HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a shed installer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register covers shed installers. Check the height near the boundary, the base, and what happens to the old shed.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a shed installer in five steps

  1. Measure the space and the boundaryWithin 2 metres of a boundary, 2.5 metres high at most in England.
  2. Agree the baseSlabs, concrete or a timber or plastic grid, level.
  3. Ask about the old shedRemoved and taken by a registered waste carrier; asbestos sheets are a specialist job.
  4. Check the felt and fixingsRoof felt and screws, not just nails.
  5. Get it in writingShed, base, assembly, removal and VAT.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses shed installers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme — is voluntary. What the law does regulate is the work: where the shed stands, how tall it is and how big it is.

Ask for addresses of finished jobs and, if they claim TrustMark, search the business on trustmark.org.uk. trustmark.org.uk →

Planning limits for garden buildings (England)

In England a garden building is permitted development under Class E of the 2015 Order only within limits: not forward of the house front, one storey, eaves up to 2.5 metres, a maximum height of 2.5 metres within 2 metres of a boundary (4 metres dual-pitched or 3 metres elsewhere), no more than half the garden built over, no verandah or platform over 0.3 metres, and not at a listed building.

Ask the shed installer for the ridge and eaves heights and plan the position against the boundary. legislation.gov.uk →

Building Regulations exemption

A detached single-storey garden building with nobody sleeping in it is exempt from the Building Regulations in England and Wales at up to 15 square metres; between 15 and 30 square metres it stays exempt only if it is a metre or more from the boundary or mostly non-combustible (Schedule 2, Class 6).

Ask the shed installer for the floor area and distance from the boundary; above these limits, building control approval is needed. legislation.gov.uk →

Asbestos

Asbestos insulating board, lagging and sprayed coatings are licensed work: only an HSE-licensed contractor may remove them (Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; Northern Ireland has its own 2012 Regulations). An old garage or shed roof of corrugated cement sheet may contain asbestos.

Ask the shed installer how suspected asbestos will be identified before anything is broken up. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

Supplying and putting up a shed is standard-rated at 20%. A shed installer above the £90,000 threshold must register, charge it on the shed, base and assembly, and show the 20% on its own line.

Ask the shed installer for the VAT number and check the 20% sits below the shed and base prices. gov.uk →

“How high is the shed at the ridge?”

A good answer: A measurement against the limit near your boundary.

“What base will the shed have?”

A good answer: Named and level.

“Will you remove my old shed?”

A good answer: Yes, by a registered waste carrier — and if the roof sheets may be asbestos, a plan for that.

“How is the shed fixed down?”

A good answer: Anchored to the base against wind.

“Is the shed timber treated?”

A good answer: Pressure-treated or dip-treated, named.

“Does the shed need guttering?”

A good answer: Optional, priced.

“What guarantee comes with the shed?”

A good answer: Maker's guarantee plus workmanship.

Getting the quote right

  • Shed size and model
  • Base
  • Assembly and fixing down
  • Old shed removal and the carrier number
  • Who actually attends to lay the base and build the shed, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT shown apart from the shed, base and assembly

Walk away if

  • Old asbestos sheets broken up and bagged with general waste
  • Shed on soil with no base
  • No carrier number for the old shed
  • Payment before delivery
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£1,020
HIGH
£2,000

What a shed installer costs: £200–£2,000 per install

Shed installation is priced per install; the shed's size, the base and removal of an old shed set the price. Shed Installation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Shed installers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ClearOld shed removed and taken away lawfully.
  2. BaseBase laid level.
  3. Floor and wallsFloor on bearers, walls fixed square.
  4. RoofRoof boarded and felted.
  5. FinishDoor, windows and fixings checked, site cleared.

Apex roof
A roof with two sloping sides.
Pent roof
A single-slope roof.
Shiplap
Overlapping boards that shed rain.
Roof felt
Bitumen sheet that waterproofs the roof.
Bearers
Timbers under the floor.
Asbestos cement
Old corrugated sheeting that may contain asbestos.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkInvoice and the shed's guarantee.
Check the door and roofDoor closes, roof felt tight, no gaps.
Treat the timberAs the maker advises.
Rate the workBooked through Locufy, the job can be reviewed; if the shed installer needs to come back, the make-it-right step gives them the chance first.

STEP 1Start with the shed installerSet out in writing what went wrong with the shed. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the duty of reasonable care and skill; section 55 lets you ask for the service to be repeated.
STEP 2Make it right through LocufyGive fewer than four stars and you are asked whether the shed installer should get the chance to fix it first; we follow it through before the review goes up.
STEP 3Planning or building control problemsIf the shed installer's work breaks planning or building rules, the council's planning or building control team is the authority, and an enforcement notice can require the work to be undone. Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133, England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262) advise and can refer a trader to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Small claimsKeep the quote, the photos and every message with the shed installer: claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland and £5,000 in Northern Ireland are heard on the small-claims routes.

Hiring a shed installer: questions people ask

In England, not if it meets the Class E limits: behind the house, single storey, 2.5 metres high within 2 metres of a boundary, not at a listed building.

A detached single-storey shed of up to 15 square metres with no sleeping accommodation is exempt in England and Wales.

Expect £200 to £2,000 an installation, most often near £1,020. Our shed installation price guide covers what changes it, and the search above lists shed installers where you live.

Ask before anything is broken up; HSE treats asbestos as hazardous and some types need a licensed contractor.

Nothing in the law licenses shed installers or puts them on a register.

A few hours to a day, once the base is in.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: Summer House InstallationHow to hire: Log Cabin InstallationHow to hire: Greenhouse InstallationHow to hire: Patio LayingHow to hire: Garden ClearanceHow to hire: LandscapingHow to hire: Decking ConstructionHow to hire: Raised BedsAll 701 hiring guides →

Shed installers near you

Shed installers in LondonShed installers in ManchesterShed installers in BirminghamShed installers in GlasgowShed installers in BelfastAll shed installers on Locufy →Do it yourself: putting up a garden shed →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1 — outbuildings and hard surfaces
  2. Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 2 — exempt buildings and work
  3. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  4. HSE — asbestos: frequently asked questions
  5. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  6. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  8. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  9. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money (simple procedure)
  10. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  11. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  12. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register