Best Shed Builders in Wellington: Kitset Garages, Workshops and Farm Sheds

Choosing between the best shed builders in Wellington usually comes down to what you want at the end of it: a lock up garage, a workshop you can get a car and a bench into, a machinery shed on a lifestyle block, or a flat pack kitset you put up yourself. The companies below design, engineer and build steel and timber sheds across Wellington City, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast, and most will take the council consent off your hands as part of the job. KiwiSpan Wellington works from Hutt Road in Lower Hutt and ShedIt Wellington from Evans Bay, so a site visit is easy to arrange either side of the harbour.

1KiwiSpan Wellington

KiwiSpan Wellington designs and builds bespoke steel framed sheds from a base on Hutt Road in Lower Hutt, trading locally as Steel Structures Wellington Ltd. Owner operator James Marsh runs the Wellington and Kapiti Coast territory, which stretches from Wellington City through Upper Hutt and Porirua and as far north as Otaki, backed by a team of builders. The range covers everything from a single garage to an American barn, a habitable shed house or an industrial building.

Services

• Storage sheds and workshops
• Garages and carports
• American barns, shed houses and habitable barns
• Farm sheds, machinery sheds and horse shelters or stables
• Commercial and industrial buildings, including aircraft hangars

Highlights

• Owner operator James Marsh has worked in building and project management across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific
• Online 3D Shed Builder lets you configure and view a design before requesting a quote
• Consent exempt kitset range available for immediate delivery
• Premises at 431 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt, where you can call in to talk through a build
• Backed by Donovan Group, a steel building manufacturer that originated in 1969

Location & Contact

Name: KiwiSpan Wellington
Address: 431 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington
Phone: 04 568 9119
Website: kiwispannz.co.nz/region/wellington-region/

2ShedIt Wellington

ShedIt Wellington sells and builds timber garages, timber pole sheds, farm buildings and steel framed buildings from a site at 38 Tacy Street, off Evans Bay Parade. The team supplies full kitsets for owners who would rather build it themselves, or takes a project through design, consent and construction. Cladding options run from long run coloured steel to plywood, timber and stone, so the finish can be matched to the property rather than the other way round.

Services

• Timber pole sheds and timber garages
• Steel framed and wide span sheds
• Kitset sheds delivered nationwide for DIY builds
• Rural buildings including hay barns, implement sheds, calf sheds and stables
• Commercial and industrial buildings, warehouses and habitable sheds

Highlights

• Team with a combined 80 years of experience in shed building
• Three dimensional concept drawings provided at quote stage
• Design producer statements (PS1) prepared and council consent handled by the team
• Wellington site at Evans Bay alongside a national office in Te Awamutu

Location & Contact

Name: ShedIt Wellington
Address: 38 Tacy Street, Evans Bay Parade, Wellington
Phone: 0800 12 13 16
Website: shedit.co.nz/location/wellington

3Totalspan Wellington

Totalspan Wellington is the regional franchise of the national steel building brand, run by Jamie and Nicola Hanna through JNH Holdings Limited from Riverbank Road in Otaki, north of the city. The catalogue is broad, taking in carports, garages, rural sheds, barns, lean-tos and commercial buildings, and every design is customisable in size and layout. You can take delivery of a kitset and build it yourself, or have the team manage the job from the first consultation through to construction.

Services

• Single, double and triple garages, including garages with workshops or sleepouts
• Utility, storage and machinery sheds
• Dairy sheds, farm sheds and horse stables
• Hay barns, heritage barns, storage barns, lean-tos and shelters
• Warehouses, industrial sheds, workshops and aircraft hangars

Highlights

• 25 year structural guarantee on the building
• 5 year workmanship guarantee when the shed is constructed by Totalspan
• Full insurance cover on the project through to practical completion
• Free onsite visit and no obligation quote
• Franchise owned by Jamie and Nicola Hanna, open weekdays 8.30am to 5pm

Location & Contact

Name: Totalspan Wellington
Address: 21 Riverbank Road, Otaki
Phone: 04 297 0033
Website: totalspan.co.nz/our-locations/wellington/

4X Span Wellington

X Span Wellington is the regional agent for X Span, an independent family owned New Zealand company that sells engineered steel kitsets direct from its own factory. Harry, the Wellington agent, covers Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast, and out through Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa. Buildings run from a domestic garage or workshop up to farm sheds, stables and arenas, warehouses and aircraft hangars.

Services

• Storage sheds and workshops
• Domestic and lifestyle sheds, garages and sleepouts
• Farm sheds, American barns, machinery sheds and farm shelters
• Horse stables and arenas
• Warehouses, industrial buildings and aircraft hangars

Highlights

• Launched in October 2014 as an independent, family owned New Zealand business
• Uses the K5S steel portal bracket system, BRANZ tested and appraised
• Shed Creator online design tool for customising a building before it is quoted
• Sells direct from the factory to the site rather than through a middleman

Location & Contact

Name: X Span Wellington
Address: Wellington
Phone: 027 959 7726
Website: xspan.co.nz/locations/wellington/

5Versatile Wellington

Versatile Wellington operates as Scott Developments Ltd from 18 Ulric Street, and is the local franchise of a building company that started in 1976. Alongside the house range it builds single, double and lifestyle garages, tailor made garages, farm buildings, sleepouts and carports, supplied either fully built or as a kitset. Mark and Tania have held the Wellington franchise for more than 16 years and work with their own builders and sales team.

Services

• Single, double and lifestyle garages
• Tailor made garages designed around the site
• Farm buildings
• Sleepouts and carports
• Kitset garages for owners building themselves

Highlights

• Versatile has been building in New Zealand since 1976
• Superclad cladding finished in COLORSTEEL, with a published colour range to choose from
• Guidance on building consent exemptions, plus BPIR and supplier warranties
• Appointments arranged to suit, on top of weekday hours of 8.30am to 5pm

Location & Contact

Name: Versatile Wellington
Address: 18 Ulric Street, Wellington
Phone: 04 233 9528
Website: versatile.co.nz/locations/wellington/

Shed Builders in Wellington at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Shed Builder in Wellington

• Check the building is engineered for your wind zone. Much of the Wellington region sits in a high or very high wind zone, and the bracing, portal spacing and fixings all change as a result.
• Be clear on what is included. A kitset price covers materials from floor level up, while a build price should also cover site works, concrete, erection and the consent paperwork.
• Ask who prepares the consent documentation and who lodges it, and whether producer statements such as a PS1 come with the design.
• Compare the guarantees in writing: the structural warranty on the building, the workmanship warranty on the labour, and whether the job is insured until practical completion.
• Match the supplier to the shed. A steel portal frame suits a wide clear span workshop, while a timber pole shed is often the simpler option for a farm building or an implement shed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wellington Shed Builders

Do I need building consent for a shed in Wellington?

It depends on the size and use. Small single storey detached buildings can fall under the exemptions in Schedule 1 of the Building Act, but the limits are specific and a shed you intend to sleep, cook or work in commercially will usually need consent. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment sets out what is and is not exempt in its guide to building work that does not need a consent. Several of the companies here also offer consent exempt kitset ranges designed to sit inside those limits.

How much does a shed cost to build?

Prices are quoted per project rather than published, because the cost moves with the span, the stud height, the door configuration, the cladding and how much site work the ground needs. A sloping or soft site can add as much as the shed itself once retaining, drainage and a concrete floor are priced in. Ask for the quote to be broken into materials, site works and construction so you can compare like with like.

Is a kitset cheaper than a full build?

A kitset is cheaper in materials terms because you supply the labour, and every company on this page will deliver one. The trade off is that you take on the erection, the coordination of the concrete and the inspections. If you are confident on the tools it is a genuine saving, and if you are not, a managed build removes the risk of a half finished frame sitting through a Wellington winter.

How do I check a shed builder is qualified?

Any restricted building work on a structure needs a Licensed Building Practitioner, and you can look up a builder or designer on the public Licensed Building Practitioners register. It is also worth asking who actually swings the hammer, since some suppliers sell the building and subcontract the erection to a local crew.

Which parts of the region do shed builders in Wellington cover?

Between them the companies listed here work across Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and into the Wairarapa. If you are searching for a shed builder near you, start with the closest yard, since the ones with premises at Hutt Road in Lower Hutt or Evans Bay can usually get to a site visit quickly, then widen out to the regional agents for rural work further north.

How long does a shed take from quote to finished build?

Design and quoting is usually a matter of weeks, and the council consent is the part that sets the pace after that, since processing runs to statutory working days once a complete application is lodged. Once materials are on site the erection itself is often fast, and a straightforward garage or farm shed can go up inside a couple of weeks weather permitting.

What is the difference between a steel shed and a timber pole shed?

A cold rolled or hot rolled steel portal frame gives you a wide clear span with no internal posts, which suits workshops, hangars and machinery storage. A timber pole shed uses posts set in the ground, is often quicker and cheaper for a rural implement shed or a lean-to, and takes a wider variety of cladding. Some builders here offer both, so it is worth asking for a comparison rather than assuming one is better for your site.

Can a shed be used as a sleepout or a habitable room?

Yes, but the moment a building is used for sleeping or living it has to meet the Building Code for insulation, moisture, ventilation, egress and often plumbing, and that means a consent. Habitable barns, shed houses and sleepouts are a standard product line for several of these companies, and they are engineered and lined differently from a bare storage shed, so say at the quoting stage what the space is really for.