Design the ultimate workshop shed with shed designer.

What is a workshop shed?

A workshop shed is a steel-framed industrial-grade building designed around the gear, the bench and the working day, not around a parked car. Tradies, mechanics, woodworkers, hobby builders and hobby farmers use them as the dedicated trade or hobby base. Most are clad in Colorbond® and built from 100% Australian-made BlueScope steel, engineered to AS/NZS 1170.2 wind loading for the actual region (Standards Australia, AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 Structural design actions, Part 2: Wind actions). Where a residential garage with a workshop bay sizes around the cars first, a workshop shed sizes around the eave height, the bench length and the three-phase supply.

ShedDesigner's workshop shed templates start at 6 by 9 metres for a single-trade build and step up through 9 by 12 metres for a small fabrication shop, 10 by 15 metres for a mechanic with a hoist, and 12 by 18 metres or larger for a fit-out with mezzanine office, parts store and assembly bay. Pick the closest template, set your span, length, eave and door layout, then submit your design once for free comparable quotes from ShedSafe accredited dealers in your region.

Sizing the eaves, the bench and the bay

Most workshop builds get undersized on eave height, not floor area.

Eave height by gear. 2.7 metres is the working minimum for a clear bench shed with stand-up storage above. 3.0 to 3.6 metres is the realistic benchmark if you plan a two-post vehicle hoist or a tall mezzanine. Two-post hoists need around 3.6 metres minimum to the underside of the truss for a sedan, more for a 4WD with a roof rack. Above 4.2 metres puts you into truck-and-trailer territory.

Bench depth. A practical workbench runs 700 to 900 mm deep so you can clamp a 600 mm work piece with hand clearance behind it (Bunnings Workshop community guidance). Add 1.2 metres of standing room behind the operator. Plan a 3.5 metre internal depth as the working minimum for the bench wall.

Roller door clearances. A high-cube van measures 2.6 metres tall, a tilt-tray 3.5 metres, an excavator on a float closer to 3.8 metres. The roller door drum sits about 350 to 450 mm above the rough opening, which is what drives the eave choice above when access matters.

If the mezzanine is the headline feature and the bench is secondary, see sheds with mezzanine. For the rec-room and personal-retreat angle, see man caves. For a residential garage that fits a workshop bay alongside vehicle parking, see garage with workshop.

Electrical, ventilation, slab and lining

Four trade-offs worth getting right at design time.

Electrical. All workshop wiring sits under AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical installations (Wiring Rules) (Standards Australia, with Amendment 1:2020 and Amendment 2:2023 incorporated). Single-phase 32 A circuits handle most light hobby workshops. Three-phase becomes worth running when you are using a compressor over 3 kW, a welder over 8 kW, a lathe, a milling machine, a vehicle hoist or a spray booth. An A-grade electrician runs the maximum demand calculation against your gear list before the slab pour, so the supply trench from the meter goes in once.

Ventilation. Welding, spray work and engine running need mechanical extraction sized to AS 1668.2 The use of ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings, Part 2: Mechanical ventilation in buildings. Gable vents and whirlybirds handle general air change for a clean hobby fit-out. Welding fume extraction is a separate worker-safety question under Safe Work Australia's Welding processes Code of Practice, which calls for local exhaust ventilation at the source.

Slab. 150 mm of reinforced concrete with SL72 or F72 mesh is the standard for a clean bench and light vehicles. Step to 200 mm for a vehicle hoist, a press, a heavy compressor or a 5-tonne mill, since concentrated point loads can exceed the design capacity of a residential slab. Slab classification sits under AS 2870 Residential slabs and footings and concrete design under AS 3600 Concrete structures.

Lining and insulation. Wall blanket at R1.5 to R2.0 and ceiling blanket at R3.5 to R4.0 keeps temperature stable for paint, glue, finishing work and the operator. Internal lining sheets cover the blanket and give a solid surface for pegboard and shadow-board.

Before you get quotes

A workshop shed sits on the title for 30 years. The build needs to outlast the gear sitting in it.

100% Australian-made BlueScope steel. Across structural framing and Colorbond® cladding. BlueScope's COLORBOND® steel cladding for sheds and garages carries a warranty of up to 15 years against corrosion to perforation, with the exact period set by location and application (BlueScope, Garages & Sheds Warranty). Check your build on BlueScope's online warranty estimator.

ShedSafe accredited dealers, no exceptions. Every dealer on ShedDesigner is ShedSafe accredited under the Australian Steel Institute programme, which independently verifies dealer engineering against AS/NZS 1170.2 and the National Construction Code.

One design, multiple quotes. Your design goes out to dealers covering your region. Every quote prices the same workshop shed, in the same steel, to the same engineering, to the same eave height and electrical rough-in spec, so the quotes you get back are directly comparable.

Browse the broader sheds category for related layouts.