Start with the shed in your head
Describe the size, use, roof, style, openings, and budget in everyday language. HomeCat turns the brief into shed concepts you can compare instead of making you draft from a blank canvas.
Browser-based shed design app
A shed design app for projects you can actually build
Describe your shed in everyday language, compare custom 3D concepts, and turn the design you choose into plans, framing information, material quantities, and property-aware project decisions.
No CAD experience required. Nothing to download.
Project HC–184One design, three useful views
Design linked
Start with a sentenceNot an empty CAD file
Design in your browser3D concepts without a download
Plan beyond the pictureDrawings, materials, and site context
Not just a shed visualizer
Design the shed and the decisions behind it
Many shed design tools stop at a good-looking model or steer every choice toward a manufacturer's catalog. HomeCat is built for people planning their own project: a storage shed, garden studio, workshop, backyard office, sauna, or something more specific.
The 3D shed design stays connected to the information that makes the idea useful—its dimensions, openings, structure, foundation, materials, location, and drawing package.
Inside the app
From rough idea to a resolved shed design
A simpler way to make the choices that generic plans, general-purpose CAD, and quote-only configurators tend to leave disconnected.
See the whole design in 3D
Review the exterior, look inside, and understand how the roof, walls, doors, windows, siding, and foundation work together before you commit to one direction.
Change real building choices
Adjust dimensions, roof style, foundation, materials, colors, doors, and windows. Standard building components keep the design grounded in choices you can source and build.
Carry the design into plans
Use the selected design for floor plans, elevations, framing information, material quantities, cost planning, and the site or permit drawings your project needs.
Start with a real brief
No menus to learn before you can begin
Tell HomeCat what you want to build and where. Include as much or as little detail as you know; the first concepts give you something concrete to react to.
Try your shed ideaWHATPlain-language project brief
“A 12 × 16 ft backyard workshop with a hip roof, charcoal board-and-batten siding, double doors, and two windows for natural light.”
WHEREYour city, state, or property address
How it works
Design a shed online in four steps
- 01
Tell HomeCat what and where
Enter a plain-language shed brief and the project location so the first concepts reflect both your goals and the property context.
- 02
Compare custom concepts
Review different forms and layouts in 3D. Pick the direction that fits the yard, storage needs, and look you want.
- 03
Customize the details
Refine the size, roof, foundation, siding, colors, doors, windows, and other practical choices in one connected model.
- 04
Create the drawing package
Turn the final design into coordinated plans, framing views, quantities, and permit-aware project information.
Choose the right kind of tool
A shed design app should match the job you are doing
A dealer configurator is useful for ordering that dealer's building. A generic plan is useful when it already fits. HomeCat is for shaping your own shed and taking the same design into the next planning steps.
| What you need | HomeCat | Ready-made plan | Dealer configurator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own dimensions and details | Custom | Usually fixed | Catalog options |
| 3D design and drawings stay connected | Yes | No live model | Varies |
| Framing and material planning | Built into the workflow | Plan-specific | Often quote-focused |
| Property and permit context | Location-aware | Not property-specific | Usually limited |
| Best fit | A custom project | A standard DIY build | Buying that dealer's shed |
The ability to create renderings and make adjustments is invaluable and not available anywhere I have searched.
Custom outcome shown aboveInverse-gable hip-roof shed
Exterior design, interior framing, elevations, and roof framing from one project.
Shed design app FAQ
Questions before you start
The fastest way to get a useful first design is to know the approximate footprint, intended use, preferred roof, important openings, and project location.
Can I design a shed online without downloading software?
Yes. HomeCat is a browser-based shed design app, so you can begin on the web without installing traditional CAD software. Describe the project and location, then review and develop the design online.
Do I need CAD or construction experience?
No CAD experience is required to start. HomeCat begins with a plain-language description and presents visual concepts. You still need to review the final construction and permit requirements that apply to your property before building.
Can I customize the shed dimensions, roof, doors, and windows?
Yes. You can shape the footprint and choose the roof, foundation, siding, colors, doors, and windows. Defining the intended use early also helps the layout account for storage, work areas, daylight, and access.
Does the shed design app create building plans?
HomeCat carries the selected 3D design into coordinated floor plans, elevations, framing information, material quantities, and cost-planning inputs. The required drawing set depends on the shed and its location.
Can I use HomeCat for a shed permit?
HomeCat checks the property and zoning context, then identifies relevant setbacks, permit triggers, and drawing needs. Permit thresholds and professional-review requirements vary by jurisdiction, so the final package must match the local authority’s checklist.
Is a shed design app better than a ready-made shed plan?
A ready-made plan can work when its size, openings, foundation, and roof already suit your yard. A shed design app is more useful when you need custom dimensions, want to compare options, or need the design to respond to a particular property and permit context.
Your shed, not a stock model
Start with the idea. Leave with a plan.
Describe the shed you want and where you want to build it. HomeCat will give you a concrete design to review and improve.
Design your shed