Well I still didn't find a price list of my own, so using the figures provided above we've got linear metres at $13 and a cover of .75 metres.

This means a linear metre is covering 3/4 of a square metre for $13.
This means we need another 1/3 of this to complete a square metre, right?

So that's about $17 - $18 total, let's say $17.

So 40 square metres now adds up to tin price of $680.

You could argue that's not a rip off. About a $300 profit from a $1000 sale. Profit on material costs that is. But I'd argue that material costs are virtually all they have: machines would automatically cut off whatever lengths they dial in.

'El Cheapo'? Yes, of course. Though it is a bit of a misnomer. It's not cheap, it's expensive, as things at the bottom end of the market often are. It's 'el cheapo' construction, not 'el cheapo' price.

That's my whole point. That's why this thread is here. I was looking - we were looking - for the cheapest way out to find something to store stuff in until we can get a bigger shed.

We went with this, too hurriedly I guess and I got shocked a bit when I looked at the heap of materials when they were delivered. So I've questioned it - $1000 for this?

And the reply seems to be that it is indeed a fair ripoff. $700 of material at uncompetitive retail prices.

There's nothing else. The door. I told you there's no roof worth mentioning. There's no frame. There's nothing. The whole thing is designed to be held together (at the corners and along the wall top) by pop rivets.

It's a fairly standard item. You see them everywhere.

But there remains the question of "Can you beat it?"

Because there's so many reports of people saying they tried to do it themselves and found a kit supplied was cheaper than anything they could do. There's one or two posters in this thread saying precisely that.

I'm not sure we're comparing apples with apples but if we are then it sure is an interesting contention.

I've just got to find a price list - or just give a call and get a quote - for these simple quantities. Then I'll know.

Meanwhile I just feel a bit red faced. Erecting this thing in my backyard is like declaring to the world that I'm a dummy without enough sense to provide the tin for my own shed and instead throw hundreds of dollars away to get someone to do it for me.

I've paid $1000 for the material I've got lying on the ground out there, material that I could have got for $700 max, it seems.

So I feel like a dummy. You can all have a bit of a laugh at me.

My mate in the bush (yep, that's the place to be) nearly fell down, on the phone, when I told him. He said I should have shopped for a second hand shed. Or should have asked suppliers for imperfect tin.

I learn the hard way, always, I think, wish I didn't but I do.

Lastly: build out of timber? I'd love to. I'd enjoy the learning and the doing and it'd be a pleasure to occupy it and look at it afterwards. But prohibitively expensive for us, right now.

That seems to be an end to it all, seems to me.

Thanks for all the posts.

regards,

ab