Search this site

Bill and Cindy Belote spent a long time looking for the perfect storage shed for their yard. From DIY kits to sheds from big box stores, they had seen it all. “For years we’ve looked,” Cindy says, laughing. Bill thought about buying something unfinished and doing the painting and finishing work himself. But with his schedule, he knew that could take years to accomplish. So he wanted to get a storage shed that was completely finished. At the Ulrich Barns facility, Bill and Cindy looked at various shed models. Bill chose the 12×14 Elite Gardener shed which has pretty trim details, shutters, and window boxes. “I just like the way this shed looks,” Bill explains. Although he knew the price was higher, he also knew he’d be disappointed if he didn’t buy the shed he actually wanted. Six inches of rain was dumped the day before the storage shed was to be delivered. Despite that, the Ulrich crew made the delivery on time. “They did a really good job” getting the building on-site, Cindy says. Being in the roofing business, Bill hopes to add a cupola someday. But for now, Bill says, “It’s complete. I don’t have to do anything to it.” The Belotes added rocks as the skirting and built steps and a ramp. With landscaping beds around the shed and plants in the window boxes, their Elite Gardener shed looks right at home in their backyard. #BillandCindyBelote

Cody and Jennifer wanted to renovate their over-stuffed disaster of a garage. They needed a storage shed for the garden and lawn equipment that was filling their garage. Their internet search led them to Ulrich Barn Builders, which had the sturdiest storage sheds with customizable features. The couple worked with an Ulrich designer who answered all of their questions and was easy to reach by phone, text, or email. They appreciated that they did not pressure them to upgrade or spend more, and they liked working with a multi-generational company. The couple chose a 12×20 Elite Garden shed. Ulrich tracked down the exact shingles as well as trim and paint colors to match their home. “It looks like our home had a baby,” Jennifer says. “We were very happy with how the Ulrich shed with the customized options, with the size that we wanted, really fit into our overall landscape.” The Elite Garden shed has a higher ceiling, with a high storage shelf all around the inside. Instead of stuffing more back in their garage, the couple are using the shed to store the equipment and supplies needed to maintain their four-acre property with two horses, two dogs, chickens, and Jennifer’s flower gardens. They also hang bikes from the ceiling of the shed. Jennifer grows cut flowers for floral arrangements. She says, “The shed has really become my gardening haven.” Jennifer is happy with their garden shed and their experience working with Ulrich Barn Builders. She says, “If you look at everything—from the first reach-out with the designer through all of the decisions that we made getting the right roof, the right color, the right grading, everything—all in all, I give Ulrich a ten out of ten.” #CodyandJennifer

When Lorrie Pitts was introduced to acrylic pour art, she found a new hobby which took over her kitchen table. This art form gets messy and needs several days to dry, so the mess stayed out for several days at a time. Lorrie visited Ulrich Barn Builders with a friend who was looking at a cabin. She liked the friendly people at Ulrich and the solid craftsmanship of the buildings. When she was ready to purchase a building for an art studio, she told her husband, “Ulrich is a good company, so let’s just go out there.” An Ulrich Barns sales associate showed them a variety of options to help the Pitts find the right price point. They chose a 12×16 Heritage shed, adding three windows to the design so Lorrie could have plenty of natural light. Lorrie chose a cabin big enough so she could invite friends or family over to do art together. Supplies were delivered to their home, and the shed was built on-site in two days, “which we were impressed with,” Lorrie said. After electricity was added, Lorrie’s husband Pat added vinyl flooring for ease of clean up, then sheet rocked the walls. Together they painted the interior a light lavender so the cabin would feel relaxing and soothing. “I love working in the building because it’s my own space,” Lorrie said. Now she is able to do art, go do other things, and come back to her artwork without needing to clean up each time. “It’s very peaceful out here,” she said. Lorrie and Pat are pleased with the quality of the building. Lorrie says, “From beginning to end, our experience with Ulrich was really nice. I would recommend them to anybody.” #LorriePitts

A little like a modern Rumpelstiltskin, Laurie Golding spins animal fibers into yarn. Laurie said, “My passion for color has led me to the fiber world” of wool, alpaca, and angora. Her sunroom was overrun with carding and spinning equipment used in her small business. Laurie needed a shed to hold it all. She did not want to tear down her new fence to get a shed in, and the gate was not wide enough to bring in a shed of the needed size. She researched online for a backyard shed and looked at local big box stores, but was disappointed with the poor quality of those sheds. Laurie was impressed with the Ulrich Barn Builders website and went to our local lot to look at the buildings. She found that the Ulrich sheds were of a much higher quality than many she had seen. The option to build onsite, as well as the quality of the sheds, convinced Laurie to purchase an Ulrich shed. She chose a 12×24 Garden Cottage Shed with four windows, double barn doors, and a ramp. Laurie had a good experience working with sales associate Weston Ulrich to design the details of her shed.  She said, “He was really good to work with. I really enjoyed our relationship; he was very helpful.” After the shed was built, Laurie’s grandson painted some of the trim details red to coordinate with her house. She had laminate flooring, heating, cooling, and electricity installed. She had a chandelier hung, along with some work lights, adding oil paintings to brighten the space. Laurie enjoyed watching as the shed was built onsite. “From beginning to end, the relationship and experience I had with Ulrich was just perfect,” she said. #LaurieGolding

Ricky Cason loves all kinds of art, from painting to stained glass work, he loves it all.  His current ambition is spinning clay, and he is proving to be very good at it.  Ricky sits at his pottery wheel, sculpting each piece with patience and care. A former Art Professor, Ricky, and his wife decided to move away from the city, and high taxes.  They found a quaint 19th century log home on two acres, though it was a bit of a downsize for them, they prefer the space they have on their land.  Ricky called upon Ulrich to provide him with space he needed for his art.  He didn’t even have to travel to a storefront, using our online ordering system, he was able to design his perfect Garden Cottage shed from the comforts of his own home.  Once delivered, he finished out the inside converting it from shed to studio. Inside his studio, he can create anything he wants, from designing a new shade for a Tiffany-Style Lamp, to meticulously painting a detailed landscape, to creating a new coffee mug or bowl on his wheel.  His Studio even boasts a recliner, to take breaks from his creativity.  Now that Ricky is retired, he gets to enjoy his crafts even more, and his Ulrich Shed will protect all of the treasures inside that he creates. #RickyCason

Krista Madigan needed a storage shed so she could get yard and pool equipment out of her garage. As she compared various shed builders online, Ulrich Barn Builders was unique in their building quality and options for customizing their sheds. Ulrich storage sheds looked like finished buildings rather than utilitarian sheds. Working with an Ulrich designer, Krista says they took features from the Craftsman Elite and the Elite Gardener styles and molded them into one 12×20 Elite series building. Her designer kept in touch with Krista throughout the design process, sending pictures and new ideas. He reminded her that whatever she wanted in a building, Ulrich could accommodate–paint colors, window and door placement, and the details that make the building pretty. Because of HOA regulations, the storage shed was built on site. Despite some delay because of rain and freezing weather, it only took three days to build. Then the Madigans had electricity installed and landscaping added around the shed. The loft used in many Ulrich sheds was a deciding factor for Krista, providing lots of storage while freeing up floor space to work in. The Madigans have made good use of the building, storing their sporting, camping, and golf gear, equipment for pool and yard maintenance, and outdoor holiday decorations there. Krista’s favorite features of the shed are the trim around the windows and doors, the dormers, and the cupola with a weather vane. It finishes off a yard space that would otherwise be boring and plain. Krista says, “Instead of it being a shed or utility building, it looks like a little house, a little cottage. It adds charm and character to the backyard.” #KristaMadigan

The small family farm has mostly disappeared from rural America. With automated machinery destroying most jobs, the country is now a nice place to live–but the city is where most of us work and do our shopping. Jeff and Kim Lambert at K-Bar Dairy are bucking the trend. Not only do they make their living on a real family farm, they’re attracting customers from the city who want raw milk, locally sourced meat and produce, and a variety of homemade goodies. In the good old days when living in the country was the norm, rather than the exception, part of the secret sauce of the rural economy was neighbors’ willingness to help each other with important events like harvesting wheat or constructing a new barn. At K-Bar Dairy, it’s a team effort too. Jeff and Kim’s family help milk the cows and work the checkout counter. Local vendors supply all kinds of other goodies you’d expect in a country store–from fresh bread, to soap, to aprons. “We try to do local, everything local,” says Kim. “If you’re shopping here, you’re helping us as well as our neighbors around here.” After the Lamberts started selling milk and eggs, they soon needed a building for their country store. They contacted us here at Ulrich and told us about their plans and their needs. They settled on a 16×36 ft Premier Cabin Shell with a heavy duty floor system to support their meat and milk coolers. The Lamberts really like their Ulrich building, and have since added an addition in order to expand their store. We appreciate your business, Jeff and Kim. Thanks for serving your community! Visit the K-Bar Dairy website to learn more about how K-Bar Dairy got started. #JeffandKimLambert #KBarDairy

John Mullenax owns Mullenax A/C and Heat. He wanted a backyard lofted barn where he could keep supplies for his heating and air conditioning business. When it comes to shopping for a storage building, John is not an impulse buyer. He checked at local lumber yards, and visited our location as well. In fact, John visited our display lot three times. In the end, what sold him on an Ulrich shed was the combination of quality and useful features. John had purchased low quality sheds in the past, so he knew what happens with a cheap structure over time. He didn’t want another shed falling apart in his backyard. John decided to purchase our 12×28 ft Texan Barn. The wraparound loft gives him plenty of space to store ductwork and insulation, and the optional ramp lets him roll heavy equipment into his shed. He put a window A/C into one of the two windows to make the barn more comfortable. He furnished the barn with a small table and a chair. When he’s in the mood, he takes his laptop into the barn — viola — instant office. John recommends other contractors visit our store and check out our buildings. “They’ll take care of you,” he says. “They took care of me.” #JohnMullenax #MullenaxACandHeat

Martha’s storage journey starts out like so many. About seven years ago, when she was moving to her new house, she needed some extra space for her things. So she began renting a storage unit, thinking she might need it for a year or two. That’s been about seven years ago. When mice invaded the storage unit, Martha had enough. It was time to get her own backyard storage shed. But here’s the smart part. Instead of paying rent on a storage unit she’ll never own, Martha decided to purchase her own shed using one of Ulrich’s financing options. The financing allows her to have more storage space, right by her backdoor, for about the same money she was spending each month on her rental unit. With help from an Ulrich internet consultant, Martha settled on a Heritage, 10 feet wide and 16 feet long. This will give her about 160 sq ft of storage space. She selected a beige color that would be reasonably close to the color of her home. Since her gate was too narrow for a fully constructed shed, she chose Ulrich’s on-site option. On a warm Friday morning in June, Bob the Ulrich builder arrived at Martha’s home with what looked like a pile of lumber and assorted items on the back of his trailer. As the day progressed, Bob transformed the boards and buckets of paint into a pretty beige and white shed. Martha now has a tough, beautiful Ulrich shed only steps from her back door. Over time, this shed will become completely hers. In the meantime, she has a bigger, more convenient space. That is what I call smart! #Martha

In what was the largest single shed giveaway in Ulrich Barn Builders history, Matt Thompson hit the “Broad Side of a Barn” to win a $5000 voucher. Good for any Ulrich product, the voucher truly was as good as cash at our Cleburne store. Matt won the contest on a Sunday, the Cleburne Railroader’s final home game of the season. On Monday Matt came to our Cleburne location to choose his new shed. Since he drives past our Cleburne location every day, he already knew he wanted a red building with white trim. As soon as he walked inside our Texan Barn with the wrap-around loft, he knew it was the one. Matt worked closely with our Cleburne sales consultant Aaron Jordan to configure his shed. As it turned out, the 10×12 lofted barn fit perfectly, both within Matt’s $5000 budget and in the space where he wanted to put it. Besides the long list of standard features, Matt was able to add two windows, double shelves, and a metal frame ramp to his barn, all without spending a dime. For the time being, Matt will be using the shed primarily for storage. He already has car detailing supplies on his shelves, and up in the loft he’s storing kids toys and a set of rims. Matt was blown away by the quality of the shed when it arrived. In fact, the whole process was really easy. Everything, that is, except hitting the “Broad Side of a Barn.” Even with a few years of high school baseball under his belt, Matt missed the barn on his first two swings. He adjusted his swing to put a little backspin on the ball, and successfully hit the “Broad Side of a Barn” on his third attempt. He sure is glad he did! Congrats, Matt! Enjoy your new barn! #MattThompson

What are the advantages of a metal roof? Great question, and one we get all the time! The short answer is, metal lasts longer. Usually. That may be all you need, but if you want more details on the pros and cons of metal shed roofs, keep reading. PROS–Advantages of Metal Roofs Long-lasting. The biggest talking point of metal roofing is that it lasts a long time. How long it lasts depends on the thickness of the metal, and its coating quality. But generally, a quality metal roof will last from 40-70 years. (A shingle roof may last from 10-40 years. How’s that for precise? But like metal, the quality of shingles makes all the difference.) Cool. Metal roofs reflect heat, keeping the building cooler. (Shingles draw heat.) Durable. Metal roofs are tough. They will take a lot of abuse from wind, sun, and rain. Wind resistant. A metal roof is extremely wind resistant. That is only true, of course, if the metal roof is on a solid building. If it’s on a flimsy structure, it will be flopping like a kite. But generally, high winds will not affect a metal roof. Metal roofs come with a wide array of color options. Fire resistant. This one seems obvious, but a metal roof is fire resistant. That doesn’t mean that you should do a hotdog roast inside your shed. But if you have your bonfire outside of the shed, and sparks hit the roof, you won’t see any damage. (Don’t try this, however. If the ember is large, it could still burn your paint.) Colors. Metal roofs come in a wide variety of color options. From bright red or green to brown and black, you can choose almost any color of the spectrum. Environmentally friendly. Metal roofs are fully recyclable. The metal we use includes 25% recycled material. CONS–Disadvantages of Metal Roofs Appearance. Some people dislike the look of metal for home applications. If your house has a shingle roof on it, then metal will not match it. Dents. In a heavy hail storm, metal may be dented. Cheap all-metal sheds are particularly susceptible to this. But if you have a good quality metal on top of a solid wood-framed shed, you won’t see much damage unless it’s hailing baseball-sized hail. Even if it is dented, it will only be a cosmetic problem. Repair. Metal roofs are tough. But if your 7-year-old Bob the Builder takes a hack saw to the roof, repair is a little more specialized. Unlike shingles, you can’t just replace a few square feet. Instead, you’ll need to replace an entire panel, which comes in 3-ft widths and is as long as your roof slope. Scratches. A sharp object, or tree branched rubbing, can wear through paint, requiring touch-up. Cost. Metal roofs have a higher initial cost. Over 50 years they will probably cost a good bit less than the 3 or 4 shingle roofs you’ve put on your building in that time. But initially, they cost more. (Hint: at Ulrich Lifestyle a metal roof is a $100 upgrade at the time of this writing.) Noise. If you are in an all-metal shed, and it’s raining cats and dogs, it’s going to be noisy. A framed wood building, on the other hand, has wood sheathing under the metal. In this kind of shed, you actually won’t tell much difference from shingles. That gives you the basics of metal roofing pros and cons. It’s probably all you need to know to make an informed decision. You have permission to stop reading, and go find the style of shed you want. But if you really want to dig a little deeper into how to tell a quality metal roof from junk, you’ll want to read Metal Shed Roofs–3 Differences Between the BEST and the REST. Related Articles SHINGLE Shed Roofs–3 Differences Between the BEST and the REST PROS and CONS of Shingle Shed Roofs Metal Shed Roofs–3 Differences Between the BEST and the REST #GettingStarted #Quality

It’s not a Shed, it’s not a Tiny Home, it’s a … Bed & Breakfast. How does an ordinary shed become a popular Bed & Breakfast? Sometimes, it’s almost by accident. When Richard Tinsler bought a barn, he had no intention of turning it into a popular B&B. But his pet birds got involved in some fowl play, and he had to change his plans. That change included building a bird refuge, and then converting his 12×24 high-wall barn into a bed & breakfast. Get the story straight from Richard … (Note: Byler Barns is now an Ulrich Lifestyle company.) Popular B&B Getaway The B&B, set up much like a tiny home, has become a hot B&B getaway destination. Richard says that it’s full every weekend, and booked months in advance. Originally built by Ulrich as a shell, this shed has been finished out with insulation, electrical, running water, and heating and air conditioning. With a shed of this height, it only made sense to create a full-size set of stairs going up to the loft. That still left room for the bathroom beside the stairs. And arguably the most important component … running water. You’re not likely to get lost in this room, but it comes complete with a shower. 12×24 turned out to be the perfect size. It allows for full-sized, comfortable furniture, but still feels relatively spacious. A (very) high-wall barn, the combination of high walls and gambrel roof allowed this shed to be made into a comfortable 2-story getaway. Amazingly, it doesn’t feel cramped inside. Beautiful work, Richard! Thank you for sharing your story, and we wish you and your B&B much success in the future. Dream big! We’ve got lots more shed ideas in our photo gallery.