Selecting the Right Portable Building for Your Storage Needs

If you are in the market for a portable shed, one of the first steps is to decide what style building you are looking for. Here are a few things for you to consider as you begin your search:

What is the purpose of the building?
What size will best fit your yard?
What additional features would you like? (ex. Windows? Extra door? Loft?)

We’ve spent decades helping people find more room for their stuff. From gardening storage, to wood working workshops, to man caves, to art studios and so much more! You might be surprised what all you can do when you have the right blank canvas.

So, how do you decide on the right storage shed for your backyard or business? There are a few things to work through, but here are the main things to always check:

Does the shed company have a warranty? Cook offers a Lifetime Warranty on all treated components. You won’t find that anywhere else.
Does the shed company work with third parties for delivery or their rent-to-own program? When you choose Cook, you’ll always work with Cook. Cook employees sell the sheds and deliver the sheds. You always know the number to call no matter if you have a payment or warranty question: 1-800-772-7883
Does the shed company have a longstanding reputation? Cook has been building sheds since 1984 and has expanded now across 14 states. Plus, you can read testimonials from our customers here.

Below we break down each of our shed styles and some of the storage purposes each could serve for you. Our dealers and our Online Sales Facilitators are always looking to help you find the right storage solution for your needs (not someone else’s).

The Barn

The Barn style is ideal for anyone with medium storage needs or who just wants a secure place to store their excess stuff. The Cook Barn comes in 8, 10 and 12 foot wide options to meet many different storage needs.

This shed style is perfect for mowing equipment, ATVS, bikes and yard toys. Or, during the winter, it’s great to store outdoor furniture and your grill until next summer.

This traditional style looks great in any backyard and easily matches different outdoor decor. The Cook Barn is the perfect functional, low profile shed.

Choose your custom options for this shed style.

The Lofted Barn

The Cook Lofted Barn is the perfect shed for anyone who needs floor space but also wants additional storage space. Depending on the size you choose, your shed can become the ultimate storage space or a hobby shed. The Cook Lofted Barn comes in 8, 10 and 12 foot wide buildings.

Many will store larger equipment or vehicles on the main floor and then storage boxes/totes in the loft.

This is our top sold building and provides plenty of overhead storage room. The Lofted Barn and the the Lofted Garage provides the most cubic space out of all our shed styles.

Choose from custom options for the Lofted Barn.

The Garage

The Garage is the most adaptable of our Cook building designs. It’s ideal for customers who need to store large possessions like cars, boats, ATVs and tractors.

Above you’ll see how this customer seamlessly added this shed to their yard’s landscape.

The adaptability of this shed satisfies a variety of unique storage needs. The price on this shed comes with the heavy duty floor and is built to fit your larger storage needs.

Choose from custom options for our Garage shed style.

The Lofted Garage

The Lofted Garage offers more cubic space than our traditional Garage option. The heavy duty floor with 3/4” floor decking and floor joists 12” on center comes standard with this option. You’ll also enjoy the side door and window that are standard on this style.

These longer sidewalls offer plenty of headroom and the accessible loft space keeps the floor free for larger items like vehicles and equipment.

Check out our custom options available on the Lofted Garage shed style.

The Utility

The Cook Utility is the perfect storage building and is the most adaptable of our shed designs. The Utility comes in 8, 10 and 12 foot wide options and has an option to add a loft to meet your storage requirements.

Here’s what one customer had to say about the Utility Shed she transformed into her own backyard oasis she shed, “I went into the Garden Shed and the Tool Shed, but the Utility style spoke to me because of the height of the walls. I like the cathedral style ceiling and higher roof line. I didn’t want my shed to feel closed in.” See how she transformed her shed.

Here are our custom options available for the Utility Shed.

The Garden Shed

This attractive building offers a unique roof design that brings added weather protection. The Garden Shed is the perfect building for anyone who needs space for a hobby or just more room for their extra stuff. The best part of this shed is it immediately upgrades any backyard. With its flower box and window, it gives your backyard personality and an inviting nature. Look how great it looks in this customer’s backyard!

The Garden Shed is the perfect place to keep all your gardening tools, extra home storage and holiday decorations.

Discover custom Garden Shed options here.

The Tool Shed

The Tool Shed is best for those who like the design of our Utility building, but prefer a shorter sidewall height. With 6’3” sidewalls, this design is both economical and versatile.

It’s perfect for anyone with moderate storage needs and is a smart way to keep your tools organized. The Tool Shed comes in 8 and 10 foot wide options.

Here are the custom options for our Tool Shed style.

The Handyman

The Handyman provides enough room for anyone to convert this building into a work space. With two separate doors and a partition wall, you can use this adaptable shed for two different purposes.

It also comes with two workbenches, so this serious building is the place to get work done. See how one of our customers completely transformed the inside of their Handyman shed to make their dream wood working workshop.

Check out the custom options for our Handyman shed style.

The Slim Shed

For those who are limited on space but are desperate for storage, this is a great solution. It can sit right up against the house or a fence so it looks like a natural addition to your home. This style is 6′ x12′ and is made for smaller storage needs such as bikes, landscaping equipment and general extra home storage.

Here are your custom options for the Slim Shed.

Cabin Style Options

We offer 4 different Cabin style sheds. They look gorgeous on the outside and offer plenty of workspace on the inside. They would work as a foundation to your own she shed, man cave, hobby space or office.

See the custom options available for the following cabin shed styles:

If all of these shed styles are overwhelming and you want a size breakdown, then you can look at our sizing guide.

Not ready to choose your shed, yet? Learn more about why a cook shed is the right choice for your storage needs. Here are three reasons a Cook portable building is right for you.