Build your own bin shed – guide and tips for planning, features and great designs
- Difficultymedium
- Cost€250–1,000 (if you’re making a shed out of wood)
- Duration1 d
Introduction
Nothing detracts more from your home than dirty, ugly bins in your driveway or garden. What you need is a bin shed to make this problem go away! You might even get compliments from neighbours and passers-by for helping keep the area so nice. Whether brown, blue, yellow or green, there is room for every bin in your bin shed. Although you could buy a pre-built shed, they’re very expensive. To save money, we will show you how to build your own bin shed with custom features to match your taste. By the way, for anyone who likes to keep things tidy, we have a number of DIY video tutorials with more great storage ideas.
With a do-it-yourself bin shed, not only will your driveway look nicer, but you’ll also save money. If sprucing up the look of your home is not enough, bin sheds also contribute to hygiene, as vermin, rodents and other predators like badgers or foxes can no longer get at the food scraps so easily. The shed protects the bins from the elements, is easy to clean and will last you a long time. No better time than now to head off to the nearest DIY store and get started!
- Wooden beams
- Wooden boards
- Screws
- Wood varnish/paint
- Brackets
- Hinges
- Handles
Planning
You will find tips on materials and dimensions as well as other things you need to consider before you start building your bin shed below.
Bin sizes
With the German propensity for exactness, there are DIN standards for most everything, including bins. For do-it-yourselfers like me and you, however, this has its advantages. DIN 840 lets you know more or less down to the centimetre how big your bins are. That means you don’t have to measure them. And if you ever need to replace one, you can easily find a suitable replacement without having to rebuild your bin shed from scratch. Here are the measurements for bins of the different sizes:
| Volume | Width | Height | Depth |
| 80 l | 41 cm | 93,5 cm | 51,3 cm |
| 120 l | 48 cm | 92,7 cm | 54,3 cm |
| 240 l | 57,7 cm | 106,2 cm | 71,5 cm |
| 1200 l | 137 cm | 129,5 cm | 111,8 cm |
Tip
What material should I use to make my bin shed?
If you want to build a visual screen for your bins, you can choose between wood, metal and plastic.
Building your own bin shed from metal
Metal, in most cases stainless steel, gives you a modern look. The components are frequently powder-coated to provide optimal protection against corrosion and scratches. You can choose the colour of the coating yourself. Coated metal is not only rustproof and durable, but it’s also easy to clean. Every now and then, hose it down to make it look bright and shiny again.
However, this all has its price: Pre-built bin sheds can easily cost €3,000. When building a DIY bin shed from stainless steel, you have to factor in the high cost of materials. You will also need a level base of stone, concrete or granite to place the metal bin shed on.
Building your own bin shed from wood
Wood is a popular building material for the garden and around the home because of its warm, natural look – and this is also true for DIY bin sheds. While wood is generally resilient and easy to maintain, it requires additional care if it is to withstand the elements for years to come.
Make sure that you use wood from sustainable sources. This way, the bin box can be recycled or reused at some point with a clear conscience. We recommend using larch, spruce or even pallets. Larch is somewhat more expensive, while spruce is an interesting choice for those on a tighter budget. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of taste. Choose the type of wood that looks best to you.
If there is any scrap wood left over, you can use it in other garden projects. For example, you could make your own compost bin or an original house number planter.
Building your own bin shed from plastic
Plastic is the most affordable option, but it fades quickly under constant exposure to sunlight. The material is often available as interlocking components, but you can also cut plastic beams to size and install them yourself. However, plastic is anything but sustainable.
As you can see, there are many options to choose from. You could even make one out of stone or concrete or build a retraction mechanism for the bins. In our instruction guide, however, we will limit our focus to a basic bin shed made from wood, which you can use to brighten up your yard or garden. Now that we’re on the topic of gardens, we’ve got a tutorial for a DIY barbecue for you. If you’re looking for a small, simple project, you can’t go wrong here. Or build a DIY garden bar from pallets to match it.
What special features can I add to my bin shed?
Let your fantasy run wild. Customise your bin shed to fit the conditions in your garden. If space is at a premium, sliding doors are a good option, especially if swivel doors are not practical for you. If maximum convenience is what you’re after, we recommend building a shed with doors and a cover.
Do you want your DIY bin shed to blend in with the plants in the garden or yard? Then you could also build a bin shed with a green roof that blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. Are you someone who loves plants and has always wanted to grow your own tomatoes and cucumbers? And if you don’t have the time or energy to build a DIY bin shed, why not make your own visual screen from pallets instead?
What other things do you need to consider?
If your bin shed is not directly under the roof, it is best if the cover is sloped at an angle to allow rainwater to run off. Make sure to note this in your plans.
Especially if you’re building a bin shed from wood, make sure that it’s not in direct contact with the ground, since moisture could cause mould or rotting if it gets into the wood. Therefore, use wooden feet (simply let the beams from the basic frame stick out at the bottom) to minimise contact with the ground or attach rubber pads underneath.
Make sure that there is sufficient air circulation inside the shed.
Let’s get started – step-by-step instructions
So you’ve decided to build your own bin shed? In our example, we’ll be presenting a wooden structure with hinged doors and covers that can accommodate three bins. Before you start your project, figure out how many bins you want to place in the shed. You can then adapt our guide for the bin shed to meet your needs.
Building the basic frame for the DIY bin shed
For the basic wooden frame, you’ll need roughly 7 cm thick beams from your DIY store. It is best to write down the measurements for the beams right on the wood in pencil. This way you always have an overview and know where each beam belongs. After making your measurements, cut the beams to size. The easiest way to do this is with a mitre saw, but a jigsaw or a hand-held circular saw will do just as well.
Start with the front of your frame first. The only difference between the front and back side is that there are additional crosspieces on the back. These are not necessary on the front because that is where the opening for the bins will be. Also make sure that you leave a few centimetres’ overhang to the ground at the bottom of the basic frame. The protruding wooden beams then serve as feet for your bin shed.
Use brackets to connect the beams. For added stability, you can countersink long wood screws into the beams. Then connect the front and back using intermediate beams. The best way to do this is to lay the front section down on a flat surface, position the intermediate beams on the frame and then fasten them together using brackets. Now, all you need to do is screw the back of the frame to the intermediate beams.
Attaching the panelling
First, position the boards for the side panelling on the back of the basic frame. Use spacers placed between the boards to ensure good air circulation. Screw the boards to the basic frame, mark the protruding edges with a pencil and then cut them off with a jigsaw. Now, sand down the edges using a multi-sander, for example.
You will have to take a slightly different approach with the side panelling since it’s difficult to position the boards there without them slipping or falling down. Therefore, pre-cut the boards and then fasten them to the frame using G-clamps. This way you can easily screw them together without the boards shifting. Also use the spacing on the back panels as a guide to ensure everything fits together properly when you’re done.
Preparing the lids
Split the lid into the individual parts according to the plan you made earlier. In our example, we want three bins to fit in our bin shed, which is why we also need three lids. Then place the boards on the frame and, as you did before, use spacers and G-clamps to position them correctly. Screw them together from the inside with two or four narrow boards per lid.
Attaching the doors
In the next step, use the internal dimensions of your panelling as a guide. Line up the boards for your doors based on your measurements. Before you start screwing everything together, place the individual parts (crossbeams, hinges, handles) on the boards to mark their positions in advance. Then fix the boards in place using G-clamps. Screw the crossbeams so that the screw heads are on the inside of the door later on. The struts for the doors can be screwed together to match your desired look. Now, attach the hinges and handles according to your plan.
Attaching the panelling
The last step is to attach the lids to the side panelling. To do this, use two hinges per lid. Attach the hinges first to the lids, then to the panelling. To avoid having to open the cover of the bin shed and then the bin lid, you can connect the two using a piece of rope and a hook, for example. This way, you can open the bin you need in a single step. You can also detach them, for example, if you need to move your bins to the side of the road.
Tip
What’s left to do? You still need to paint the shed!
We recommend that you first test the paint on scraps of the wood you are using. This way you can see how it will look on the wood and avoid any unpleasant surprises. This is a great little trick is you want to try out several different shades. The easiest way is to spray-paint the wood, maybe even before connecting the parts together. Check out our video tutorials for paint spray systems for more information. Using a brush to paint everything would take a long time and make it difficult to reach all the gaps and spaces between the wooden parts.
Tip
Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed your DIY project and built your own bin shed. You can sort your waste even better from now on. And if you’re interested in sustainability, check out our upcycling ideas.
Are you ready for the next project? How about our DIY tutorial for building a multi-coloured garden bench to bid farewell to the grey, dreary winter? Check it out and be inspired!
We have many more DIY ideas for your garden, balcony and patio just waiting to be discovered by you. In our YouTube playlist for DIY projects in and around the garden and balcony you’ll also find video tutorials that will help you complete your projects.