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There are a couple of things that can push a garden gym cost up or down. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you budget, particularly if you’re buying a pre-manufactured building kit.
How Much Does it Cost to Build an Outdoor Gym?
We get asked all the time: is it cheaper to buy a building kit or design your own? And it usually ends up cheaper to use a kit. Here’s what that looks like when you’re dealing with a wood-based garden room to use as a gym.
Garden Gym Building Material Costs
Many gym sheds and summerhouses are modular, meaning they are built from wooden panels. Tongue and groove (T&G) or shiplap cladding are the most common cladding styles for this. These give good durability and weather resistance, and the tighter the boards fit together, the stronger and warmer the structure will be.
Shiplap cladding has a smooth finish with a slight overlap, helping to keep out rain and draughts.
Tongue and groove cladding interlocks tightly, making the walls more flat and thicker overall.
For an even warmer and sturdier option, you can choose a log cabin style garden gym. Log cabins use thicker interlocking logs instead of modular panels, which not only provide extra insulation but can also support more interior weight (such as wall-mounted racks, pull-up bars or storage). The thicker the logs, the better the cabin will hold heat, creating a cosier workout space year-round.
So, let’s see what that means in terms of cost:
- Basic modular gym shed or summerhouse: from around £500 depending on size and features
- Log cabin garden gym: from around £1,300 depending on size and features
Note that you’ll also need to arrange a base to install your gym building onto. A base has to be a flat, solid, level surface that won’t allow water to pool. You can’t just install a building on soil or your lawn. Atop the base, your building will then sit atop pressure treated floor bearers, so the wood of your building never sits directly on the ground.
Your options for a base can include your patio (if it’s large and level enough), paving slabs, a prefab base kit, or a concrete base. In the case of a concrete base, installation generally requires setting down some foundational hardcore and a damp proof membrane. For an 8×6 foot base, you’d be looking at around 1.2 cubic metres of concrete, which would cost about £150 for the material.
For the purposes of a garden gym, we’d recommend against using decking, especially if you’re going to have heavy weights in there. While some people use bricks as a base, you would also need to be able to guarantee that they will remain stable and level over time.
So, on top of your building price, just bear in mind that you’ll need upwards of £150 extra for a base, if you don’t already have a suitable building location.
Insulation
Insulation is not necessarily essential for a gym shed, as you will be making yourself nice and hot with your exercises. But it depends on whether you want it to stay within a certain temperature range, as a freezing cold room doesn’t make the most inviting workout space. Uninsulated gym sheds are usually cheaper upfront. While it might seem like you’re saving money, you may end up having to add insulation later or add inefficient heating. And remember that insulation also works the other way, helping keep the space cooler during the height of summer. Sheds and garden rooms often get hot in summer, so if you’re wanting to work out on the hottest days, you’ll need to think about ways to keep them cool.
If you’re adding insulation later, you’ll be looking at £260 for the insulation materials to cover the walls, floor and roof. This is just the starter cost for the most basic foil-backed insulation boards.
Insulated garden rooms cost more, but they save you the hassle of extra heating or adding insulation later. Most are constructed with insulated wall panels, with extra insulation inside the floor and roof. Quality models use high-performance multi-foil insulation for excellent thermal and acoustic performance.
Insulated garden buildings start from around £2,500 for the smaller sizes.
While it can look like it would be cheaper to buy a shed or log cabin and insulate it later, the big problem there is the risk of things going wrong when you modify the building yourself. Guarantees and warranties don’t cover user modifications, so the work is undertaken at your own risk. On a pre-insulated building, the guarantees remain in place.
Tip: Log cabins come in thicknesses starting from 19mm up to 44mm or more. Timber already offers is own natural insulating properties. The thicker the logs, the better the insulation. So as long as you keep your building well sealed, it might already be insulated enough for your purposes.
Double glazing
Double-glazed doors and windows can come as standard or an upgrade—either way, both add to what you’ll pay. It comes optional on log cabins, adding from £150 extra onto the building cost and boosting the cabins’ naturally insulating qualities. On insulated buildings it’s already included.
Reinforced floors for a gym shed
Whether you’re lifting weights, running or jumping, your garden gym floor is going to take some strain. The standard floors for sheds, log cabins and summerhouses are often as thin as 11mm, which flex slightly underfoot. You want a floor that’s equipped for heavy duty use.
When buying your garden gym, check that it offers some kind of floor upgrade. 16mm can be enough, but you should also put down some gym mats or foam padding to protect it from any dropped weights. A thicker floor also provides some insulation benefit.
An upgrade to 16mm floors starts at £116 and varies by the size required.
Gym Shed Sizes
The size of the garden room also influences the price. The bigger it is, the more materials you’ll need, and the longer it’ll take to build, so the cost goes up. Smaller rooms are cheaper, but you might find you’re tight on space depending on what you want to do with it. For gym usage, 8×6 feet is about the bare minimum space you’d want.
For reference, take a look at our BillyOh Canvas and BillyOh Dojo E models, perfect for gym use. Both are insulated, double-glazed, and start from under £7,000 (affordable for their features). Yet, the price varies depending on the size.
Consider how much space you need for your setup to get the best value. We also recommend buying during holiday sales for better deals and discounts. Signing up for Garden Buildings Direct’s newsletter is a great way to get notified of special sales.
Additional Cost for Garden Gym Equipment
It’s not just the garden room itself you’ll need to budget for—the gym gear can take a fair chunk of your budget, if you don’t already own it.
Basic equipment like a yoga mat, resistance bands, or a few dumbbells won’t cost much. But things like a treadmill, rowing machine, or a full weights rack can get pricey. Machines and furniture are typically much more expensive than simple handheld equipment.
Be realistic about what you’ll use often and how much room you’ve got. Your workout routine can have a say on this, so consider it. Check out these best exercises for your garden gym for inspiration.
Tip: A wall-mounted pull-up bar would be much cheaper and take up less space than a cable machine. This option is better suited to log cabins than a modular panel building.
Round-up
You’ll need to spend at least four figures for a high quality garden gym. Cladding, insulation, and double glazing can push the price up—and the size matters, too. Higher-quality options and bigger rooms mean a higher value. Fitness equipment is another thing to consider.
Cost Breakdown for a Garden Gym
- Garden Building (Shed or Log Cabin)
- Basic modular gym shed: From £500 (plus £150 for base)
- Log cabin garden gym: From £1,300 (plus £150 for base)
- Insulated garden room: From £2,500 (plus £150 for base)
- Insulation (Separate Cost)
- Basic insulation materials for walls, floor, and roof: Around £260 for foil-backed insulation boards
- Pre-insulated garden room: Already included in the price (from £2,500)
- Double Glazing (Optional, for log cabins only)
- If chosen, adds around £150 to the cost of the building (included in insulated models)
- Reinforced Floor
- 16mm floor upgrade: Starts from £116 depending on size and thickness
Total Estimated Bare Minimum Cost (Excluding Equipment)
- Basic modular garden gym: From £650 (shed + base + insulation extra)
- Log cabin garden gym: From £1,450 (log cabin + base + insulation extra)
- Insulated garden room: From £2,760 (insulated building + base, no extra insulation required)
Spending a bit more now usually means less hassle and expense down the line. To get the most out of your spend, why not have a look at our range of insulated garden rooms while you’re here? They come in various styles, sizes, and upgrades to suit your needs.
The next step is to choose your ideal gym building. Look at our garden gyms buying guide to start comparing options.
