Like many niche markets, the way each day unfolds can be unpredictable for those in the shed industry.
We spoke with several folks in a variety of shed businesses to find about some uncommon situations that involved custom products, special features, or delivery glitches. A few even came with some lessons along the way.
BUILDING AFTER BUILDING
After more than 20 years in the shed business, Tyler Mayhan, marketing director for Better Barns in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, has experienced some unique situations that stick with him.
“A couple of times, we had people come in and ask us to build a shed for stray cats in the area—a cathouse essentially, with cat doors, not dog doors—to house stray cats,” he says. “People want to feed these cats. The idea of spending several thousand dollars for cats is an odd thing to do, but we’ve had that request a couple of times.”
Another memorable scenario that comes to mind involved a customer who ordered a shed for a tiny house that morphed into so much more.
“Over the course of several years, he continued to bring us another building as he could afford them,” Mayhan explains. “When he had us add a fourth building to his compound, we connected them with little walkways we built between them.
“The last I knew, he had four of our sheds connecting as a house once he expanded. One was a living room area, one was the kitchen and dining room, one for a bedroom, and a fourth as a place for his boys to play.”
In addition to those structures, adds Mayhan, they also built a storage building for the same customer that was not connected to the four sheds that make up his house.
“Then we built him a covered gazebo—like a big pavilion—that was completely screened-in. He used it as his pool house,” he recalls.
Still, there would be more special requests to come.
“With all the buildings and other structures, it was very customized,” adds Mayhan. “On top of that, we provided a 20-foot shipping container where he keeps his ATVs. In the last few months, he has been asking about another building. This is the kind of guy you want to keep around your business.”
As Mayhan explains, originally, the customer purchased his rural property as a getaway, but it later became his main home.
“We were still using T1-11 siding back then, but we switched to smart panels and did urethane coating to give us that look. We re-sheathed the buildings afterward,” he says.
“He has provided us a lot of work, and he is a really cool guy.”
THE ‘CATIO’
Another animal-driven customer reached out to Kenny Martin, founder of Shore Shed in Harrington, Delaware, to request a shed with a “catio” attached.
“I said, ‘I don’t have a clue what that is. Tell me what that is,’” he explains. “It’s basically an attached cat enclosure. We ended up putting a cat door in the ‘catio’ attached to the shed. It was 100 percent customized for indoor/outdoor living without the cats being able to get away. The cat feels like it’s outside because it’s out in the open air.”
Martin compares the unique request to a popular home feature.
“It’s like a screened-in porch. Instead of a screen, we used wire, but it still has that open-air feel without the cats going outside,” he explains. “We built the shed and a ‘catio’ in one 14 by 27 building. There were five cats in total. We put a loft in there for them, too. There was shelving, so they could jump up and walk there. It was a fun build.”
The customer has since reached out to Martin again to do an extension to the “catio.”
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Not all special requests can be granted.
Just ask Mervin Vargas, owner of United Shed Transport near Fort Worth, Texas, who had a potential customer with a shed he hoped could be delivered to a hard-to-reach location.
“We would have had to helicopter it in. I told him I would love to do that, but it was going to cost a lot,” he says. “He was looking at about a hundred grand for a tiny house in Big Bend, Texas. There was no way to get the truck up the hill there. He priced it right around $85,000, so it never happened.”
For another customer, they determined that the structure size would pose a problem.
“We got out there, and there was no way a 16 by 40 would fit in there. The only thing we could do was to cut it in half, but the manufacturer didn’t do double-wide, so the customer went with a manufacturer that does,” says Vargas.
But the challenge didn’t end there.
“We took it in two pieces, which is something we never should have done because Big Bend is a well-known national park,” he says. “It’s very hilly, and I underestimated how steep one hill was.
“When the driver started going down the hill, the truck was not going to hold the load with two halves. It was a steep downhill with curves, and the truck was sliding. The last mile and a half was really steep. There were really rough roads with a lot of rocks and a lot of holes, and there was barely enough space for a 16 by 40 with two structures. It should have never went, but it went.”
Another building that was delivered had to go over a pool.
“There were some beams that made it hard to go straight. The dollies had to line up,” he explains. “It was interesting, but it was doable. As I like to say: ‘The things we do for a dollar.’”
Vargas also remembers a more recent delivery request for good reason.
“When I got there, the customer goes: ‘The bumper needs to come off.’ It was literally straight up a hill. I said, ‘It’s not gonna go.’ The customer hooked his dozer, but the hill was so steep that the dozer pulled about 10 feet, then started to just spin and go sideways on the hill. It was so steep that the tail of the trailer was hung up on the paved road we were coming off. So, the only way up the hill was foot by foot pushing with the trailer hydraulics and dozer pulling at the same time. We worked until around midnight and started at 6 the next day to set it up,” he says.
“Again, it was one of these deals that we never should have done. But the hard part is that if we did it this time, we can do it again next time. I have to learn how to say no to these jobs. It’s hard on the equipment. We broke an axle.”
CUSTOM TOUCHES, DELIVERIES
For most customers, purchasing a portable building involves selecting a style, size, and some options. However, certain requests can be highly customized.
That was the case for David Riley, sales and customer service manager at Countryside Sheds in Island City, Oregon, where a particular project stands out as the most unique request he has encountered in his 15 years with the company.
“The customer came in with a friend who had a construction background and plenty of ideas,” Riley recalls.
“He wanted our Tall Barn style—but upgraded and wrapped entirely in metal. We’ve done metal siding before, but this was on a totally different level.”
While the appearance was important, durability was the primary goal.
“The customer was accustomed to quality construction and wanted something that would last his lifetime,” says Riley. “Every time we discussed one feature, another upgrade was added. Pretty soon, my list of specifications was two pages long.”
Among the requests were upgraded floor runners and floor joists, an insulated floor, along with LuxGuard flooring—a rubberized surface that is waterproof, stain-resistant, and designed for long-term durability. Additional wall insulation and finished sheeting were also included.
Other upgrades included distinctive architectural features. For instance, an Amish-style overhang on the front and rear, inspired by traditional barn designs, was incorporated into the structure, along with a Dutch flare roofline and upgraded doors featuring decorative X-patterns wrapped in metal.
Creating those doors would be one of the more challenging aspects of the project.
“We had to design a smooth metal ‘wrap’ to go over our custom doors,” Riley explains. “We worked closely with our fabricator to create special pieces that would fit properly. Some trim components required custom sleeves, and others had to be cut and assembled in sections.”
Customization would continue inside the building. The barn was pre-wired for electricity and included a dual loft system, also finished with LuxGuard flooring. A rolling library ladder with handrails was added to access the lofts, while recessed lighting, a mini-split heating/cooling system, multiple windows, insulation, and finished plywood wall coverings transformed the barn into a highly functional space.
To complete the appearance, the structure was topped with a cupola and weathervane and finished with two different metal colors—one for the siding and another for the trim.
The extensive upgrades would dramatically increase the value.
“The base building would have been around $9,000,” says Riley. “When everything was finished, the project was closer to $42,000.”
Even the delivery required precision planning. The customer had prepared a concrete pad and installed an electrical conduit that needed to align perfectly with the flooring system.
“We had to tilt the trailer and carefully line up the conduit with a hole we had drilled into the bottom plates on the wall,” Riley explains. “Everything had to match exactly.”
The customer had also meticulously prepared the site, including grading the surrounding area to accommodate decorative brickwork that would be installed later.
“He had everything ready,” Riley says. “The pad was built correctly, the conduit was exactly where it needed to be, and we had the building pre-wired so the local electrician could make the final connection.”
Although the project required significant labor and coordination, Riley says the customer’s appreciation for quality craftsmanship made the effort worthwhile.
“This was definitely labor-intensive,” he says. “But he understood what quality work costs, and when it was finished, he was extremely happy with it. By far, it remains the most unique building we’ve ever constructed because of the level of customization involved.”
Other challenges come with getting a building to its final destination.
“Several times we’ve had to place sheds between large pine trees and use skids to slide buildings into position,” Riley says. “One delivery involved a site near a riverbed where we had to turn the building sideways and carefully maneuver it into place. We had to make sure it didn’t slide too far while positioning it between the trees.”
Another memorable project came when a customer encountered unexpected permit challenges.
“The local building department had added requirements that seemed excessive for a simple backyard shed,” Riley recalls. “At one point, they were even discussing soil testing to determine building tie-down requirements. I told the customer to be patient because sometimes fighting the process only makes things harder.”
Rather than pursue the larger structure, the customer decided to purchase two smaller buildings that could be combined onsite—avoiding the permit requirements.
Still, the first delivery presented an obstacle no one had anticipated.
“When we arrived, we discovered the house eaves extended farther than expected,” Riley says. “We had to carefully lift the eaves using poles and carefully guide and drag the building to gain just enough clearance.”
The second building, designed for a boat, featured a unique floor plan that was long enough to accommodate it, but narrowed at one end to better fit the vessel. This allowed for a longer building in order to get the maximum square footage without exceeding the 200-square-foot requirement for a building permit. Countryside Sheds modified the structure to ensure the finished appearance looked intentional rather than pieced together.
“Cosmetically, we wanted it to look like it belonged that way from the beginning,” Riley says. “We made modifications so it wouldn’t appear to be an afterthought.”
Having learned from the first delivery, the team employed a different approach for the second structure.
“With our specialized trailer, we can raise and tilt the load to gain additional clearance,” Riley explains. Instead of attempting to go under the eaves, this time the driver positioned the shed to go over the eaves by raising the shed and the trailer. “This time everything went smoothly. It was like a piece of cake,” he adds.
For Riley, these projects highlight the importance of experience, problem-solving, and having the right equipment.
“Every unusual situation teaches you something,” he says. “Whether it’s a highly customized building or a difficult delivery, you learn new techniques and find new ways to make things work.”
