How much does a summerhouse cost?

I totally feel your pain, summerhouse shoppers. You just want a straight answer. Google tells you a million different things. It feels like the options are endless. You don’t even understand all of the questions involved, never mind the answers! 

How hard can it be?

All you want to know is how much does a summerhouse cost?

But why is it so hard to find a straight answer to this question?

Well, it’s complicated…

Summerhouses start at around £775 and go all the way up to £6500 and beyond. The price very much depends on what you’re looking for and how much money you have to spend. 

There are lots of things to consider that impact the price of a summerhouse. Let’s take a look at these, then get down to the brass tacks of actual costs. 

Too impatient for that?

Skip straight to our Summerhouse Calculator instead.

Factors that impact the cost of a summerhouse.

What size of summerhouse do I need?

First off, size really does matter when it comes to your summerhouse budget. A small summerhouse costs less than a larger one, whatever it’s made from. Throughout this article I’ll be using the following sizes when I refer to small, medium, and large:

	FT	M	TOTAL AREA
SMALL	8’ x 6’	2.4m x 1.8m	48 sq ft/4.32m2
MED	10’ x 8’	3m x 2.4m	80 sq ft/7.2m2
LARGE	12’ x 12’	3.6m x 3.6m	144 sq ft/12.96 m2

These sizes are based on G&M’s summerhouse standard sizes. In the calculator section, there may be some models which are not exactly these sizes but are as close to these as possible. 

What are summerhouses made of?

Next, the materials. The quality of the materials used will also impact the price. The pay-off for this extra cost is that the better quality the materials are, the better quality your building will be. This means it will last longer and need less maintenance in the long run. 

When it comes to timber summerhouses there’s one extremely important question to ask: should your summerhouse be built of whitewood (spruce) or redwood (pine)?

Whitewood is cheaper but since it’s less durable this may not be a saving in the long run. 

How are summerhouses manufactured?

Then there’s the way that your summerhouse is manufactured. Is it mass-produced in a factory that uses big muckle robots to churn out hundreds of thousands of summerhouses a year?

If it is, it will be cheaper than one designed and manufactured by real-life skilled joiners just up the road. You’ll see that the best summerhouse companies in Dundee make their own buildings – this isn’t a coincidence.

What’s the best specification for a summerhouse? 

Ooooh, this one’s a biggie. There are so many different ways to build a summerhouse. The amount of time, expertise, and effort that’s gone into the design will also impact how much you pay for your building. As with materials, the specification’s quality directly affects your building’s quality. 

Before buying a summerhouse you should check how thick the cladding is, what sort of windows and doors are being used, and how the roof is designed and built.

We’re happy to explain the reasons behind the specifications we use here at G&M, and any reputable manufacturer should be able to do the same so you know exactly what you’re getting for your investment.

What sort of service will I get with a summerhouse?

Will you have to assemble and install your summerhouse or will someone else come to install it? Is there a guarantee if something goes wrong?

What about repairs and maintenance?

The level of service you can expect will also be reflected in the price of your summerhouse. 

With the mass-produced robot summerhouses, the most you can expect is a flatpack, some instructions and a 10-year anti-rot warranty. The problem with anti-rot guarantees is that wood-rot is only one of the things that can go wrong with a summerhouse. They don’t guarantee that your building will stay watertight, for example.

Can you see how this all starts to get Advanced Higher Maths complicated?

A small summerhouse with better specifications may well cost more than a larger summerhouse that isn’t as well-designed. A big summerhouse built of lower-grade timber will cost less than a small summerhouse built of sexy Scandinavian redwood, but you’ll have problems with water ingress.

Additional costs to consider:

How much does a summerhouse base cost?

This isn’t an optional extra: a solid building starts with a solid base. Basework is so important that we’ve written several articles about it already. The cost of basework is another great “It depends” situation, since the price will vary according to the size of the base that you need, the access to your site, the condition of the existing ground and the quality of the materials used. The only way to determine all of this is to arrange a site visit from a reputable groundworks company.

Should I line and insulate a summerhouse?

If you want to use it all year round, lining and insulating your summerhouse is a great option. You can pay someone to do this for you, and if it’s done while the summerhouse is being installed the floor and walls can be insulated, keeping you cosy on cooler days. Expect to pay 70-80% of the total cost of the building for insulation and lining.

You can also insulate your own summerhouse, which works out cheaper but requires a bit of hard work on your part. 

Electricity 

Another way to keep the cold out is to add electricity to your summerhouse. Always make sure that electrical work is carried out by a qualified electrician, cos electricity is dangerous, and healthy Sheddies are happy Sheddies. 

The cost of this will depend on how far your summerhouse is from your house and how many sockets or lights you’re looking for.

What is the price of a summerhouse?

I told you we’d get there eventually! The best way to show you how summerhouse prices work is to take all of these factors into account. As a wee reminder, our categories were: 

Size

Materials

Manufacturing Method

Specification

Service

Summerhouse Calculator

To find these figures, I’ve used different combinations of the categories above to show you how much you can expect to pay for a summerhouse like that. 

Every single possible combination of these categories would mean an article like War and Peace, but each combination here represents real summerhouses from real retailers.

These figures aren’t exact but are researched averages. They’re based on prices from a range of retailers, based on a number of models and types of summerhouses. You may pay a little more or a little less, but these provide a good working guide.

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about exactly how I compiled these numbers. I’m happy to share, but most people just want the figures so I haven’t shown my working out here.

Buckle up – it’s time for some prices! 

Take your time with all the symbols. The best thing to do is to find the symbols that show the things that are most important to you. 

If you don’t mind assembling your summerhouse yourself, you know what your options are. If service is the most important thing for you, look for the three stars.

Phew! You’re quite correct, Sheddie – this is A LOT of information! 

Sometimes the best way to navigate all this is by talking to an expert. Our Sales Team is on hand here at Shedquarters to help you find your way if you’re still lost. They can sit you down in our lovely show area, make you a coffee, and let you see just how easy it is when you know how. 

There are six stunning summerhouses that provide quite the view – come on down and see us!

Learn more: 

• How much does a small summerhouse cost?
• Summerhouse vs garden room: what is the difference?
• Can I use a summerhouse all year round?
• Shed vs summerhouse: what is the difference?
• What costs are involved in a summerhouse project?