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Building your own shepherd's hut
Buy the chassis and wheels, build the body yourself. What the parts cost and what to decide first.
The short answer: you can build your own hut on a ready-made chassis. A steel chassis costs from about £2,000 to £5,000 depending on type and maker, and some makers sell full kits and frames.123 The chassis and wheels are the parts to buy in; the body is ordinary carpentry.
What parts cost
| Part | Prices (maker's own) |
|---|---|
| Fixed-axle steel chassis | From £1,950 plus VAT (RTN Welding)1; rolling chassis from £2,462 ex VAT (Tithe Barn)2 |
| Steerable or turntable chassis | From £2,760 plus VAT (RTN)1; 14ft 6in turntable chassis with cast iron wheels from £3,190 ex VAT (Tithe Barn)2 |
| Cast iron wheels | Set of four £620 (20in) or £750 (24in) (Forge & Foundry)4; single wheels £220 to £455 (Tithe Barn)2 |
| Plans | £500 (Tithe Barn)2 |
| Blackdown "Tasker" self-build parts, 12ft to 20ft, including VAT | Metal chassis £3,885 to £4,985; framework £3,190 to £4,180; tin cladding £1,725 to £2,045; sheep's wool insulation £430 to £6503 |
| Steel frame with chassis, 18ft x 7ft 2in | £7,850 (Riverside), with a 30-year frame guarantee5 |
Choices to make first
- Steel or oak chassis: steel lasts and doesn't swell; oak is traditional but often needs steel reinforcement.6
- Fixed or turntable axle: fixed if it will stay put, turntable if you'll move it around.6
- Wheel size: RTN suggests 32in wheels if you need room for waste water connections under the hut.1
- Keep it mobile: a hut built on fixed foundations may count as a building rather than a caravan for planning. See our planning guide.
Building it right
The same rules apply as for a bought hut: insulate the floor, walls and roof, fit a vapour barrier and a breather membrane, and leave a ventilated gap behind the cladding (see our buying guide). Get the electrics installed and certified by a qualified electrician to the caravan section of the wiring regulations7, and a stove fitted by a HETAS installer.8
Questions people ask
How much does a shepherd's hut chassis cost?
From about £1,950 plus VAT for a fixed-axle steel chassis, and from £2,760 plus VAT for a steerable one.1
How much are shepherd's hut wheels?
A set of four cast iron wheels costs about £620 to £750 depending on size.4
Related guides
Buying guide
CostsSources
- Maker's own website (manufacturer claim), checked 23 Oct 2026, RTN Welding shepherd's hut chassis.
- Maker's own website (manufacturer claim), checked 23 Oct 2026, Tithe Barn Shepherd Huts: self-build.
- Maker's own website (manufacturer claim), checked 23 Oct 2026, Blackdown Shepherd Huts pricing.
- Maker's own website (manufacturer claim), checked 23 Oct 2026, Forge & Foundry shepherd hut wheels.
- Maker's own website (manufacturer claim), checked 23 Oct 2026, Riverside self-build huts.
- Tiny Eco (retailer), Shepherd's hut chassis.
- Wiring Regulations, BS 7671 Section 708 and Section 721.
- HETAS, April 2020 (copy hosted by The Kent Stove Company), HETAS Technical Note TN_0023: leisure accommodation units.