When researching a Shepherd’s hut, one of the questions you may be looking to have answered is “How long does it take to build a Shepherd’s hut?”
Well, this answer will differ from company to company depending on a number of factors. So, the company size is one as a larger company will have greater capacities than smaller companies, but equally smaller companies will most likely have shorter lead times than some of the larger companies. Lead times are always a question we get asked during the sales process. Just to touch on this, lead times is definitely a question you should be asking for an answer to during the sales process as the answer will allow you to plan other aspects of your project. Knowing a timescale for the build will allow you to organise grounds work or maybe the installation of a sewage treatment plant if you’re working on a glamping project.
The design, hut size, and your choice of materials for the hut build will all contribute to the time scale of your shepherd’s hut.
Design and hut size will inevitably depend on what you want your hut to be used for so, a large 23ft by 8 1/2ft shepherd’s hut with the intended use for glamping will take longer to build than a smaller 12 or 14ft by 7ft shepherd’s hut with the intended use as a garden retreat. Again, the materials you have chosen will always be a factor that affects time scales; for example, the preparation and installation of the exterior feather edge timber cladding with corner trims and window trims require more labour time than installing wriggly tin steel cladding. Another is the number of windows you want, stable door or double doors, kitchen size, how much detailing you want in the finishing (how fancy you want your hut) will all reflect in the build time of the shepherd’s hut.
To give you a guide, most hut companies have a lead time of a year, give or take. The larger companies may have longer lead times and some of the smaller companies may be able to start within 6 to 8 months. The hut build time, as we have detailed in this article, is determined by lots of factors but between 2 to 4.5 months for the build times is a reasonable scale to work with. A smaller shepherd’s hut takes around 2 to 3 months to build, and a larger hut may take 3 to 4 or even 5 months to build.