Quick Answer: If you have an old farm shed in Ireland, you have three options: repair it, re-sheet it, or rebuild it. Repair (patching or replacing damaged sheets and fixing trusses) suits a structurally sound shed with localised damage, and costs roughly €1,500 to €8,000. Re-sheeting (stripping the old roof and cladding and re-covering the existing frame in new steel) suits a sound frame under worn sheeting, and works out far cheaper than a new build. Rebuilding suits a shed whose frame is corroded, undersized or no longer fit for purpose, and starts around €8,000 for a small building. The single biggest deciding factor is almost always the condition of the steel frame, not the sheeting on it.
Drive through any part of rural Ireland and you will pass hundreds of them: farm sheds put up in the 1980s and 90s, roofs streaked with rust, the odd sheet lifted in the last storm. At some point every farmer with an old farm shed faces the same question, is it worth fixing, or is it time to start again?
It is a decision worth getting right, because the gap between the cheapest and the dearest option runs to tens of thousands of euro. This guide walks through the three real choices for an old farm shed, repair, re-sheet or rebuild, what each one involves, what each costs in 2026, how the grants apply, and, most importantly, how to tell which one your shed actually needs.
Old Farm Shed: Your Three Options at a Glance
Before getting into the detail, here is how the three choices for an old farm shed compare on what they involve, what they cost and the lifespan they add:
| Option | What it involves | Typical cost (2026) | Lifespan added | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repair | Patch or replace damaged sheets, fix trusses and flashings | €1,500–€8,000 | 5–15 years | Frame sound, damage localised |
| Re-sheet | Strip the old roof and cladding, re-cover the existing frame in new steel | Well below a new build | 30–40 years | Frame sound, sheeting worn out |
| Rebuild | Demolish and erect a new steel shed | €8,000–€100,000+ | 40–60+ years | Frame corroded, undersized or unfit |
Start Here: Is It the Sheeting or the Frame?
Almost every old farm shed fails from the top down and the outside in. The roof sheeting takes the brunt of the weather and goes first, followed by the wall cladding at the base where it meets the concrete. The steel frame underneath, the stanchions and rafters, is usually the last thing to go, and a galvanised frame can easily outlast two full sets of sheeting.
That is the whole basis of the decision. If the frame is sound and it is only the sheeting that has failed, you re-sheet and get decades more out of the building for a fraction of a new-build cost. If the frame itself is badly corroded, bent, or simply too small or too low for how you farm now, no amount of new sheeting will fix that, and rebuilding is the honest answer.
A few things to look at before you decide:
- The frame: surface rust is normal and not a problem. Deep pitting, flaking that leaves thin metal, or heavy corrosion where the stanchions meet the concrete is a warning sign.
- The roof: rust streaks, pin-holing, lifted or cracked sheets, and daylight through the roof all point to sheeting at the end of its life.
- The purlins: the horizontal rails the sheets screw to. If they are rusted through, they are replaced as part of a re-sheet, which adds cost but is still far short of a rebuild.
- The fit: even a sound shed can be the wrong shed. If it is too low for modern machinery or too narrow for the stock you carry, that pushes you towards a rebuild.
If you are not sure what you are looking at, this is worth a second opinion. A steel contractor will tell you honestly whether the frame is worth saving, and that single judgement decides everything that follows. With an old farm shed, that one call, save the frame or start again, shapes the whole budget.
Option 1: Repair the Shed
Repair means dealing with localised damage without stripping the whole building: replacing a handful of storm-damaged or rusted sheets, renewing flashings and guttering, or carrying out structural work on a truss or stanchion that has taken a knock.
It is the right call when the old farm shed is fundamentally sound and the problem is contained. Individual sheet replacement is relatively cheap; structural and truss repairs typically run €1,500 to €8,000 depending on what is involved. Steel sheds are, on the whole, straightforward and cost-effective to repair, which is one of their advantages over timber.
The thing to be honest about is that a repair buys time, not decades. If the roof is patched in three places this year, it is telling you something. When you find yourself repairing the same old farm shed every winter, you have really moved into re-sheet territory, and continuing to patch is just spending good money on a building that needs more.
Option 2: Re-Sheet the Shed
Re-sheeting is the sweet spot for a huge number of old farm sheds in Ireland. The frame stays, everything on it comes off, and the building is re-covered in new steel. Depending on the shed, that means a new roof, new wall cladding, or a full re-sheet of both at once.
It is dramatically cheaper than a new build because you are reusing the most expensive parts, the structural steel and the foundations, and paying only for sheeting, purlins where needed, flashings and labour. Done properly, a re-sheet gives an old farm shed another 30 to 40 years. Our full guide to re-roofing a farm shed covers the materials and the process in detail.
One practical tip from the trade: if the roof is gone, the cladding is rarely far behind. Doing both together is significantly cheaper than two separate visits, because you only pay once for site setup, access equipment and mobilisation. If a full re-sheet is coming within a few years anyway, it is usually worth doing it all in one go.
On materials, there are two main choices. Fibre-cement sheeting is breathable, does not sweat with condensation, and lasts 40 or more years, which makes it a strong option over livestock. Coated steel sheeting is lighter, faster to fix and comes in a range of colours. We help you weigh that up as part of quoting the job.
Option 3: Rebuild the Shed
Sometimes the old farm shed is simply finished, or it was never right in the first place. If the frame is badly corroded, if it is too low, too narrow or in the wrong place, or if you want to change what the building is used for, rebuilding an old farm shed makes more sense than pouring money into a structure that will always be a compromise.
A new steel shed in Ireland runs from around €8,000 for a small building to well over €100,000 for a large commercial one, driven by size, span, cladding, doors and site conditions. Our steel shed cost guide breaks the pricing down, and our guide to farm shed sizes helps you get the dimensions right for the next thirty years rather than the last thirty.
The upside is that you start clean. A properly built steel shed should last 40 to 60 years or more with minimal upkeep, budgeted at around €50 to €200 a year against €500 to €1,500 for an old timber building. You also get exactly the layout, height and span you need. For how the whole job runs from start to finish, see our guide to building a steel shed on your farm.
The Asbestos Factor on Older Sheds
If your shed went up before 1999, there is a real chance the roof sheeting is asbestos cement, and that changes any re-sheet or rebuild. Asbestos cannot be stripped off or dumped like ordinary sheeting: it has to be taken down and disposed of by a suitably competent contractor under Health and Safety Authority rules, and that adds cost, usually in the region of €3,000 to €8,000 for a typical old farm shed.
It is not a reason to leave a failing asbestos roof in place, quite the opposite, but it is a cost to factor in early and a job to have done correctly. If you think your shed may have an asbestos roof, flag it at quoting stage so it is planned and priced properly rather than discovered halfway through the job.
How the Grants Apply
Grant aid can tilt the decision, and the good news is that it is not only for new builds. Under TAMS 3, roof replacement on an existing farm shed can attract 60% grant aid, and a new build attracts the same 60% up to the scheme ceilings. There is also a Farm Safety element that can support re-roofing an old, dangerous roof. On a €20,000 re-roof, that support can cover a substantial share of the cost.
The practical effect is that both re-sheeting and rebuilding can be grant-aided, so the choice for an old farm shed comes back to the condition of the frame and what you need from the building, rather than the grant alone. Our full TAMS 3 guide sets out the schemes, ceilings and deadlines. The one rule that catches people out every year: never start work, not even stripping the old roof, before written approval comes through, or you disqualify the whole application.
One Thing Not to Do: Wait
Whatever you decide, the worst option is to do nothing. Once a roof is rusting through or losing sheets, you have roughly a 12 to 24 month window before the water starts costing you in other ways: rotting timber, damaged machinery, spoiled feed, and a frame that corrodes faster once it is permanently wet. An old farm shed that only needed a re-sheet can be pushed into needing a full rebuild by two more winters of neglect.
Acting while the frame is still sound is what keeps you in the cheaper half of this guide. Leave it too long and the decision gets made for you.
Where Sullivan Steel Fits
We are a steel fabrication, erection and cladding business, and we do all three of these jobs: sheet and structural repairs, full re-roofs and re-sheets, and complete new sheds. Because we are not tied to selling you one answer, we will walk the old farm shed with you, tell you honestly whether the frame is worth saving, and quote for the option that genuinely makes sense. For anything outside a standard layout, that is handled as bespoke steel fabrication from our workshop in Co. Wexford.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it cheaper to re-sheet or rebuild a farm shed?
Re-sheeting is far cheaper than rebuilding, provided the steel frame is sound, because you reuse the frame and foundations and pay only for new sheeting and labour. Rebuilding only wins out when the frame itself is corroded, undersized or unfit for purpose.
Q: How do I know if my old farm shed needs replacing?
Look at the frame, not just the roof. Surface rust is fine, but deep corrosion, thin or flaking steel, or a frame that is too low or narrow for how you farm now all point to a rebuild. A sound frame under worn sheeting points to a re-sheet instead.
Q: Does re-roofing a farm shed need planning permission?
Generally no. Replacing a roof or cladding like-for-like on an existing agricultural building usually does not require planning permission, as long as you are not extending it, raising it or changing its use. Always confirm with your local authority if in doubt.
Q: My shed has an asbestos roof. Can it still be re-sheeted?
Yes, but the asbestos has to be removed and disposed of correctly under Health and Safety Authority rules first, which adds cost, typically €3,000 to €8,000. Once it is safely removed, the existing frame can be re-sheeted in new steel.
Q: Can I get a grant to re-roof an old shed?
Yes. Under TAMS 3, roof replacement on an existing farm shed can attract 60% grant aid, and a Farm Safety element can support replacing a dangerous roof. You must have written approval before any work begins.
The Bottom Line
For an old farm shed in Ireland, the choice between repair, re-sheet and rebuild comes down to one honest question: is the steel frame worth saving? If it is, a repair or a re-sheet gives you decades more building for a fraction of the cost of starting again. If it is not, a rebuild gets you exactly the shed you need for the next forty years and more. Either way, both re-sheeting and rebuilding can be grant-aided, and the sooner you act while the frame is still sound, the cheaper the answer.
If you have an old shed you are unsure about, the most useful next step is to have someone who works with steel every day take a look. Get in touch with Sullivan Steel for an honest assessment and a no-obligation quote on whichever option your shed actually needs. You can also read Teagasc’s farm buildings guidance before you decide.
