A farm shed canopy is one of the most popular design features available – and for good reasons, too!
From providing cost-effective coverage to avoiding inconvenient column placement, a farm shed canopy offers excellent value for money.
They are also versatile, being used on calving barns, chemical sheds, feedlot sheds and yard covers, hay sheds, grain sheds, and general storage sheds.
So, if you are building a new farm shed, you are likely considering whether you should include a canopy.
And asking questions like:
How much does a farm shed canopy cost?
Can I retrofit a canopy to my shed?
What size canopy do I need?
These are all great questions – and we thought we would answer these (and more!) in this article, because not every farm shed builder offers a canopy as a design option!
You can learn how else Ben customised his Action farm shed design here.
Now, let’s get into it!
Your Farm Shed Canopy Questions – Answered
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1. What Is A Farm Shed Canopy?
Is a canopy and an awning the same thing?
A canopy (also commonly called an awning) is a section of roof that cantilevers off the side of a shed.
It consists of heavy steel rafters or trusses that are bolted to the main shed columns and clad with iron.
They generally pitch downwards, running all the stormwater to a gutter on the outside edge
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2. How Is A Canopy Different To A Skillion?
And which is better?
A canopy is a ‘cantilevered’ section of a roof, meaning that it gets all its support from the main shed columns and doesn’t require columns on the outside edge.
This gives you unobstructed access on all three open sides.
A skillion also mounts off the main shed columns, but will have columns on the outside edge as well.
As the skillion is bolting off the main shed columns, the bay spacing will match the bay spacing of the main body of the shed (unless a girder truss is incorporated).
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3. What Is The Best Canopy Design?
Will my shed canopy be made with a UB rafter or an Open Web Truss?
Can I customise the design?
Your farm shed canopy design will either be a UB rafter or an open web truss – depending on the size of the canopy.
For example, canopies up to and including 6 metres are usually a UB rafter design. Canopies larger than this are typically a web truss design. This is because a truss design is stronger.
One way you can customise the design is to clad the end wall/s.
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4. How Can A Farm Shed Canopy Be Used?
What are the benefits?
There is a reason why farm shed canopies are so popular, and that is because they can be used in so many ways and provide so many benefits.
Here’s how you could use a farm shed canopy.
- Increasing the coverage of your shed (more cost-effective than upsizing the span)
- Avoiding inconvenient column placement (popular for yard covers)
- Covering feedbunks or feed lanes to reduce wastage (popular for dairy barns and feedlot sheds)
- Providing quick and easy shelter for long machinery at cropping or harvest (with no columns in the way)
- Temporary storage area and extra weather protection (valuable for hay sheds in a busy season)
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5. Can I Include A Canopy On My Action Shed?
Unfortunately, not every farm shed manufacturer will accommodate canopies in their designs
So, does Action build farm shed canopies?
Yes, we do! And if you check out the Latest Projects Gallery, you will see how popular they are!
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6. Can I Retrofit A Canopy To My Shed?
We can retrofit a canopy to your existing Action shed – provided the frame has been engineered for a canopy.
If you aren’t sure if you would find a canopy beneficial, we can make provision for adding a canopy in the future.
This may involve upsizing the columns and increasing the depth of the footings.
So, if you have taken this step in the design stage of your shed project, retrofitting a canopy to your shed is straightforward.
If you haven’t made this allowance, you may be limited as to how big a canopy you can retrofit. We look at this on a job-by-job basis.
Or, if your existing shed is not an Action shed, we may need to refer you to your local steel fabrication business.
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7. What Size Farm Shed Canopy Do I Need?
And what is the biggest canopy you can build?
6 metre and 8 metre canopies are easily the most popular farm shed canopy sizes, working well for hay sheds, machinery sheds and general storage sheds.
For yard covers and dairy barns, canopies as small as 1 or 2 metres are common, depending on the coverage and column placement required.
We can also build farm shed canopies as big as 12 metres and beyond!
Watch the video below to check our Craig Henderson’s grain shed, which features two 12 metre canopies!
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8. Does Adding A Canopy Change The Frame Size Or Engineering?
Yes, typically the columns need to be upsized to support the additional load.
We may also need to increase the depths of the footings.
This will be determined by the size of the shed and the size of the canopy.
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9. Does A Canopy Have A Gutter?
Yes, the Action custom gutter system works well with a farm shed canopy.
This system is a standard inclusion on Action sheds and allows stormwater to be plumbed to one or both ends of the shed.
You can learn about the system here – Half Round Gutters Versus Custom Gutter.
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10. How Much Does A Farm Shed Canopy Cost?
And what is most cost-effective?
The cost of adding a canopy to your shed design depends on factors like the size of the shed and the canopy.
But generally, you can expect to pay between $100 and $150 per square metre.
Some canopy sizes are more cost-effective than others.
For example, an 8-metre canopy usually costs less per square metre than a 6-metre canopy.
This is because we fabricate any canopy up to 6 metres with a UB rafter.
When the canopy is wider than 6 metres, we often exchange the UB rafter for an RHS truss to give it the additional strength it requires.
While there may be a little more fabrication time in welding up the truss option, the materials weigh less overall – and we pay for steel and galvanizing per tonne.
So, this makes the RHS truss option the more cost-effective way to build a canopy.
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11. Should I Build A Canopy Or Increase The Span?
One of the popular reasons for including a canopy on a farm shed is that it is more cost-effective than increasing the span size.
For example, a 24 metre span shed with a 6 metre canopy will typically cost less than a 30 metre span shed.
But is this the right choice for you?
When is increasing the span a better option?
This will depend on what you are trying to achieve with the extra width.
If you are trying to achieve extra coverage for your semi-trailer, you could consider an 18 metre span with a 6 metre canopy. But a 24 metre span may provide better coverage.
For b-doubles, a 24 metre span with a 6 metre canopy is more popular than a 30 metre span, as it is much more cost-effective.
If you are looking to increase the capacity of your shed, consider increasing the length of your shed instead. A canopy is typically used as a temporary storage space, and increasing the length of the shed is more cost-effective than increasing the width.
If you need to avoid inconvenient column placement – such as in your sheep yards or over feed bunks – then a canopy is often the best bet.
However, if you are accessing your shed from the gable end and require width for a truck to turn inside, then increasing the span is the recommended option.
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12. How Much Does A Canopy Impact Clearance?
A canopy typically impacts the shed clearance by approximately 500mm; however, this will depend on the size of the canopy.
So, check with your Action building consultant during the design process.
A lack of clearance height can be incredibly frustrating and is not easily fixed once the shed is installed!
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13. Can I Use My Canopy For Storage?
A canopy can easily be used for temporary hay storage or machinery shelter at busy times of the year, like harvest.
For example, a canopy provides easily accessible shelter for trucks and headers with no columns in the way.
However, we don’t recommend using a farm shed canopy for long-term storage, as the open sides will not provide effective weather protection.
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14. Can I Include A Partial Canopy?
Yes, a farm shed canopy doesn’t need to run the full length of your shed.
Instead, a partial canopy is a popular option for machinery shed/workshops and chemical sheds – particularly over sliding doors to provide sheltered access.
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15. Can I Install A Canopy On The Gable End?
Yes, a canopy can be installed on the gable end of a shed.
However, this is typically not as common or as cost-effective as a canopy on the long side of a shed.
If you are looking to gain extra coverage at the gable end, you could also consider:
- Gable overhangs (popular on dairy barns to provide additional weather protection)
- Increasing the length of the shed (this is typically the most cost-effective way to increase shed space)
Or you may find that a canopy on the gable end does work best – like the calving shed below
That’s a wrap on the most frequently asked questions about farm shed canopies!
Still looking for answers? Give us a call!
Looking for inspiration? Scroll on and check out the photo gallery below!
Inspiration Gallery
A farm shed canopy is a cost-effective way to increase the functionality of your shed, whether it’s for temporary storage, to reduce feed wastage, or to improve working conditions. There are so many ways you can benefit!
Looking to include a canopy in your farm shed design?
Reach out to the Action team on 1800 687 888 or submit a REQUEST A QUOTE form, and we will be in touch!
