Building your own shed home as an owner builder? We deliver everything you and your council need - engineered kit, architectural documentation, and compliance certification - so you can focus on managing the build.
Why Owner Builders Choose Shed Homes
The housing crisis has made finding an available, affordable builder harder than ever. Wait times are long, margins are high, and good tradespeople are stretched thin. As an owner builder, you take back control - managing your own project, engaging subcontractors directly, and saving significantly on construction costs.
But going the owner builder route doesn’t mean going it alone. With a Shed Homes kit, you get a complete, build-ready package - not just steel and cladding, but the full documentation your council requires for approval and your trades need to build it right.
The Difference for Owner Builders
Most kit suppliers give you a steel frame and leave you to sort out the rest - engineering, architectural plans, energy reports, council paperwork. That’s fine if you know what you’re doing. But for most owner builders, chasing separate consultants for each document is where projects stall, costs blow out, and timelines slip.
Shed Homes includes it all in one kit.
What’s Included in Your Owner Builder Kit
Structural Kit
- Full portal frame steel structure - engineered for your site, span, and wind region
- COLORBOND® steel roofing and wall cladding - 22 colours
- All primary and secondary steelwork - columns, rafters, purlins, girts, bracing
- Fasteners, flashings, and accessories
- Roller doors, PA doors, and windows as per your configuration
Documentation Package
- Structural engineering certification - stamped drawings for your specific site and wind region
- Architectural plans - floor plans, elevations, sections, and site plans
- Energy compliance reports - NatHERS or Section J as required by your state
- Council submission documentation - DA/BA application-ready drawings and reports
- NCC compliance certification - National Construction Code verification
- BAL assessment - Bushfire Attack Level rating where required
Interactive Build Access
Once your kit is engineered, you receive a link to your project with full online access. Every component is mapped and searchable by part number from the Bill of Materials - right down to every screw, bolt, and bracket. Your shed builder or carpenter knows exactly where each piece goes, with a complete interactive parts list, not just static engineering drawings.
How It Works for Owner Builders
- Get your owner builder permit - apply through your state authority (see below)
- Choose your model - start with one of our 7 shed home designs or customise from scratch using our 3D Designer
- We engineer and document everything - structural, architectural, energy, and council paperwork, all included
- Kit delivered to site - typically within 3–6 weeks, anywhere in Australia
- Your shed builder erects the frame - a qualified carpenter or shed builder assembles the kit under your OB permit, following the engineering drawings and interactive BOM
- You manage the fit-out trades - engage your own concreter, electrician, plumber, plasterer, and other subcontractors
Owner Builder Permits by State
Each state has its own rules for owner builders. You’ll need a permit before starting work - here’s where to apply:
| State | Authority | Permit Threshold | Apply / Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | QBCC | Work over $11,000 | QBCC Owner Builder → |
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading | Work over $10,000 | Fair Trading → |
| Victoria | VBA | Work over $16,000 | VBA Owner Builder → |
| South Australia | CBS | Work over $12,000 | CBS → |
| Western Australia | DMIRS | All building work on own property | WA Gov → |
| Tasmania | CBOS | Residential only, max 2 in 10 years | CBOS → |
| NT | NT Building Advisory | Permit required | NT Gov → |
| ACT | ACT Planning | Licence required | ACT Planning → |
Thresholds and requirements change - always confirm with your state authority before starting work.
Owner Builder Savings
Owner builders typically save 15–30% on total construction costs compared to contracting a licensed builder. On a shed home, that can mean $30,000–$80,000 back in your pocket. You’re not paying a builder’s margin - you’re paying trades directly for the work they do.
Just Need the Structural Kit?
If you already have your documentation sorted and just need the engineered steel frame and cladding, our sister brand Shedz supplies bare-bones shed kits for owner builders - frame, cladding, and engineering, without the documentation package.
Your Freemantle in 3D - Every Component, Every Connection
This is what sets Shed Homes apart. When you order, you don’t just get a set of drawings - you get full interactive 3D access to your exact shed home. Every structural member, every bracket, every bolt - identified, dimensioned, and searchable.
Your customised Freemantle, fully rendered in 3D with every dimension in millimetres - overall span, wall heights, awning widths, mezzanine level, door and window openings. Your slab contractor knows exactly what to pour.
Important: Always refer to your signed-off engineering drawings for concrete slab and footings design and specifications. The 3D model provides dimensional reference - your engineer’s certified drawings are the authority for slab and footing construction.
Walk around the model - rear elevation with every setback, opening, and height dimension. No surprises when your builder starts framing.
Toggle cladding to transparent and see the full structural steel skeleton beneath - portal frames, girts, purlins, bracing, mezzanine joists. Every layer is a click away.
Strip back the cladding completely - click any member for its section size, thickness, length, and mark number. This End Portal Column: CSection 350mm x 3.0mm, Length 6156mm (PCE2).
Zoom into any zone - this Stud is a Nesting Channel 15424, Length 1960mm (S10). Every wall stud, header, and jamb identified at this level of detail.
Click any connection point - the bracket type, bolt grade, and quantity. Mezzanine Internal Inline Bracket (MIB1) with Adapter Bracket GPB from:200 to:400, 4x M16 Flanged Head Bolt Assembly, Grd 8.8. Connected members: Mid C-Section Joist, Bearer, Mezzanine Internal Inline Bracket.
Even the flashings - Corner Flashing: Flashing – Corner CB, Length 5849mm (COF2). Every trim piece identified and dimensioned.
Toggle any component type in the BOM and they light up on the model - here all Bearers (BEAR1, BEAR2, BEAR3) are highlighted green. From Apex Plates to Cast In Stirrups, every part type is a click away.
Search by mark number - type “CIS1” and both Cast In Stirrups light up on the model with quantity and location. Every part from the BOM, located instantly in 3D.
This is what “complete build-ready package” actually means. Not a box of steel and a paper drawing. A fully interactive 3D model of your actual shed home - this customised Freemantle with mezzanine, awning, and double-glazed window openings - where you and your trades can see, search, and understand every single component before a single footing goes in the ground.
Ready to Start Your Owner Builder Project?
Design your shed home in our 3D Designer, explore our 7 shed home models, or contact us to discuss your project.