Costco Vs Sam's Club: Who Has The Most Affordable Backyard Sheds?

If you are in the market for a backyard shed, you know that you'll probably be spending at least a few hundred dollars, and potentially a few thousand dollars, to receive the design and size that you want. When you're spending that kind of money, you want to compare prices and be certain you're receiving a good deal. Even if you have a particular backyard shed design in mind to create a quiet area or to use for storage, you still want to compare prices.

The two membership warehouse giants — Costco and Sam's Club — both carry outdoor sheds that should work perfectly in your backyard. You can find multiple footprint sizes and storage capacities in the sheds at both retailers. Both Costco and Sam's Club have multiple resin and wood shed designs available, ensuring you can find the ideal product for your needs.

Sam's Club and Costco are well-known for their extremely competitive prices, so it makes sense to consider these two membership warehouse retailers when you're shopping for a new backyard shed. After comparing the prices at both, we found that it definitely pays to shop around when you are looking for a shed. Some of them are more affordable at Costco; others are cheaper at Sam's Club. We'll discuss what you can expect to pay for sheds of different materials and varying capacities at these two retailers. You'll also learn whether Sam's Club or Costco is the more consistently affordable option.

Durable resin backyard storage sheds are widely available at both Sam's Club and Costco. Suncast and Lifetime Products are common brand names available at both membership warehouse retailers.

We'll compare small resin sheds from the two retailers first. Both retailers carry a 6-by-4-foot resin shed from Suncast that has 106 cubic feet of storage capacity. Both designs have vertically aligned doors that occupy the entire front of the unit. It costs $549.99 at Costco, while it costs $399 at Sam's Club. At the time we compared prices, Sam's Club had an additional $75 discount to drop the price to $324. This is an indoor/outdoor shed with an all-weather construction and UV protection.

Both Sam's Club and Costco offer a Lifetime Products 12.5-by-8-foot resin shed, although the designs are slightly different. The shed's cost is $2,499 at Sam's Club, where the design includes a small window with shutters as well as dual entry doors on the long side. The Lifetime 12.5-by-8-foot shed at Costco has a simpler design. It has a small window on the long side without shutters. The dual entry doors are on the short side. This shed costs $1,499.99 at Costco, which is a significant savings versus the similarly-sized shed at Sam's Club, which has a higher-end design. At the time we compared prices, the Costco model had another $300 discount available, giving it a price of $1,199.99.

Wood sheds are a handy option for backyard storage, providing aesthetically pleasing designs and a DIY assembly option. At Costco, you'll find brands like Yardline and Gorilla. Sam's Club only has a few wood sheds available. Costco offers a significantly better selection of wood sheds than Sam's Club. For an 8-by-6-foot wood shed, the Gardena model with double doors on the long side costs $1,999 at Sam's Club. A similarly sized shed costs $1,699.99 at Costco. It's a Yardline model that has dual doors on the front with small windows at the top of the doors. Both prices require a DIY installation. 

The price difference is similar for a larger wooden shed at both retailers. The Ontario 8-by-12-foot model costs $2,799 at Sam's Club. It looks like a mini-barn with dual doors on the front. The Yardline model that measures 8-by-12 feet and costs $2,499.99 at Costco has a flat roof with a slight slope. It has dual doors on the front with small transom windows across the top. Both prices are for a DIY installation.

Additionally, if you shop at Costco, you also have the option of shopping for wood sheds through Costco Next, where Costco partners with high-end retailer Studio Shed and offers low prices to Costco members. Sam's Club cannot match this offer. You could purchase a Studio Shed Pagoda model that measures 10-by-12 feet and costs $28,999 through Next which includes shipping and installation.