How Are Building Sizes Measured?
At 8 and 10 feet wide, the size on your quote is measured at the corners of the building, and the roof overhangs a bit past them. At 12, 14, and 16 feet wide, the size on your quote is measured at the eaves, so the floor and corners are a little narrower.
Why are 12-foot-wide and wider buildings measured at the eaves?
A delivered building has to travel down the road, and hauling rules limit how wide a load can be, eaves included. So once buildings reach 12 feet wide, they are sized by their widest point.
This is not unique to us. Every state limits how wide a load can be, and most portable building makers across the country measure their wider buildings at the eaves.
What does measuring at the eaves save you?
It keeps hauling costs off your price. A full-width floor would push the roof a few inches past the hauling limit, and those few inches can mean an escort car, higher delivery costs, and a higher price for the same building.
Take a 12-wide. Its floor is 11' 2", so the roof stays at 12 feet and no escort car is needed. Build the floor a full 12 feet and the roof grows to 12' 10", and every delivery needs an escort car.
That small difference of a few inches of floor keeps those hauling costs off our customers' prices.
How wide is the floor on each size?
Measured edge to edge, a 12-wide has an 11' 2" floor, a 14-wide has a 13' 5" floor, and a 16-wide has a 15' 5" floor. At 8 and 10 feet wide, the floor is the full size on your quote.
| Sold as | Measured at | Floor, edge to edge | Roof, eave to eave |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 wide | Corners | 8' | 9' |
| 10 wide | Corners | 10' | 11' |
| 12 wide | Eaves | 11' 2" | 12' |
| 14 wide | Eaves | 13' 5" | 14' |
| 16 wide | Eaves | 15' 5" | 16' |
Does the length change too?
Only the width works this way. The length on your quote is the full length.
Either way, the size on your quote is the building footprint. If the exact inside width matters for what you plan to store, ask us before you order.
How are gazebos, pavilions, and pergolas measured?
Gazebos, pavilions, and pergolas are sized at their widest point, the outer edge of the roof, so the posts sit a little inside. They travel under the same hauling limits as our other buildings.
Not Sure Which Width Fits?
Tell us what you plan to keep in it and where it is going, and we will help you think through the size before you order.
Ask About a Size