Self assembly or supply and fit?

Updated April 2024. Reading Time: 4 minutes

Self assembly or supply and fit? It’s the big question that you’ll ask yourself when purchasing a steel garden shed from Sheds Direct Ireland. We touched on this briefly on our ’10 things you need to know before you buy a shed’ post previously, but we’re going into more detail here. There is about a 30% difference in the price between the two, so it is a question worth investigating.

The answer really depends on how handy you are with large flat-packed assembly and whether the price is worth your time. To some people it 100% is worth the extra money, to others, it can be done with minimal effort and offers a great saving. If you’re still not sure, let’s see if we can help you make your mind up on this hot topic.

 

Am I in the catchment area for assembly?

Update: We now offer assembly in every county in Ireland, so there’s no reason outside of cost to not have our guys do it for you.
Please note, you cannot order online for assembly in Cork, however we have an agent there who can supply and fit:

Cork Agent:
Call Karl Dempsey: 086 821 7777

 

Are the instructions Included?

Yes, all our steel garden sheds have instructions included for self assembly. If you are not familiar working with flat-packed builds, you may find these difficult to understand initially, but they should not pose a problem for more experienced builders. The instructions are mostly illustrations, with little text – there are no explainers or side-notes. Someone once described them like ‘lego-castle’ instructions, which isn’t far off the mark.

We’d strongly recommend that you throw your eye over the shed instructions before you buy so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you don’t understand what you’re looking at, or feel that it’s a bit involved, do not opt for self-assembly.

 

Are the sheds hard to build?

This is a real ‘how long is a piece of string’ question. Our team build ten or so of these sheds a day, so to them, they’re a doddle. If you struggle to put together an Ikea Billy-Bookcase though, you might find that these sheds are an insurmountable task. As an example of this, look at our 1-star Google Reviews, the vast majority are from people who opted for self-assembly, but who clearly were not able for it; you’ll see people who state it took them 2 days to complete, others that were overwhelmed by the amount of part – and my favourite, the maniac who started drilling random holes into the shed (you don’t need to drill your shed) only to complain that the shed was leaking from these holes.

If you can plan ahead, follow instructions without making assumptions and are prepared for affixing hundreds of screws, you’re probably well able. We can’t stress enough how important it is to read the instructions before you start pulling apart boxes though. Make sure you have every piece, follow the instructions to the letter and don’t jump ahead to another section before the last part is finished.

 

What do I need for self assembly?

You will need:

• At least two people (the sheets can be large and unwieldy and dangerous to move alone)
• Basic tools, like a cordless screwdriver, spirit level, workman’s gloves, etc.
• A calm day (for safety reason do not attempt to assemble these sheds on windy days)
• Patience. This isn’t a lego house. It’s going to take at least 4 hours.
• To be able-bodied. These sheds will require manual labour, like stretching, reaching and moving large metal panels.

 

Do you have any tips for self assembly?

1. First things first, make sure your base is solid and level. I mean, I’m blue in the face typing it on the website, but it’s there for a reason. If your base isn’t solid and level, you’re not going to have a fun time laying the base frame and lining up the sheet panels. Your wall panels won’t line up and doors will not close properly.
2. The next common problem is that people forget to leave an overhang on the roof, The overhang makes up the gutters. Don’t line the walls of the shed up with the edge of the roof. The image below is of an older shed that we no longer stock, but the overhang remains the same on our newer ones. 
   
   
3. Another common one is that people put the internal brackets facing in the wrong direction. The brackets should be ‘facing inwards’ to the centre of the shed. Fixing this should sort out most roof issues that people are experiencing. See the example and diagram below:
4. Part 6 and Part 7. These are commonly asked about together. Part 6 is an aluminium door runner bar. Some people think that we haven’t included this in the shed’s box, but it’s packed in with the gutters to keep it safe.Part 7 confuses some people. ‘It doesn’t have enough screw-holes’ is a common belief, but it does. Once it’s in place, you can screw directly through the shed walls on the outside to get through it. It’s only aluminium, which is a soft metal, so it’ll take the screw easily. This will keep in place. (Just remember to put the runners for the door into it before you put it in place, as you won’t have a chance afterwards!)

 

How do I do the roof?

You will need a ladder to finish off the roof. For the smaller sheds, this isn’t an issue, however the likes of The Colossus Shed it’s a different kettle of fish. These can be particularly challenging for people with little-to-no construction experience and can be dangerous if you are ill-prepared, have the incorrect tools or are doing it alone. We had one customer leave a one-star review claiming that they’d need to hire a crane to assemble it; which is untrue, but also slightly hilarious. Here are photos of our assembly team finishing the roof on the 10ft x 10ft and 9ft x 10ft sheds, for example.

 

How long will it take to build?

It depends on the size of the shed. On average, experienced builders will put together our 10ft x 10ft steel shed in about 3-4 hours. The average Joe Soap should really put aside 8 hours and it’s not uncommon to hear that some people required a full weekend to get a large shed built.

While the instructions are laid-lout like a simplified lego-build, these are not simple items to self assemble.

 

Self assembly or supply and fit: Can I get help if I self assemble?

We get a lot of calls from customers who need a bit of help with the assembly of the steel sheds. You can call us during business hours at 01 864 4247 or message us on Facebook if you need a hand. We recommend sending us in some photos to our whatsapp at 085 7145 148, to speed things along. One of our assembly team will have a look at your issue and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible with a solution.

Just remember: The office is closed after 5pm Monday – Thursday and after 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays. We don’t open on Sundays, so we can’t offer any assistance outside of these hours. During business hours, our sales team will be able to help with common issues, but more technical issues will need to be addressed by the fitters and these are not available at a moment’s notice (i.e. they’re usually fitting sheds), so you may need to wait for assistance. If you opt for self-assembly, we assume that you are competent enough to do this yourself. We will of course offer help, but we do not offer a 24-7 help-line and our phone team are not fully trained in the assembly of all our sheds, so they may require you to wait while they seek assistance from a fitter.

That said, the vast majority of questions are common issues, so check out our FAQ page for common issues which you may be able to self-diagnose and correct.

Final note here: If you base isn’t solid and level, there is nothing that we can do to help.
People can get annoyed at this, but if you shed base isn’t solid and level (despite it being sign-posted EVERYWHERE on our website), we can’t fix the majority of issues that will arise from this.

• Sheds won’t line up for assembly if your base isn’t solid and level.
• Hinge doors won’t close if your base isn’t solid and level
• Panels can warp and crack if your base isn’t solid and level

The list goes on. If your base isn’t solid and level, we cannot offer any assistance that will help you.

 

If I got self assembly but can’t do it, can I add the assembly option on later?

Yes, providing that you have a solid, level base in place (there’s that phrase again) and that you haven’t modified or done anything to the shed which would impede its assembly (e.g. drilling through it, bending it). Your assembly date will depend on availability and in most cases it won’t happen straight away. During the winter months, you should expect the team within 10 days, however, this may be considerably longer during Spring/Summer months, where you can expect a longer waits. We will always try to accommodate as soon as possible if you have a part assembled shed, but the full fitting fee will still apply and we cannot guarantee a quick turnaround.

You can call our sales team at 01 864 4247 to arrange assembly after you’ve purchased a steel shed.

 

What’s included in the supply and fit option?

Our assembly team will come and assemble the shed for you and provide and internal ply floor. They will cut the ply to size, screw it to the frame and make sure that it sits evenly.

However, the assembly team will not:

• Remove the plastic film from the shed walls
• Put all the plastic caps on the internal screws (they will leave a bag of these for you to apply, should you want to, but it’s entirely optional)
• They will not assemble shelving units, carts etc. They’ve only been paid to assemble a shed.
• They will not supply/build/manoeuvre a base for the shed.
• Our team will not bolt the shed to the base. As we cannot be sure what’s under the foundation, our team for legal and health & safety reasons, cannot bolt these sheds into customer’s grounds. Some sheds will require bolting (e.g. the woodgrain sheds), however, our team cannot provide this service.
• Electric Work – our team are not registered electricians and as such, they cannot safely or legally do any electrical work.

 

Self assembly or supply and fit: Weather Considerations

Our assembly team cannot build sheds in dangerous weather conditions. As such, shed assemblies can be cancelled on the due day if the weather takes a bad turn. The most common weather condition for shed assembly is high winds. While some people are incredulous that wind can cause shed cancellation, some of our metal panels can be lethal in high winds. We like our assembly team to assemble with all their limbs and heads, so we hope you understand that we only cancel assemblies when it’s absolutely  necessary to do so.

 

Assembly of other companies sheds?

We do not assemble any sheds other than sheds supplied by Sheds Direct Ireland.

 

Self assembly or Supply and fit? The Conclusion

If you’re up for the task of tackling these sheds yourself, you can save about 30% on the cost of your steel garden shed. While this might look like a no-brainer (more money in the pocket is always a win), for most people it is worth punting for the assembly to save the hassle, physical toll and time.

 

If you’ve any questions about all this, call us. We’re at 01 864 4247. If you’d prefer, you can message us on Facebook.