The clearer you are on how you are going to use your building, the easier it will be for you to select the DANCO Building style that is best for you. Consider these points:

• Usage: Will you (or someone else) be spending time in your building on a regular basis? If yes, then door type, windows, wall height, and radiant barrier are important.
• Layout: What kind of layout do you want when you step into your building? Do you want more space to your left and right, or more space in front of you? This determines whether your main door should be on the short side or long side.
• Size: What is the widest and tallest thing that will be going into your building? Make sure the door(s) and layout accommodate.
• Storage Needs: What will be most important: open floor space, loft space, shelf space, or workbench space?
• Access: Will you need ramps to get things up into your building?
• Weight: Will you be storing exceptionally heavy things? If yes, then 12″ on-center floor joists and ¾” flooring is better.
• Utilities: Will you need electricity and lighting inside your building?

How do you figure out what size building you need?

One simple way is to take a sheet of graph paper (where each square represents a square foot) and draw a “map” of where you want to place each item and how many square feet each item will take. Then, draw a rectangle around everything on your map. The length multiplied by the width is how many square feet you need.

 

Important tip: A common mistake people make is buying a portable building that ends up being too small. When a building is empty, it looks “big” in most people’s eyes. Many people underestimate the sheer amount of stuff they will end up having in their building.

So in the long run, you will likely be a lot happier if you take the square footage you came up with and multiply that by 1.5. This way, you end up having the space you will actually need. At the very least, you should add an extra 4′ of length to your building so you have the room to expand when needed.