Little needed to be done to transition into living spaces.” His entire operation, building for both sheds and cabins, fit easily within the company’s 35,000-square-foot shop.
Similarly, Historic Sheds has made few changes to its shop to account for the cottage addition. “At the moment we don’t finish the interiors until the building gets delivered, so it just means
more time onsite,” Peck says.
However, Peck is exploring shop changes that will allow the builders to provide more finishing options for customers. She and her co-owner are exploring ways to make their panelized system
more “plug-and-play” for electrical components.
“I know people do it but we haven’t figured out the best method for us yet,” Peck says.
On the other hand, Montana Shed Center expanded its operations over time to account for its new product line.
“We already had the groundwork ready, with the [shed] framework and construction. Basically all we did was add a specialty end where everything gets finished off,” Stoltzfus says. “In our shop we have a specialty bay where [finishing] is all we do. Then we have two other full-time shops doing the cabin production for us.”
To meet consumer demand for functional cabins outfitted with small kitchens and bathrooms, Stoltzfus hires licensed electricians, plumbers, etc., to do the mechanical. “I can’t do that work myself,” he says.
The Safety Feature
In some cases, the decision of whether or not to expand operations may be made by the codes. Requirements for buildings designated as sheds might be few, but when the intention is to house people, everything changes. All cabins and cottages must be built to meet federal, state, and local building codes, and this may lead to changes in building processes and materials for some shed builders.
“The state of Florida has its own building code. It’s very similar to the rest of the country but we have our own things we’re worried about, notably wind,” Peck says.
While she points out that sheds don’t even need a foundation, cottages must be fully built with occupant safety in mind. Codes for cottages account for a 10 mph increase in wind speed, hurricane shutters, and different egress requirements.
“You can’t just put a shed door on it because you need to meet water infiltration issues,” Peck points out. “Of course, it has to be insulated, it has to have heat—even in Florida—plumbing, etc. It has to meet all of the codes.”
Montana Shed Center notes that its products are sold as factory-built homes, which means its cabins must meet the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“We have to permit each one of those structures as a dwelling unit,” Stoltzfus explains. “A factory-built building like we do here is legal in all 48 contiguous states.”
This required the company to have its shop certified to produce factory-built buildings.
“We submitted some drawings to the state and they approved a general construction layout that can be applied to multiple building sizes,” Stoltzfus says.
Not all builders will need to make these significant additions. Many shed builders will find that a sturdily constructed shell can be adapted with few differences to keep people safe in a cabin or cottage retreat.
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