Heavy-Duty Workshops at a Glance
Construction: Heavy-duty redwood deal timber · Sizes: From compact workshops to large buildings up to 28x16 · Glazing: Toughened glass as standard · Floors: Solid wooden floors included · Styles: Apex, pent, reverse-apex and transverse designs.
Uses: Woodworking, DIY, machinery, tools, hobbies and secure equipment storage · Insulation: Full insulation options available · Installation: Free professional installation included · Finishes: Factory-applied colour paint options available · Bases: Base-building service available · Customisation: Bespoke sizes, layouts and multi-room options available · Site survey: Local site surveys available where required · See before you buy: Heavy-duty workshops on display at our Surrey show site near Guildford and Woking.
Need advice? Our experienced team can help with workshop size, construction, insulation, layout, base requirements and installation before you order.
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Click on images below to see larger versions of garden workshops
Click on images below to see larger versions of garden workshops
Click on images below to see larger versions of garden workshops
Click on images below to see larger versions of combination garden workshops with shed or extra rooms
Click on image below to see larger versions of insulated workshops (Opens new page)
Options To choose from a large range of colours and make your new
garden workshop special.
Which Heavy Duty Workshop Should You Choose?
After many years around sheds and workshops, I have learned that the best heavy-duty garden workshop is not automatically the largest or most expensive one. Start with what you are actually going to do inside it. Woodworking, machinery, DIY, motorcycle maintenance, equipment storage and hobbies can all place different demands on the floor, access, natural light, working space and overall construction.
Our ranges extend from the practical Diamond Barnham through Portsmouth, Southampton and Fareham to the larger and highly configurable Platinum Winchester. Each has its place. The important thing is matching the building to how intensively you will use it, how much equipment has to go inside and whether features such as insulation, internal lining or a bespoke layout will genuinely benefit you.
Diamond Barnham Heavy Duty Workshops
The Diamond Barnham is where I would start if you want a substantial working workshop at a sensible price. It offers a particularly broad choice of sizes and is well suited to DIY, woodworking, tools, benches, machinery and general storage. It is also useful where you need a longer building because the range extends to considerably larger sizes than you would normally associate with an everyday garden shed.
For many customers, the Barnham provides the working space they need without paying for specifications or finishing options that they may never use. I have always believed that value comes from buying the right building for the job rather than automatically buying the most expensive one.
Portsmouth Heavy Duty Garden Workshops
The Portsmouth is worth comparing when you want to move up from the more straightforward workshop ranges. It provides substantial timber construction with options that make it suitable for demanding workshop use. If your building will contain tools, equipment, benches or machinery and will be used regularly, this is the type of specification I would consider alongside Southampton and Fareham before making a decision.
Southampton and Fareham Heavy Duty Timber Workshops
Southampton and Fareham are particularly suitable where your workshop needs to be more adaptable. They work well for regular DIY and woodworking but can also be configured for hobbies and other uses where comfort matters more. Depending on the model, options can include insulation, internal lining, factory-applied colour finishes and different arrangements of doors and windows.
If you expect to spend long periods inside the building throughout the year, compare these ranges with our dedicated insulated garden workshops. Spending more on insulation makes considerably more sense when you know you are going to benefit from it.
Platinum Winchester Heavy Duty Workshops
The Platinum Winchester is the range I would consider where maximum workshop size, specification or bespoke flexibility matters. It can create a substantial working environment, with options for different layouts and uses. For somebody with machinery, extensive benches, significant storage requirements or the need to divide the building into different working areas, the additional flexibility can be worthwhile.
Do not assume you need the Winchester simply because it is further up the range. If a simpler workshop does everything you require, buy that. If you genuinely need the extra size or specification, then the Winchester starts to make very good sense.
What Makes a Heavy Duty Garden Workshop Different?
A heavy duty garden workshop should be selected as a working building rather than merely a large storage shed. If you plan to install benches, tools, shelving, or machinery, think about how the building will work once it is full, not how spacious it looks when it is empty.
Construction is important. Look at the timber, framing, floor, roof, doors and glazing rather than relying purely on photographs. Many of our workshop ranges use quality redwood deal timber and include solid timber floors and toughened glass, although exact specifications vary between models. This is why I always encourage customers to compare the actual specification of the building they are considering. You can also compare our wider timber workshop range if timber construction and specification are your main priorities.
My Experience With Heavy Duty Timber Workshops Goes Back to 1979
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15 and, in 1979, started my own garden building business, trading as Marina Sheds. In those days I was involved directly with manufacturing and selling timber sheds, and that experience taught me an enormous amount about where strength matters in a timber building and where manufacturers can sometimes take shortcuts.
When you have actually been involved in making sheds and workshops, you tend to look at them differently. I notice the framing, floor, roof, doors and timber before I get too excited about a glossy photograph. Two workshops can appear almost identical online yet be very different buildings when you inspect their construction.
From Marina Sheds to Titan Garden Buildings
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990. Unfortunately, I did not receive all the money that was due to me from the sale. It was certainly not the outcome I had expected, but it became another lesson in business, and it did not end my involvement with garden buildings.
In 1992 we widened what we offered to include summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. That broader direction meant the Marina Sheds name no longer really described the business, so we became Titan Garden Buildings.
My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990. His formal carpentry background complemented the hands-on manufacturing and garden building experience I had built up since 1979. Between us, we understood that what is beneath the surface of a timber building matters just as much as its appearance.
Forming 1st Choice Leisure Buildings
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998. In 2000, we decided to approach the industry differently and formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. Instead of manufacturing everything ourselves or being tied to one manufacturer’s products, we decided to retail quality buildings from different established manufacturers.
That is still an important part of how we work. It means we can compare ranges and specifications rather than trying to persuade every customer that one manufacturer’s workshop is perfect for everybody. Craig now runs the day-to-day business, and I support him and the team as required.
My involvement with garden buildings now stretches back to 1979, while Craig has spent most of his working life in the same industry. That experience does not mean every customer should buy the most expensive workshop. Quite the opposite. It should help us identify the specification you actually need and explain where spending extra money will make a difference and where it probably will not.
Choosing the Right Size Heavy Duty Workshop
Size is one of the easiest things to get wrong. A workshop that appears enormous when empty can become surprisingly cramped once you add a bench, shelving, machinery, bicycles, tools and storage cabinets. I recommend planning what has to go inside before you order the building.
Draw a simple floor plan and mark where your largest items will stand. Allow working space in front of benches and machinery and make sure there is a sensible route from the doors through the building. If you expect your hobby or equipment collection to grow, allow space for that as well. Our garden workshop ideas guide has further advice on workshop layouts, equipment, lighting, ventilation and planning a practical working space.
Is a 20×10 Heavy Duty Workshop a Good Size?
A 20×10 heavy duty workshop is a particularly useful size for many serious DIY and hobby requirements because 200 square feet gives you enough length to create distinct working and storage areas without the building becoming excessively wide. You might have benches and machinery toward one end, with tools, bikes, gardening equipment, or general storage toward the other.
However, do not choose 20×10 simply because it sounds substantial. Mark 20 x 10 ft out on your proposed site and then consider the usable internal dimensions of your chosen building. Think about door opening space, benches, shelving and how you will move around once everything is installed. If you need significantly more machinery or separate work areas, a wider or larger workshop may be more suitable.
Plan Your Heavy Duty Workshop Around Your Equipment
If you are buying a workshop for machinery, start with the machinery. Measure it. Decide where it needs to stand and establish how much clearance you require around it. The same applies to workbenches and substantial shelving. It is far better to plan those items before choosing the final workshop layout than to discover afterwards that a window or door is exactly where your main bench needs to go.
Double doors can be particularly useful for larger equipment, bicycles, ride-on machinery and bulky projects. Natural light is also valuable in a workshop, but more windows are not automatically better. Every window takes away wall space that could otherwise accommodate shelving, cupboards or benches. The right balance depends entirely on how you intend to use the building.
Do You Need an Insulated Heavy Duty Workshop?
Insulation is worthwhile if you expect to spend substantial amounts of time inside your workshop during colder weather. It can help create a more comfortable and usable working environment, particularly when combined with suitable internal lining and appropriate heating.
If the workshop is primarily for storage and occasional weekend DIY, you may decide that the additional cost is unnecessary. If you intend to use it regularly throughout winter, however, consider the insulation options before ordering, rather than trying to adapt the building later. You can compare the alternatives on our insulated workshop page.
A Heavy Duty Workshop Needs the Right Base
No matter how good the workshop is, it needs to sit on an appropriate, firm and level base. Large heavy duty timber workshops can represent a substantial investment, so this is not the place to compromise on preparation. A poor base can create problems with levels, doors, and how the building sits.
Our garden workshop base guide explains the main foundation options, preparation and the importance of getting the base level before installation. We can help with the practical side as well as the building itself, so take a look at our garden building and base services. If you’re unsure what your workshop needs, ask us before starting the groundwork.
Heavy Duty Workshop or Ordinary Garden Shed?
If you want somewhere to store a lawnmower, garden tools and a few household items, you may not need a heavy duty workshop at all. A good garden shed could meet your needs at a lower cost. A workshop starts to justify itself when you need increased working space, substantial benches or shelving, machinery, larger equipment, regular access or a specification intended for more demanding use.
This distinction matters because I would rather sell somebody the right building than sell them more building than they need. You can compare all the alternatives in our main garden workshops range.
Common Mistakes When Buying Heavy Duty Workshops
Buying on Price Alone
One of the biggest mistakes is assuming two workshops of the same external size are essentially the same building. They may use different timber, framing, floors, roofs, doors and glazing. Compare specifications rather than simply finding the lowest price for a particular footprint.
Buying Too Small
Allow space for the equipment as well as yourself. A bench running along one side can remove a large proportion of the usable width. Shelving, cupboards and machinery reduce it further. A little extra space at the planning stage can make an enormous difference once the workshop is in use.
Ignoring Door Positions
The position and width of the doors affect the whole internal layout. Decide how equipment will enter the workshop and where your benches are going before settling on the door arrangement. In configurable workshops, changing a door’s position can make the building considerably more useful.
Adding Too Many Windows
Windows provide valuable natural light, but wall space is equally useful in a working workshop. Think about where shelving, cupboards, tool boards and benches will go before adding extra glazing simply because it looks attractive from outside.
Forgetting About Future Use
I would not suggest buying an unnecessarily large workshop just in case, but it is sensible to think a few years ahead. Hobbies have a habit of acquiring more tools and machinery. If you already know that you are likely to add another bench, machine or storage system, allow for it now.
See Our Heavy Duty Workshops Before You Buy
I have always been a great believer in seeing garden buildings before spending your money. Photographs can show the design, but they cannot let you feel the floor beneath your feet, open and close the doors, inspect the timber or judge the internal headroom.
Our Surrey garden building display site is at Sutton Green, between Guildford, Woking and Ripley. We have a large selection of representative garden buildings there, allowing you to compare different types of construction and specifications rather than making your decision entirely from a computer screen.
We cannot display every size and every possible configuration, but seeing representative workshops makes it much easier to understand what you are buying. Bring your dimensions and tell us what you intend to put inside. We can then talk through which features are useful and which may be unnecessary.
Why Buy a Heavy Duty Workshop From 1st Choice?
There are plenty of companies capable of selling you a wooden building. What Craig and I bring is experience. I started manufacturing and selling sheds in 1979, Craig joined the family business after studying carpentry, and in 2000 we created 1st Choice specifically so that we could offer suitable products from different manufacturers rather than being restricted to one range.
That background is particularly relevant with heavy duty workshops because specification matters. If you are putting machinery, expensive tools or substantial benches inside a building, you need to understand what you are paying for. We will explain the differences and help you decide whether spending more on a particular feature is worthwhile for your intended use.
My Advice Before Ordering Your Heavy Duty Garden Workshop
Start with the job rather than the building. Write down what will go inside, how frequently you will use it and what might change in the future. Measure your machinery and benches. Decide whether you need double doors, how much natural light you want and whether winter comfort makes insulation worthwhile.
Then compare the actual construction and specification. Don’t assume the largest or most expensive workshop is the best, and don’t choose purely on price. A good workshop does what you require comfortably and continues doing it for years.
If you need help choosing between sizes, specifications or layouts, complete our garden workshop online quote form and tell us what you have in mind. Craig, the team, or I will be happy to help you work through the choices.
Robin Antill
Founder, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings
From £2789
