Sheds, detached garages and other buildings: what owners spent in 2021–2023
The typical U.S. owner paid $3,000 for sheds, detached garages and other buildings work; across 8 big metros the typical job ran $1,000 to $4,600.
What owners paid
$3,000
The typical (median) U.S. job: half of owners paid less, half paid more.
The Census table gives no margin of error for the national figure.
Lowest big metro, $1,000: Detroit. Highest, $4,600: Phoenix.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. 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 | Not published |
| Houston | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Los Angeles | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Miami | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| New York City | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Philadelphia | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Riverside | Not published Withheld by Census | 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”. Updated 2026-09-19. 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. 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.
Measure your job with the calculator.
Before you compare quotes
If a quote is well above the typical $3,000, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. Separate a shed kit, custom shed and detached garage. Record site preparation, foundation, delivery, assembly and utility work separately.