Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What delivery options are available?

Each custom shed is delivered and set by Historic Shed™ personnel. Costs for delivery may vary depending on distance and degree of difficulty accessing a site, but for most areas within our standard service areas, the cost is already factored in. We do not offer shipping options out of state for any of our units at this time. And we do not currently offer DIY kits, although we've talked about adding that option for a long time.

Where can I see one of your sheds?

Since we build our sheds to order, we do not maintain an inventory at our shop in Brooksville (there’s only a 10×10 shed out front and an outhouse sized one that stay at our shop); however, if you call or email before coming to visit we can let you know if we have anything currently under construction that is at a stage worth viewing. We can also email you a list of some of our projects that are visible from the street at our customer’s homes in various Florida towns. Many are hidden behind fences, but we can let you know where you can see ones without getting in trouble for trespassing.

Do you deliver to (Insert Town Name)?

We are a small business located in Brooksville, FL ad would love to deliver our sheds throughout Florida (and the US), but, alas, we have not found that a practical approach. Therefore we generally limit our delivery area to places that are no more than a 90 minute drive (see the map below). Upon occasion, we stretch that service area, but it will add to the cost of the project.

Do I need to pour a concrete pad for my shed?

Our Historic Shed™ storage sheds are built on a pressure treated deck that can be set directly on level ground, then tied down with anchor straps. For uses other than storage, a foundation consisting of piers, stem wall or concrete slab may be required by building code. Some customers prefer to install a concrete slab for various site reasons as well. When this occurs, Historic Shed™ can arrange to pour the foundation or it can be contracted separately to our specifications. Please note that we usually can not use an existing concrete pad from a previous shed or garage as it likely not compliant with today’s codes.

I would like electrical and/or plumbing in my shed. Do you do that?

Electrical and plumbing can be incorporated into most outbuildings (where local codes allows) and we can subcontract these services out for you or you can hire your own electrical or plumbing subcontractor once the shed is installed. As we do not have plumbing or electrical licenses, we are unable to provide these services for you directly.

Do you build Tiny Houses on Trailers/ Wheels?

We decided early on not to venture into the THOW building world as the darling movable homes became popular. We chose instead to focus on what we originally planned to do with Historic Shed™: build historically appropriate accessory buildings and cottages on foundations.

Do I need a Building Permit to put a Historic Shed™ outbuilding in my yard? And do I pull the permit or does Historic Shed™?

Most likely your project will require a permit, but check with your local building department since requirements for sheds vary for each city. Some areas exempt storage sheds up to a certain square footage from permitting, others have no exemptions no matter how small. If you plan to use your shed for a use other than storage (home office, guest house), make sure you specify the use when talking to the building department.

For example, Tampa and Hillsborough County currently do not require a permit for storage sheds up to 150 sf, St. Petersburg and parts of Pinellas County are exempt up to 100 sf, but DeLand, Orlando, Hernando County and Tarpon Springs requires permits for sheds of all sizes. (Please verify these with your local Building Department since requirements can change.) Note that if you want electrical and/ or plumbing in your outbuilding, that will require permits even if the building itself does not.

Historic Shed™ provides all necessary engineered construction drawings for our sheds for permitting. We are a licensed and insured Florida Building Contractor and can apply for all required building permits in the state of Florida.

Do I have to take my fence down for delivery of my shed?

Because we deliver our sheds mainly to established historic neighborhoods with large trees and lots of utility wires, we developed a construction process that allows us to break the sheds down into manageable size components that get assembled on site. This allows us to navigate obstructions like fences, large trees, low branches and narrow alleyways that would prevent delivery of fully assembled sheds. Usually this means your fence can stay intact.

I want the interior of my building insulated/ drywalled/ finished out. Can you do that?

We will gladly finish out the interior of your small outbuilding if you are located within roughly 70 miles of our Brooksville shop. For buildings with interior finishes, we typically offer drywall walls and tongue and groove V-joint or nickel joint ceilings along with traditional interior trim work. Other options are available at your request.

Do we need Historic Preservation approval to use your products?

If you live within a designated local historic district, you will most likely have to have your shed, garage, or cottage approved by preservation staff and/or local preservation review board prior to installation. Historic Shed™ can coordinate all necessary approvals with local preservation officials for you.

Do your sheds meet Florida Building Code/ wind speed requirements?

They do. We fully strap and anchor all our accessory buildings as required by Florida Building Code for the region that the shed will be delivered to. We have no other choice! And we don’t want your Historic Shed to end up in the neighbor’s pool after a storm any more than you do.

I love your sheds but live outside of Florida. Can I purchase plans to build my own?

We offer plans for select sheds, garages and cottages, including our popular two-story garage apartment. More plans are added periodically, so check back. To see them all go to our online store. If needed, most plans can be modified to suit. Please note that all plans are designed to meet Florida Building Codes and may require modifications in order to meet different climate, soil and code requirements.

Can you replicate a historic building from a photograph? (OK, not a Frequently Asked Question, but it has been asked more than once.)

We will gladly design and build any traditional style small wood framed building. We maintain a catalog of historic details for reference as well as have experienced historic preservation personnel to make your outbuilding as historically accurate as possible. We will gladly take on any challenge to meet your small building needs.

Cottage Questions

Can I live in a Shed?

When you buy a building from us that is intended to be living space, we design and build to meet Florida Residential Building Code. While very similar to our sheds, the building or building shell will be designed as a small/ tiny house from the beginning, not a shed converted to a house, which can be a difficult retrofit depending on the shed construction.

I don’t see the prices for your cottages online. Am I missing them?

Since cottages can have so many variables in the design choices, and everyone wants a customized design, we don’t have cottage prices listed. We can tell you that they typically can be built in the $200-220 per sf range, although it is easy to go above that cost range if you have high end taste. The good thing is that you need less of whatever expensive item you desire in a small cottage.

I really like your designs, but can you build just the shell so I can finish out the inside myself?

Absolutely (in fact, we love to do cottages this way)! We can build as much as or as little as you want of the building to suit your needs. 

I like the “insert model name here”, but would like some modifications. Can that be done?

Every job we have done has been custom. We love it since we have yet to build the same thing twice, keeping us on our toes. Since everything is built to order, we can easily make modifications during the design phase to suit your needs. You can also send us floor plans for cottages you have seen elsewhere and we can adapt them to your needs and our build parameters.

Ordering Questions

When is payment required?

We require a roughly 25% deposit in order to begin any product order. Full payment is due when the product is delivered or picked up. For larger jobs, such as garages or cottages, we schedule progress payments as the installation progresses.
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Can I pay by credit card?

We prefer payment via check or cash due to the high fees charged to vendors by credit card companies, but will take Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card payments for smaller charges upon request. We can also take check payments online.

Do you offer financing?

We have partnered with several companies to provide financing for our Historic Shed™ outbuildings: Light Stream and Feeasy. Each has an online application process that you can pursue privately.

What is your privacy policy?

We never share or sell our customer list. We want to keep you all to ourselves!
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