Small Gallery of Customer Garden Workshops We’ve Built
Explore our gallery of garden workshops supplied and installed for customers across the UK. From practical spaces for DIY and creative projects to fully equipped workshops for trades and hobbies, discover how a purpose-built garden workshop can transform your outdoor space.
Customers Garden Workshops Supplied
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Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced background; garden workshop unchanged.
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Choosing a 20×8 Workshop
Why Choose a 20×8 Workshop?
A 20ft x 8ft workshop is a particularly useful size because you gain plenty of length without needing the garden width required by a 10ft, 12ft or 14ft-wide building. That makes an 8×20 workshop suitable for longer gardens, side gardens and plots where you want to retain useful outdoor space alongside the building.
Twenty feet of length also makes it much easier to organise the interior. You might keep machinery or a workbench at one end, tools and materials along the walls and garden equipment or bicycles towards the other end. Some of our sectional workshops can also be supplied with internal partitions and additional doors, giving you separate working and storage areas within one building. For more help planning the space, see our garden workshop ideas guide.
My Advice When Buying a 20×8 Workshop Shed
After more than four decades around sheds and garden buildings, my advice is always to look beyond the photograph and headline price. Two 20×8 workshop sheds can look very similar online but differ greatly once you examine the timber, framing, floor, roof, doors, windows, and overall construction.
Check whether the building is manufactured from good-quality redwood or lower-cost whitewood. Look at the framing size and spacing, the thickness and construction of the floor and roof, and how the doors are made. I also recommend checking the glazing carefully. Toughened glass is considerably more appropriate for a working garden building than thin horticultural glass or lightweight plastic glazing.
Most importantly, think about what you intend to do inside the workshop. A building used to store garden tools does not need the same specification as one containing benches, machinery, and valuable equipment. Our wider garden workshop range includes different specifications so we can help you choose the appropriate building rather than simply the most expensive one.
Workshop Construction, Installation and Base
Quality Timber Construction
Our 20×8 timber workshops are selected because we believe their specifications represent worthwhile choices for customers who want a substantial garden building. Depending on the model, features can include quality redwood deal timber, strong timber framing, solid wooden floors and roofs, double doors and toughened glass. You can also compare our wider timber workshop range if construction and timber specification are particularly important to you.
The larger size of a 20×8 workshop makes structural quality particularly important. A 20ft-long building needs a level, supportive base and proper assembly to keep the doors, wall panels, and roof correctly aligned. This is why I place so much importance on professional installation and proper base preparation.
Free Professional Installation on Our Timber Workshop Ranges
Many garden buildings sold online arrive as panels at the kerbside and are left for the customer to assemble. That can save some initial cost, but putting together a large 8×20 workshop is a considerable job even for an experienced DIYer.
Professional assembly is included on our principal timber workshop ranges within the applicable delivery areas. The installation team does the heavy work and assembles the building correctly on your prepared base. You can see current information on delivery and fitting through our delivery areas page.
A Good Base Is Essential for a 20ft x 8ft Workshop
A strong workshop needs an equally good foundation. Your base should be firm, flat, level and large enough to support the whole building. If the base is uneven, the structure can twist, doors can become difficult to operate, and the roof may not sit correctly.
If you do not already have a suitable foundation, we may be able to help arrange one through our garden building services. You can also read our practical garden workshop base guide.
Bespoke and Insulated 20×8 Workshops
Bespoke 20×8 Workshop Options
One of the advantages of buying a quality timber workshop is that you do not necessarily have to accept a completely standard layout. Depending on the range, we can offer bespoke changes to suit how you intend to use your building.
You may want additional windows for natural light, fewer windows for security, doors moved to another position, extra height, internal partitions or more than one access door. A 20×8 workshop shed is large enough for these changes to make a real difference to how effectively the space works.
If you already know what you need, contact us through our contact page and tell us the required size, door positions, window positions and intended use. We can then advise which workshop range is best suited to your specification.
Insulated 20×8 Workshops for Year-Round Use
If you expect to spend significant amounts of time working in your workshop throughout the year, insulation is worth considering. An insulated building is easier to keep comfortable in winter and can also reduce overheating in warmer weather.
Selected workshop ranges can be supplied with factory insulation and internal lining options. You can compare these on our insulated garden workshops page. Insulation is particularly useful if your 20×8 workshop will contain a permanent workbench, hobby equipment, sensitive tools or machinery.
See Workshop Quality Before Buying
Why I Recommend Seeing a Workshop Before You Buy
I have always believed that one of the best ways to judge a garden building is to stand inside one. Photographs are useful, and specifications matter, but neither tells you what the floor feels like beneath your feet, how substantial the doors are, how much headroom you have, or how the timber and framing look up close.
That is why we maintain our garden building display site at Sutton Green in Surrey, between Guildford, Woking and Ripley. We cannot display every possible 20×8 workshop configuration, but representative buildings let you compare construction, doors, windows, floors, roof styles, finishes, and other options before ordering.
There is no need for a hard sell. I would much rather you inspect the buildings, ask questions and make an informed decision about what represents the best value for you.
Garden Building Experience Since 1979
Robin Antill – Working With Garden Buildings Since 1979
I left school at 15 and eventually found my way into the garden building industry. In 1979 I started my first garden shed business, Marina Sheds. I learned the trade by making, selling, and dealing directly with customers, and those early years taught me that a building’s specification matters far more than glossy advertising.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990. Unfortunately, I did not receive all the money due from the sale, which was a difficult business lesson. Still, it did not stop my involvement with garden buildings.
In 1992, we expanded beyond traditional sheds into summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. As the business was moving in a much broader direction, the name changed to Titan Garden Buildings. That same year, my son Craig joined the business after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990. His carpentry background gave him a practical understanding of timber construction that has remained valuable ever since.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998. Then, in 2000, Craig and I decided that instead of manufacturing everything ourselves, we would use our experience to retail quality garden buildings from manufacturers whose products we were happy to recommend. That decision led to the formation of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.
Today Craig runs the day-to-day business, and I support him and the team as required. More than anything, my role is to help ensure that the principles we learned over the years remain the same: understand what the customer needs, explain the differences between buildings and recommend the specification that makes sense. You can read more about Robin Antill and my experience with garden buildings.
20×8 Workshop Uses, Designs and Sizes
What Can You Use a 20×8 Workshop For?
The generous length of a 20×8 workshop makes it suitable for many uses. Customers commonly choose this size for woodworking, DIY, tool storage, garden machinery, bicycle storage, hobby projects, repairs and general household storage. It also works well when you need several functions within the same building.
For example, an internal partition can create a cleaner hobby or working section at one end and a dedicated storage area at the other. With suitable insulation, electrics and internal finishing, some customers also use larger workshops as comfortable hobby spaces.
Apex, Pent and Alternative Workshop Designs
Our 20×8 workshops are available in different roof and door configurations depending on the range. Traditional apex workshops provide the familiar pitched-roof appearance and useful internal height, while pent-roof workshops suit customers who prefer a more contemporary appearance or want the building to sit neatly against a boundary.
Reverse-apex and transverse layouts are also available on selected ranges. The best design usually depends on where the workshop sits in your garden, which side you approach it from and where you want the doors and windows positioned.
20×8 Workshop or a Different Size?
A 20ft x 8ft building is a substantial workshop, but it is not automatically the right size for every garden. I recommend deciding what equipment and storage you need first and then allowing enough working space around it.
If 20ft is longer than you need, compare our 16×8 workshops. If you need greater width as well as length, consider our 20×12 workshops. You can also return to the main garden workshops for sale page to compare all available sizes and specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions About 20×8 Workshops
How big is a 20×8 workshop?
A nominal 20×8 workshop is approximately 20ft long by 8ft wide, giving around 160 square feet of nominal footprint. Exact external and internal dimensions vary by manufacturer and model, so always check the product specifications before preparing a base.
Is a 20×8 workshop the same as an 8×20 workshop?
Yes. The terms 20×8 workshop and 8×20 workshop normally describe the same nominal building size. Manufacturers and customers sometimes reverse the order of the dimensions, so it is always worth confirming which measurement represents the front or gable end of the particular model.
What is a 20×8 workshop shed suitable for?
A 20×8 workshop shed provides enough room for substantial storage and working space. Typical uses include woodworking, DIY, machinery, tools, bicycles, gardening equipment, hobbies and repairs. Its 20ft length also lets you divide the building into separate working and storage sections.
Can a 20×8 workshop be made to a bespoke design?
Yes, bespoke options are available on selected timber workshop ranges. Depending on the model, changes can include door and window positions, additional or fewer windows, internal partitions, extra doors and other specification changes. Contact us with your requirements, and we can advise what is possible.
Can I insulate a 20×8 workshop?
Yes. Selected models can be supplied with insulation and internal lining, while other timber workshops can be insulated after installation. If you intend to work inside year-round, consider insulation before ordering, as factory-fitted options can provide a neater finish.
Does a 20×8 workshop include installation?
Professional assembly is included with our principal timber workshop ranges within their applicable delivery areas. Always check the individual model and delivery postcode because installation arrangements can vary by product and location.
What base does a 20×8 workshop need?
A 20×8 workshop needs a firm, flat and level base capable of supporting the whole building. Concrete, paving and suitable purpose-built garden building bases may all be appropriate depending on the site and workshop specification. The important point is that the completed base must be level and properly prepared before installation.
Do I need planning permission for a 20×8 workshop?
Many domestic garden workshops can be installed under permitted development rights, but this depends on factors including position, height, total garden coverage and the status of the property. Rules can also differ for listed buildings, designated land and other circumstances. Read our garden workshop planning permission guide and check with your local planning authority if you are unsure.
Can I see a 20×8 workshop before ordering?
You can visit our Surrey display site at Sutton Green, between Guildford, Woking and Ripley, to inspect representative garden workshops and compare construction quality, doors, windows, timber, floors and other options. Not every size and configuration can be displayed, but I strongly recommend seeing comparable buildings in person before making a substantial purchase.
Help Choosing a 20×8 Workshop
Need Help Choosing Your 20×8 Workshop?
If you are unsure which 20×8 workshop is right for you, tell us how you intend to use it, what equipment needs to go inside and any preferences you have for doors, windows, insulation or internal divisions. Craig, the team and I will help you compare the suitable options. You can contact 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, visit our Surrey showroom or browse the complete garden workshop collection.
From £2789