Sheds, detached garages and outbuildings: what owners spent in 2021–2023
When owners hired someone for a shed, detached garage or other outbuilding, the middle half paid $3,000 to $9,000 and the typical job cost $5,000. Counting do-it-yourself jobs, the typical U.S. job was $3,000, and across 8 big metros it ran $1,000 to $4,600.
What owners paid
$5,000
The typical job when owners hired it out. The middle half paid $3,000 to $9,000.
Every job, do-it-yourself included: $3,000 typical.
Hired out, by home size: the typical job and the middle half
- Under 1,500 sq ft$4,000$2,300 to $6,000
- 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft$5,000$3,000 to $9,000
- 2,500 sq ft or more$6,000$3,000 to $16,000
Every job by big metro, do-it-yourself included: lowest $1,000 in Detroit, highest $4,600 in Phoenix.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked . Hired-out figures: our percentiles from the survey’s public use file.
When owners hired the work out
53% of these jobs were hired out. The survey sample is too small for a hired-out figure in any one metro; the national figures by home size are in the table.
The hired-out figures as a table, with margins of error
| Homes | Sample jobs | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every home size | 412 | $3,000 ±$341 | $5,000 ±$482 | $9,000 ±$1,330 |
| Under 1,500 sq ft | 104 | $2,300 ±$1,999 | $4,000 ±$1,016 | $6,000 ±$759 |
| 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft | 180 | $3,000 ±$431 | $5,000 ±$794 | $9,000 ±$1,759 |
| 2,500 sq ft or more | 113 | $3,000 ±$1,587 | $6,000 ±$933 | $16,000 ±$6,872 |
How these figures are made: from the Census Bureau's 2023 American Housing Survey public use file, each job counted with its survey weight and a 90% margin of error from the survey's replicate weights. A job is hired out when the owners said someone outside the household did most of the work. Leaving out do-it-yourself jobs is why these figures usually sit above the every-job medians in the Census table below. The public file also rounds costs, so its every-job median can differ a little from the published one.
Every job in each big metro, do-it-yourself included
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first, from the Census Bureau's published table. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
- Phoenix$4,600
- Atlanta$3,400
- Chicago$3,400
- Dallas$3,000
- Seattle$3,000
- Washington DC$3,000
- San Francisco$1,750
- Detroit$1,000
No published figure: Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Riverside.
What these figures cover: Sheds, detached garages and other outbuildings, counted together. Attached garages are counted separately.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $4,600 | ±$1,549 |
| Atlanta | $3,400 | ±$1,294 |
| Chicago | $3,400 | ±$1,533 |
| Dallas | $3,000 | ±$1,235 |
| Seattle | $3,000 | ±$451 |
| Washington DC | $3,000 | ±$1,304 |
| San Francisco | $1,750 | ±$693 |
| Detroit | $1,000 | ±$435 |
| Boston | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Houston | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Los Angeles | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Miami | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| New York City | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Philadelphia | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Riverside | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Shed/detached garage/other building” under “Lot or Yard Additions and Replacements”. Checked October 13, 2026. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. Do-it-yourself jobs mostly pay for materials, which is why this page keeps hired-out jobs apart. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts. Seven reasons cost guides disagree, each with its figures.
Measure your job with the calculator.
Before you compare quotes
Ask every contractor to price the same scope, in writing. Separate a shed kit, custom shed and detached garage. Record site preparation, foundation, delivery, assembly and utility work separately.