Most people in Hamilton County end up with one building holding everything: the mower, the fuel cans, the chemicals, the Christmas decorations, the good tools and a box of family photos that should never have been out there. That works until it does not.
Why splitting it is worth the money
Three reasons, and they are all practical rather than theoretical. Fumes, because gasoline, diesel, herbicide and paint off-gas and everything stored near them picks it up. Fire, because concentrating fuel, oily rags and a battery charger in the same building as everything you own is a bad bet. And access, because the stuff you touch weekly should not be behind the stuff you touch twice a year.
How to divide it
Dirty building: fuel, oil, chemicals, fertilizer, the mower, the tiller, dirty hand tools, the wheelbarrow. It needs ventilation more than anything else, a floor you can hose off, and a door wide enough to roll equipment through. It does not need to be pretty and it does not need to be insulated. An 8×12 or 10×16 usually covers it.
Clean building: the good tools, the bench, seasonal storage, camping and hunting gear, anything soft or fabric, anything with a battery. This is the one worth insulating and wiring. A 10×16 or 12×20 with spray foam and one of our finish-out packages including electrical, flooring and wall coverings turns it into a workspace instead of a warehouse.
When one building is still the right call
Be honest about the tradeoff: two buildings cost more than one of the same total square footage, because you pay for two roofs, two doors, two pads and two deliveries. If your budget only supports one, buy the biggest single building you can and divide the inside instead. Put fuel and chemicals in a vented metal cabinet at one end, near a vent, and keep everything else at the other. That is most of the benefit for none of the extra cost.
We build from 6×8 to 16×60, so a single 14×32 divided into two zones is a completely reasonable answer.
Ventilation is the piece everybody skips
Gable or ridge vents cost very little and are the difference between a building that smells like a shed and a building that smells like a gas station. On the dirty building they are essential. On the clean building they keep condensation from forming on the underside of the roof deck and dripping on your tools.
Rodents follow the feed
Whichever building holds grass seed, fertilizer, bird seed or pet food is the building that gets mice. Store all of it in sealed metal or hard plastic bins, keep the grass mowed back a couple feet around the building, and use a door sweep. A tight floor matters here too; our AdvanTech flooring carries a lifetime warranty and does not open up at the seams the way soft OSB does.
Pads and delivery
Each building wants its own level gravel pad, about a foot larger than the building on all sides and standing slightly above the surrounding grade. If you are ordering two, we can often deliver both the same trip, which saves you money and hassle. We need roughly two feet of clearance past the building width along the path and about 13 feet of overhead. Deliveries run Monday through Friday.
Cost
Starting at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8. Every building carries our 10 year guarantee against storm damage, settling and craftsmanship, plus a 50 year LP SmartSide siding warranty, with claims handled by us. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee.
Get Started on Your McLeansboro 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 McLeansboro.
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.
Close to home: our main shop, office and display lot are in Harrisburg — see hours, directions and local sales contact on our Harrisburg, IL location page, or call Whitney directly at 618-499-1161.
