Alpine Buildings | Kitset shed blog

How much does an UltraBay shed cost?

Written by Alpine Buildings | May 17 2022

Are you considering a new shed and would love wider bays to make accessing it easier, with fewer poles to maneuvre around? Featuring a unique steel purlin design, UltraBay is very popular among contractors and large-scale farmers who need to maximise storage space.

Below are some popular designs and a price guide for each.

A common starting point is to compare the $ per m2 cost of a kitset building. With UltraBay sheds, fewer internal poles allow for more equipment and storage in each bay. So, while the upfront kit cost per m2 will be higher than a traditional pole shed, the reduction in poles required for UltraBay sheds means a faster build time, as well as less concrete footings, resulting in savings.

There are also some factors to consider that drive the cost up or down with these projects.

Some factors that keep costs down:

  • Using standard Zincalume cladding as opposed to Coloursteel.
  • Having the structure roof only, or partly enclosed (minimal walls).
  • Center poles throughout rather than full clearspan rafters. 
  • Building the shed yourself or with a builder friend as fill-in work.

Some factors that drive costs up:

  • Higher snow load locations, meaning heavier beams/members are required.
  • Adding doors, more wall cladding, etc.
  • Excessive side heights around 8m+, requiring larger poles and special engineering.

 

The 5 Most Popular Shed Designs and the Investment Cost

12m x 27.0m centre pole gable shed

3x 9.0m wide bays, roof only
Side height 4.5m – 5.0m
Popular for bale storage and parking wide gear inside without having to fold it in. 

Starting estimate kitset cost $56,500.00 + GST
Install cost depending on builder and location, add approx. $26,500.00 + GST.

19.2m x 37.2m centre pole gable shed

4x 9.3m wide Bays, roof only
Side height 6.7m – 7.2m
Popular for bale storage capacity (suited towards 2.1m wide bales):

  • For, 2.1m x 1.2m deep x 0.9m high bales, this fits 16 bales deep.
    16 bales deep x 7 high, and 4 bales wide per bay = 448 bales per bay.
    X 4 bays = 1792 bales

Starting estimate kitset cost $103,500.00 + GST
Install cost depending on builder and location, add approx. $42,500.00 + GST.

30.8m x 38.4m centre pole gable shed

4x 7.7m wide bays, roof, and 2 sidewalls
Side height 6.0m – 7.0m
Bale storage capacity:

  • For, 2.4m x 1.2m deep x 0.9m high bales, this fits 32 bales deep.
    32 bales deep x 6 high, and 3 bales wide per bay = 576 bales per bay.
    X 4 bays = 2304 bales

Starting estimate kitset cost $159,000.00 + GST
Install cost depending on builder and location, add approx. $110,000.00 + GST.

10m x 27.0m clearspan lean-to shed

3x 9.0m wide bays, roof, and 3 walls
1.8m overhang on the front
Front height 5.5m – 4.667m
Popular multi-use shed, with clearspan rafters, this maximizes storage and makes maneuvering vehicles inside easy.

Starting estimate kitset cost $68,500.00 + GST
Install cost depending on builder and location, add approx. $37,500.00 + GST.

15m x 40.0m clearspan gable shed

2x 8.0m bays enclosed, with:

  • 2 Roller doors, 4.0m x 4.4m high.
  • 1 PA door
3x 8.0m bays, open front
1.8m overhang on the front
Side height 5.0m – 6.6m at the apex
Popular large-scale contractor shed, with an enclosed workshop for maintenance on equipment clearspan rafters.

Starting estimate kitset cost $171,000.00 + GST
Install cost depending on builder and location, add approx. $85,500.00 + GST. (No concrete floor).


How much for extra bays?

For high-level estimates, you can divide the estimated shed cost by the quantity of bays and multiply it by the required amount of bays. For example, shed 2, a 4-bay shed with kit cost of $97,000:

  • $103,500.00 / 4 bays = $25,875.00 + GST (approx.)
  • 6 bays required, $25,875.00 x 6 = $155,250 kit cost.

What heights are most efficient?

You can easily adjust the height of UltraBay sheds to suit your specific storage needs. The most popular height for storing general contract machines and equipment is 5m side height.

For midsize hay storage sheds, 6.0m side heights are typical, which still utilise common pole lengths and sizes.  

Large-scale storage requirements typically require pole heights of 6m - 8m at the side, and while this may increase the overall cost of building, the extra storage space gained can be very beneficial.

Tip: For hay storage, it’s worth checking what height your machinery will be able to lift bales too.

Most cost-efficient bay size?

The answer is – it depends. From 7-9m similar materials are required so the variance is not typically significant. Over 9.0m – 10m wide the cost does start to increase per m2 given the larger span of purlin, although does give you a very usable shed given the spacing between poles.

With UltraBay, we optimize each design depending on your preferred bay width, and the related site factors such as wind and snow zones.

How much concrete needs to be allowed for the pole foundations?

The pole foundation holes are typically 600mm in diameter, and 1.4m – 2.0m deep. These sizes vary depending on the design and engineers’ requirements, however for the sake of budgeting if you allow 0.5m3 of concrete per hole this would be a general allowance. 

Keen for an estimate costing on a project for your site?

Visit the shed builder here to get this underway.

Note costs and bale storage capacity mentioned is a guide only and will vary project-specific.