Two quotes for a 10×16 that are four hundred dollars apart are almost never the same building. Here is how to line them up so you know what you are actually comparing.
Write down the siding product by name
Not “wood” or “painted.” The actual product. Thin panel siding and engineered siding are different materials with different lifespans, and the bottom edge of the wall is where cheap siding fails first. Ours is LP SmartSide, which carries a 50 year warranty. If a quote will not name the product, that is the answer.
Write down the floor product and the joist spacing
Same idea. Standard OSB softens and cups on damp ground. Ours is AdvanTech, which carries a lifetime warranty. Ask about joist spacing too, because 16 inch on center and 24 inch on center feel very different underfoot with a rider on them.
Wall height and roof pitch
Two buildings with the same footprint can have very different usable volume. A taller sidewall means more usable wall space and more headroom near the edges. A steeper pitch means more loft. These rarely appear side by side in a quote, so ask.
Doors and windows, by size and count
A 6 foot double door and a 9 foot roll-up are not the same line item, and a building priced with the smaller door is not cheaper, it is different. Write down the width, the type, and which wall it is on. Same with windows: count and size.
What is actually included inside
Shelving, workbench, loft, ramp. These are the items that quietly move a price. A quote without a ramp against a quote with one is not a comparison.
The warranty, in three parts
Ask all three separately. What covers the building itself and for how long. What covers the siding and the floor. And who handles the claim. Ours is a 10 year guarantee on the building against acts of nature such as storm damage and settling plus our craftsmanship, repaired or replaced; 50 years on the LP siding; lifetime on the AdvanTech floor; and we handle claims for you rather than pointing you at a manufacturer. That last part is the one most buyers never think to ask and most regret not asking.
Delivery, and what happens if the site is not ready
Ask what is included and what the policy is if the crew arrives and cannot set the building. Ask what days they deliver. Ours run Monday through Friday, not Saturdays, and somebody calls 7 to 14 business days ahead to verify the details.
The payment terms, in numbers
Get four numbers on any rent-to-own offer: the term range, the deposit, the monthly payment on the exact building, and whether there is an early payoff penalty. Ours: 24 to 60 months, first two months as the deposit, from $75.44 a month on a 6×8 at 60 months, no credit check, and no early payoff fee. Ask the other guy the same four questions and write the answers down.
Lead time
Stock buildings typically move in 1 to 12 business days and custom builds in 3 to 6 weeks. A quote with no timeline attached is half a quote.
Then price your own build
Configure exactly what you want in our 3D Shed Builder so you are comparing the same specification everywhere, and call 618-518-5578 if you want us to walk a competing quote with you line by line. We will tell you straight where they are cheaper and why.
Get Started on Your Hickman Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Hickman.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
