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Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed Using Reclaimed Materials


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It’s Natalie here! I do a lot of the writing about tiny homes here, but today I want to show you what my husband and I have been working on — an 8×6 pallet shed using tons of reclaimed materials and rough cut lumber from a local sawmill.

We have three little kids and live in a *small* 1,100 square foot home on about an acre of land where we have goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, quail and a peacock. Homesteading is important to us, but we really wanted to get the animal feed and lawn/garden supplies out of our basement so they were easier to access and didn’t attract mice into our house.

It took us about a month with *many* interruptions from children, sickness, vacation and other projects, but we finally finished it — and for under $400 in materials (which with current lumber prices is a steal). While we are using it for storage, the basic idea could easily be transformed into a tiny living space for one.

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Simple Shed Project for Under $400

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 18

Images via Natalie C. McKee

The last step is to strip & paint these doors barn red!

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 10

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Our local sawmill still hasn’t raised their lumber prices, so all the siding is rough-cut pine we got for $1.40 per 1×4 board.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 9

Images via Natalie C. McKee

It’s on a cinder block foundation (reclaimed from my father-in-laws old garden). The pallets we acquired from local businesses tossing them.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 5

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Believe it or not, this was FREE plywood from a charity that needed to empty out its new building quickly. Facebook Marketplace has all kinds of deals.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 4

Images via Natalie C. McKee

We did purchase furring strips and 2x4s for the roof that were new. Ultimately we had more money than time to wait for more reclaimed materials because we wanted this to be done by the end of the summer.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 3

Images via Natalie C. McKee

My amazing husband, who I couldn’t have done this without.

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Images via Natalie C. McKee

Me, breaking all kinds of rules standing on the top step of an old ladder that we found in our basement when we moved in.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 6

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Ultimately we framed the front wall around the two reclaimed barn doors my parents had gifted us last year.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 8

Images via Natalie C. McKee

The galvanized metal roofing was also purchased new because I couldn’t find any to reclaim. We also wanted a newer roof to keep water off our hay/feed.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 2

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Absolutely nothing about this structure is square, but that’s the risk of working with pallets and rough-cut wood.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Here it is filled up with stuff! As you can tell, you could easily put a kitchenette on one side and a couch/futon on the other.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 12

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Pallets also make great tool racks.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 15

Images via Natalie C. McKee

We left the walls un-insulated, and they’re great for hanging everything.

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Images via Natalie C. McKee

We can fit about 10 bales of hay on the rafters here, and we plan on buying a couple more 2x4s to maximize the vertical space.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 13

Images via Natalie C. McKee

A view of the rest of the homestead. That A-Frame is a chicken/duck house I built last summer.

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Images via Natalie C. McKee

Simple, quiet living.

Natalie’s $400 Pallet Shed 17 19

Images via Natalie C. McKee

Details:

  • 8×6 Shed
  • Metal shed-style roof
  • Total cost: ~$400
  • Siding: $200-ish
  • Metal Roofing: $117
  • Framing Lumber: $85
  • Screws (that we didn’t already own): $7
  • Hinges/lock: $20
  • Took about a month to build, but could be done in 3 solid days without interruption

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 18 comments… add one }
  • vee
    August 4, 2021, 6:05 pm

    What a handy and unique storage space! My family would sure benefit by having something like this. I personally like the natural, reclaimed woods, etc. Very nice indeed!!!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 5, 2021, 7:48 am

      Thank you so much! The rough cut pine weathers really beautifully. I may stain it once it all dries out, but even if I don’t it fits our rustic homestead 🙂

  • Sonya
    August 4, 2021, 9:13 pm

    Very nice job! Great homestead, too.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 5, 2021, 7:44 am

      Thank you so much, Sonya!

  • Cynthia
    August 4, 2021, 9:23 pm

    I love the use of reclaimed materials! It looks like a great place to store tools, etc.
    But some STONG words of caution:
    Storing feed and soft materials in a shed/ in containers that are not rodent proof is going to cost you headaches, unpleasant cleanups, and lost feed. Mice adore bales of hay, and they can easily scale the wood cladding up to that nice open space below the roof. They will easily hop down from above and make a little nest in your hay, gorging themselves on those bags of sweet feed after they nibble through the paper sacks. They will pee on the feed, too — spoiling it.
    Get VERY serious about rodent prevention. Where you find them, you will also find predators = snakes (they can squeeze through tiny openings in your shed).
    Do yourself a favor and visit some neighbors who also have chickens, and you will see they have rodent proof containers (aluminum cans with tight fitting lids) to keep it fresh. The cans must be stored out of the rain, off the ground. Plastic containers won’t work — rodents will chew right through them.
    Store your clay pots upside down if you don’t want critters to greet you when you reach for them.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 5, 2021, 7:44 am

      My husband plans to put some metal mesh all around the top to allow for ventilation, but to keep out critters. We definitely have some securing to do 🙂 We keep feed in sealed metal bins near each animal shelter for immediate use (learned the hard way with plastic that the squirrels ate through). The feed had been in our basement so I am happy that if we have mice they will now live OUTSIDE ha. We also have a mouser cat, and she brought us two just yesterday.

  • Joyce Rader
    August 4, 2021, 10:24 pm

    I also built a small shed using pallets and reclaimed panels for the walls. My husband and son helped me build an 8 by 12 shed which I envisioned as a small cabin but chose to use for a chicken shed. I just need to figure out how to move photos from my phone to send to post them. It can be done and for a reasonably low cost. With the rise in new lumber prices, it is great to find bargains and make used materials work for your purpose. Good job!.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 5, 2021, 7:41 am

      Oh I would love to see it, Joyce! Can you email yourself the pictures?

    • Alex
      August 5, 2021, 9:25 am

      Hi Joyce! You may be able to upload your photos directly from your phone using the form right here: https://tinyhousetalk.com/share-your-tiny-house

      • JOYCE RADER
        March 13, 2022, 10:59 pm

        Alex, I tried to send you photos by email. Did you get them? Joyce

        • Natalie C. McKee
          March 15, 2022, 9:08 am

          Hi Joyce! I haven’t seen anything come through from you. Can you resend to [email protected]?

  • David Harriman
    August 5, 2021, 1:27 am

    What? No bikes? I thought it was obligatory for a shed to have at least one push-bike inside 😄
    Seriously though, great job! It looks like a really solid and functional structure, at low financial and environmental cost, because its built with reclaimed materials. Well done, you should be rightly proud of yourselves here!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 5, 2021, 7:40 am

      Haha oh there is a smaller lean-to-style shed on the side of the driveway for all the kids’ bikes and plastic outdoor toys! That was another summer project LOL But thank you so much! I am very happy to have it complete.

  • Dylan
    August 7, 2021, 1:33 pm

    Amazing!

  • Victoria Banaszak
    August 11, 2021, 4:17 am

    This looks great! It is awesome to be able to make it yourself.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 11, 2021, 5:53 am

      There’s nothing more rewarding than building something yourself!

  • Bryan O'Connor
    November 4, 2021, 1:11 pm

    Just goes to show people that you don’t need to spend 100k to build something. If times ever got tough you a single person/couple could actually live in that, it wouldn’t be ideal or comfortable but it COULD be done and it cost you $400 to do it.

  • Marsha Cowan
    March 13, 2022, 6:30 pm

    Job well done! Congrats!

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