Cabins

Utility Cabin

A covered porch changes what the building is for

Utility Cabin — A covered porch changes what the building is for

Add a covered front porch, a residential entry door, three windows and taller sidewalls, and a storage building stops being storage. The Utility Cabin is built to be occupied — as a studio, an office, a guest space or a retreat at the back of the property.

Worth knowing

It arrives as a finished shell with the porch, door and windows in place. Insulation, wiring, interior finishes and anything else needed for regular occupancy are local work, and whether that requires a permit depends entirely on your jurisdiction and how you intend to use it.

Features

  • Covered front porch
  • Residential access door
  • Three windows
  • Taller sidewalls

Common uses

  • Home office or studio
  • Guest space
  • Hunting or lake cabin
  • Backyard retreat

Available sizes

SizeFootprint
12' × 24' 288 sq ft
12' × 32' 384 sq ft

Floor plans

The floor plan sets where the doors and windows go. This model is offered in 1 plan — the same building, laid out differently. Tell us how you will approach it and what goes inside, and the right one is usually obvious.

Floor plan 818 for the Utility Cabin
Plan 818

How it is built

Floor construction detail

Floor

  • Treated skids and joists on 16" centers, rated for ground contact
  • 4x6 notched floor skids — two on 8' wide buildings, four on 10' and 12' wide
  • 5/8" LP ProStruct treated floor decking with interlocking SmartFinish
Walls construction detail

Walls

  • LP SmartSide engineered wood siding and trim, treated against water and insects
  • 2x4 studs on 16" centers
  • Metal hurricane straps tying wall framing to rafters, rated to 160 mph
Roof construction detail

Roof

  • 2x4 rafters joined with steel plates
  • 7/16" OSB roof decking
  • Aluminum drip edge protecting decking and eaves
Doors construction detail

Doors

  • 6" heavy-duty zinc-plated hinges and handle
  • Adjustable tension rods to stop the doors sagging
  • Aluminum threshold protecting the floor edge