20×12 Sheds – Large Timber Buildings for Storage and Workshop Use
A 20×12 shed gives you around 240 square feet of nominal floor space, making it a substantial garden building for machinery, bicycles, tools, shelving and larger equipment. A 20ft x 12ft shed also provides enough width for a sizeable workbench and clear working space, so this footprint works particularly well when storage, DIY, and hobby use need to share the same building.
This page is part of our wider garden sheds range but concentrates specifically on this larger size. Genuine 20×12 choices displayed here include Diamond Chichester, Woodgate, and Barnham models, along with Platinum Fareham, Winchester, Portsmouth, and Southampton buildings, giving you a wide choice of layouts and specifications.
What Is a 20×12 Shed Best Used For?
A 20×12 shed works well when an ordinary storage shed is no longer large enough. Lawn mowers, bicycles, garden furniture, tools and larger machinery can be arranged around the perimeter while leaving room for shelving, benches and clear central floor space.
I always recommend planning the interior before ordering. Measure your largest equipment, decide where workbenches and shelves will go and think about how easily bulky items will pass through the doors. With around 240 square feet available, there is considerable flexibility, but good planning will make the finished building much easier to use.
Which 20×12 Shed Should I Choose?
If flexibility and bespoke options are important, the Diamond Chichester Apex is a good place to start. Its stated size range extends from 4×4 to 24×12, and it offers free fitting, colour finishes, configurable doors and windows and bespoke options. The Chichester Pent gives you a single-slope alternative, while the Woodgate Reverse Apex is worth considering if access from the longer elevation suits your garden better.
The Diamond Barnham Apex and Barnham Pent are also genuine 20×12 options. Their stated size range extends to 28×12, and the larger versions offer wide double-door access, which can be particularly useful when moving machinery, bicycles or bulky garden equipment in and out.
The Platinum Fareham Apex, Fareham Pent and Fareham Reverse Apex all support 20×12 and offer free assembly, colour finishes and full-insulation options. The Portsmouth Apex provides another genuine choice at this size.
The Platinum Winchester Apex, Winchester Pent and Winchester Transverse extend from 8×6 up to 28×16, making them particularly relevant if you want a larger timber building with plenty of flexibility. Southampton Apex, Pent and Transverse buildings are also genuine 20×12 options on this page.
Apex, Pent, Reverse Apex or Transverse?
An apex roof gives you the familiar central ridge, while a pent roof slopes in one direction. Reverse apex and transverse designs alter the position of the main elevation and entrance. On a 20ft x 12ft shed, that can make a major difference to how easily you organise storage and working space.
I would decide where the building will stand and how you naturally approach it before choosing the layout. Entering from the 20ft side rather than the 12ft end may give much easier access to different areas of the building once shelving, machinery and a workbench are in place.
Is a 20ft x 12ft Shed Big Enough for a Workshop?
For many home DIY and hobby uses, yes. A 20ft x 12ft shed gives you substantial room for a workbench, tools, machinery and organised storage while still retaining clear working space. It is large enough to divide the interior into different zones rather than having storage and workshop equipment competing for the same area.
If you expect to spend regular periods inside, compare the Fareham, Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton buildings and the insulation options available on the relevant models. If the building will mainly be used for storage, wide access, practical floor space and the right internal layout may be more important than insulation.
Can You Get an Insulated 20×12 Shed?
Yes. Full-insulation or lining-and-insulation options are available on selected Platinum buildings shown on this page, including Fareham, Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton models. This can make sense if you expect to spend longer periods inside for DIY or hobbies.
I would not automatically add insulation simply because it is available. A 12×20 shed used mainly for lawnmowers, bicycles and garden equipment has different requirements from a building where somebody intends to work for several hours at a time. Choose the specification around how you will genuinely use it.
Are These 20×12 Sheds Fitted for You?
Professional fitting or assembly is included with the relevant Diamond and Platinum timber buildings shown on this page, subject to the manufacturer’s delivery area, suitable site access and having a correctly prepared base ready before installation.
You will still need a firm and level foundation. Garden-building dimensions are nominal, so always prepare the base using the precise measurements supplied for your chosen product rather than relying solely on the description 20×12 shed.
What Should You Check Before Buying a 20×12 Shed?
After many years in this business, I would never recommend choosing a large shed simply from its photograph, headline dimensions and price. Look carefully at the framing, cladding, floor, roof, doors, glazing and available options. With a building this large, internal height, door width and window position can make a considerable difference to how practical it is.
Two buildings described as a 20×12 shed can be very different products. Somebody storing machinery may prioritise wide doors and clear floor space, while somebody planning regular DIY may place greater value on opening windows, insulation and the ability to configure the internal layout.
My Experience With Garden Buildings Goes Back to 1979
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15 and started my own business in 1979, trading as Marina Sheds. I was hands-on from the beginning, making and selling sheds, dealing directly with customers and learning where timber, framing, floors, roofs and doors really matter once a building is standing in somebody’s garden and being used.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990, although unfortunately I did not receive all the money which was due from the sale. It was a difficult business lesson, but I remained in the garden-building industry and carried on.
By 1992 we had expanded beyond traditional sheds and added summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. That wider direction meant we changed our name to Titan Garden Buildings. My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990, bringing practical woodworking knowledge into what had become a father-and-son business.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998 and in 2000 made another important change. Rather than being tied to buildings from one manufacturer, Craig and I formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings so we could retail carefully selected quality products from established manufacturers and give customers a genuine choice.
Craig now runs the day-to-day business, and I continue to support him and the team whenever required. You can read more about our history on the About 1st Choice Leisure Buildings page.
Why Does My Experience Matter When Choosing a 20×12 Shed?
Having worked with garden buildings since 1979, I have seen the industry from both sides: first manufacturing and selling buildings myself and later comparing products from different manufacturers for our customers. That experience has taught me that bigger or more expensive does not automatically mean better.
If flexibility, bespoke options and practical storage are your priorities, compare the Chichester, Woodgate and Barnham buildings. If insulation, opening windows and a specification aimed at more regular use matter, compare Fareham, Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton. The right 20ft x 12ft shed is the one whose specification suits what you genuinely intend to do with it.
How Do I Choose the Best 20ft x 12ft Shed?
Start by deciding what needs to go inside, whether you need a workbench, how regularly you expect to use the building and which side needs the main entrance. Then compare the genuine 20×12 products displayed on this page against those requirements.
Whichever 20ft x 12ft shed you choose, check the precise dimensions, door and window arrangement, insulation options where applicable, base requirements and delivery access before ordering. If another footprint might suit your garden better, compare alternatives in our garden sheds by size section.
If you are unsure which 12×20 shed is right for you, please ask us. Between Craig, myself and the team, there is a great deal of practical garden-building experience here, and I would much rather help you choose the right specification before you order than see you pay for features you do not need or discover later that another layout would have worked better.
Can I See a 20×12 Shed Before Buying?
Whenever practical, I recommend seeing garden buildings before buying.
We cannot display every model in every possible size. Still, you can visit our Surrey garden building display site near Guildford, Woking and Ripley to inspect representative buildings and compare construction, floors, doors, windows and finishes for yourself.
Photographs are useful, but they cannot fully show you how substantial a floor feels underfoot or how a door operates.
I started selling sheds in 1979 and still believe that seeing the product and understanding its specifications are two of the best ways to make a good buying decision.
From £2789
