Animal Shelters
A shelter is the nicest thing you can give your animal.
Every animal owner desires to take care of their animals. Congratulations! You demonstrate your knowledge and love of excellent animal care by coming to this page. A shelter is a perfect gift to present to your critter.
Avoid catastrophes for your animals.
How do you feel when you see a story about someone failing to care for their pet or livestock properly? It probably causes outrage and sadness, especially if you love animals. All animals deserve shelter from the weather, especially in the harsh climates of the Northwest.
A simple covering for protection is suitable in some parts of the country, however, a better shelter is a must in the Northwest with its weather and cold. We know this because it has taken us a lot of thought and testing to see what works. As a result, our shelters are designed with the northern areas in mind to provide the safest and most satisfactory shelter for your pet.
MSC’s promise to you
Building a shelter yourself is a significant task, yet, finding one worthy of your money is even more difficult. MSC’s animal shelters are built to withstand the wind and cold of the Northwest. With an MSC shelter, you can keep your animals safe and dry, no matter the weather. We are so confident in our buildings that we have a 10-year warranty to back up our work. We also stand behind our craftsmanship with a warranty team to ensure you have the best customer service. We make it our mission to do so.
Get your animal shelter today.
No matter what animals you have or the type of shelter you require, we are confident we have something that will meet your needs. Begin by customizing a shelter by selecting “Start Designing Now” under the “Get Started” tab at the top of the page. You could also search our “Locations” or “Inventory” page to find suitable animal shelter that may be available near your town.
Select A Style And Start Designing Your Animal Shelter
Built with proven materials
- Metal Roof with a 40-year manufacture warranty. 1
- LP SmartSiding with a 50-year manufacture warranty. 2
- 5/8″ Tongue and Groove Flooring
- Pretreated Skids that will last a lifetime. 3
- Available sizes: 4′, 6′, 8′, 10′, 12′, 14′ & 16′ widths and 6′ to 52′ length.
An important fact to note is that the warranty is void if materials are not applied according to manufacturer specifications. We follow those instructions carefully to ensure your products are protected under the manufacturer’s warranty.
- Shingles are optional
- Other siding materials options
- Pretreated joists are optional.
We have dealers across Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah & Wyoming.
There is a shed, garage, animal shelter, greenhouse, or cabin for sale near you.
FAQ About Animal Shelters
- Do I need to keep a horse in a barn?
- We recommend it. Depending on where you are located, a horse shed may be the only thing that keeps harsh weather away from your animal. The building doesn’t have to be specifically designed for the horse, but something is a lot better than nothing.
- What size run-in shed should I have for 2+ horses?
- Typically, we recommend having 100 feet for the first horse and an additional 50 square feet per horse after that. Our standard 10×16 (160 sq ft) horse shed should be more than sufficient to handle your big furry friends.
- Do I need to prepare the area for the run-in?
- Yes. You will want to ensure the area has good drainage and a level surface for the building to sit on. If water begins to pool in the area, this will both degrade the building and could potentially lead to hoof rot on the animal.
- What direction should I place my shelter to maximize its effectiveness?
- We recommend it facing southward to allow for sunlight to enter in. This ensures your animal will stay warm and protected from the elements.
- What is the recommended foundation for a shelter?
- All animal shelters, dog kennels, and chicken coops should be set on a level pre-made pad. For shelters under 288 sq. ft., we offer a blocking package (clickable blocking package PDF) that costs less than a gravel pad and is still covered by our best in the industry, a 10-year structural warranty. For any building over 288 sq ft., we suggest a ¾” road base mix gravel pad consisting of 4” of leveled and compacted road base mix. We do offer these gravel bases to some areas in MT. Please talk to your local dealer if you are interested. *Note: setting the building on anything other than the recommended bases will void the 10 yr. structural warranty.
- What is the recommended foundation for horse barns?
- An MSC horse barn needs to be set on a permanent foundation, either a crawl space, strip footings, or a monolithic slab. The footings of this foundation need to be below the local frost line to assure long-term stability. Montana Shed Center does not design or build foundations but will provide you and your contractor all necessary measurements and specific building information needed to construct the foundation. The foundation needs to be poured at least a week before the building is set to assure the concrete has cured (please note the foundation details for specific requirements), and center supports in place. The center supports on a crawl space is best accomplished with a framed “pony” wall. *Warranty is voided for foundation types other than listed above. (i.e., Gravel pads.) Usually, a gravel 80’-100’ level staging area is needed for the crane to set the horse barn pieces.
- Do I need a permit for my animal shelter?
- If you live in a town, it is likely you may need a permit for a shed over 200 square feet. It is your responsibility to make sure you are within permit codes for your area. Please see your local county plan coordination department to see if you have special restrictions or permitting needed in your area. For horse barns, our buildings leave the factory built to present codes for our production location at Great Falls, MT. Additional pricing may apply for code modifications. There are often local site permits that you will be responsible for, such as building location and use, septic, electric, and road. These will vary by county. Talk to your local building zoning department before any construction begins.
- Is a crane included in the price of a horse barn?
- Typically, yes. However, if the building is in a hard-to-reach place or the location is several miles on a dirt road, there may be additional crane charges.
- How do you anchor the horse barns to the foundation?
- The on-site crew will drill through the base and attach the barn to the foundation with concrete anchors.
- What is the lead time for a shelter?
- On average, animal shelters can range anywhere from 4-8 weeks, chicken coops can range from 3-6 weeks, dog kennels range from 4-6 weeks, and standard horse barns range from about 9-13 weeks. All custom horse barns must be slotted to the next available slot in the schedule. *Note: busy time of year and custom order options can increase these lead times. Please talk with your local dealer for a better idea of the lead time for your specific shelter.
- Do I need to anchor my shelter?
- We strongly suggest anchoring animal shelters since the open side leaves it easy for high winds to pick up the shelter and damage it. For all other shelters (chicken coops, dog kennels, etc.) we recommend anchoring if you live in a high wind area. Our 10-year warranty does not cover acts of God, so it is never a bad idea to anchor your chicken coop or dog kennel as a precaution. We have 2 options we supply that you can find here: Arrowhead Anchors Penetrator Anchors.
- Do you offer discounts?
- Yes! We offer a 1.5% discount if you pay in full with a check or cash. It doesn’t cost us to process this, so we’re happy to give that incentive to you for using this form of payment. We do also occasionally have buildings that go on sale or have rental returns that come back that would cost less. The best way to find out is to call, visit us at one of our lots or use our inventory finder to quickly view available sheds near you hassle-free.
- What do I need for site preparation?
- You are required to provide adequate access to the proposed building location, ensuring the path is wide and high enough for shed delivery. We recommend 2’ clearance from both sides and overhead. You can find our MSC disclaimer and recommended site preparations here.