Frequently asked questions:
What can I use a shepherd’s hut for?
There are so many ways you can use a shepherd’s hut that it is impossible to name them all but the following list will give you some ideas.
Spare bedroom, Home office, Pottery, Art studio, Music room, Gin Palace, Garden room, Outside catering, Fishing hut, Posh potting shed, Teenager's hideaway, Summer house, Reading room, B&B income, Storage, Pool changing room, Gamekeeper's hut, Therapy room, Gift shop, Beekeeper's hut, Mini gym and many more.
Do I need planning permission?
As shepherd huts are on wheels and are therefore considered temporary and mobile, planning permission is not normally required; ‘though we would always recommend checking with your neighbours! If, however, you wish to place one in a National Park, Conservation Area or Listed Building environment, it is advisable to check with your local Planning Department. Interestingly and worth knowing if it comes to a dispute, is the fact that the National Trust now have several placed within their properties.
What ground is suitable?
Most ground can be made suitable but when considering the positioning of your hut, it is wise to bear in mind that our standard 14’6” (4420mm) hut weighs almost 1 ¾ tonnes! They require a firm base beneath the cast iron wheels, to prevent them sinking into the ground. Suitable surfaces can be aggregate, slabs or sleepers. If considering placing on gravel it would require a sub base for firmness. MOT type 1 (available from most Builder’s Merchants) is ideal!
How level should the ground be?
The hut will need to be level and a long spirit level would be useful here. If your ground is sloping it is advisable to ‘cut in’ to the higher part of the ground, rather than building up the lower level, otherwise your hut will become too high for easy access.
What size should I build my hut?
There are no rules and you can build your hut to whatever size you like. However, when thinking of sizing – plan ahead and look at the size of components readily available before you start. Be aware of the size of roof sheets, roof structures, door frames, wheels etc. This will save money, stress and disappointment in the long run. If you are including a shower room, kitchen etc your hut will of course be longer than was traditional. In this scenario, just ensure that you use wheels that are big enough and proportional to the size of your hut, otherwise it will look unbalanced. We are well aware that, for glamping and other purposes, people are building longer and wider huts and we have therefore expanded our range of standard timber roof constructions to include greater lengths and widths. We now also hold stock of longer curved corrugated roof sheets, for huts of 8 feet wide plus! Please also note that we can make bespoke sizes of timber roof construction and supply bespoke roof sheets. So, if you require something that you cannot find on our Self Build page – please contact us
Are shepherd Hut plans available?
Yes. These are now available and come with a Step by Step Guide – see Main Items on the Self Build page.
Could I build a shepherd hut myself?
Yes! Using our Plans and Step by Step Guide, together with the high quality parts we supply, you can build a hut as beautiful as ours! It is an advantage to have some basic carpentry skills etc, but don’t worry if you haven’t, as taking your time and common sense, are probably just as useful.
What tools will I need to build my own hut?
An electric bench saw and cordless screwdriver / drill take a lot of the effort out of woodcutting and assembly, but we have had many customers who have built huts using just hand tools. Once again, if you’ve got plenty of time, investment in equipment is not essential.
What extras can I incorporate into my hut?
The answer is quite simple – pretty much anything, depending on the intended use of your hut. However, this is a selection of the most popular items that can be added: Solid wood floor, Woodburning stove, Fitted furniture such as bed(s), cupboard, table, shelves, Electrics and lighting.
Where do you deliver to?
For bespoke built huts, we offer a standard delivery service to the whole of the UK. We charge a flat £150.00 to deliver a shepherds hut within mainland UK. If you have specialist delivery requirements, or are looking for us to deliver outside the UK please contact us. We can also arrange delivery of our shepherd hut components throughout the UK and overseas.
What does 'standard delivery' mean?
Whether on a rolling chassis or a turntable, standard delivery means we deliver our huts on a trailer and position them with a 4 wheel drive vehicle. For offloading from the trailer, a flat surface reasonably close to the hut’s final position is required. Gateways should be 9’0” (2.743m) wide. As mentioned above, we can offer specialist delivery options, please contact us here.
